Current Information:

Born-St Pancras

Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium

2nd Sussex of 2 Brigade, 1st Division moved into the front line beyond Gravenstafel in the northern part of the Ypres salient on 13th November, 1917. They spent two days here, enduring dreadful conditions. The Battalion Diary recorded that “the country in this forward area is a mass of water-logged shell holes, traversed by a few duckboard tracks-the only means of crossing it. The front and support lines consisted of a series of unconnected posts made od shell holes, the only means of approach being over the top…the artillery activity on both sides was very great and we lost numerous men from that cause…Enemy planes were also very active, flying low over our lines and often firing with machine-guns at troops passing along the duckboard tracks”. Not surprisingly there were many casualties among the personnel of 2nd Sussex, one of them being William Ellis who died from wounds on 15th November.