Current Information:

Age-20

35, Whitestile Road, Brentford

Battle of Bellewaarde (24th-25th May, 1915)

The line held by V Corps of the BEF in May 1915, stretched 5 ½ miles around much of the Ypres salient from Hill 60 to the junction with the French at Turco Farm in the north-east and was held from right to left by 83 Brigade, 28th Division, 1st Cavalry Division (1 & 2 Cavalry Brigades astride the Menin Road), 85 Brigade, 28th Division (across the railway and the Zonnebeke road) and then 10 Brigade, 4th Division covering Wieltje and up to Mouse Trap Farm with 12 Brigade beyond.  At 2.45am on 24th May, the Germans opened up a tremendous artillery bombardment on this front followed up by the release of gas in greater quantities than had been seen before with dense gas clouds rising to 40 feet. In some places no-man’s land was very narrow and the defenders had little or no time in which to don their gas masks. The centre of the line held firm but at the two extremities, Mouse Trap farm in the north and Bellewaarde Lake in the south, the enemy broke through. Reserves were called up but despite some hard fighting the losses were not made good and the salient around Ypres was further reduced.

85 Brigade of 28th Division held the front between Bellwaarde Lake and the Ypres-Zonnebeke road on the reverse slope of Verlorenhoek ridge.  Half of 3rd Royal Fusiliers and 7th Durham Light Infantry were south of the railway while the 2nd East Surrey and 8th Middlesex battalions were north of it.  The trenches were knee deep in mud after recent rain and this, along with the bombardment caused them to collapse.  Despite what the Official History called ‘a magnificent defence, one company of 2nd East Surrey along with the two companies of 8th Middlesex were forced from their trenches. This allowed some of the enemy to get into the British lines and it was not until the evening that these positions were retaken. The other two companies of 8th Middlesex stood fast in the GHQ lines despite all the gas and shells coming their way and were not finally relieved until 28th May. Sidney Ardley was killed on 26th May.