Current Information:

Attached to 2nd Royal Irish

5, Park Place Villas, Maida Vale

Battle of Frezenberg Ridge (8 May-13 May)

In April 1915 the Germans, using gas for the first time, launched an all out attack on the salient around the Belgian town of Ypres. It became a gargantuan struggle that lasted well into the next month and at the end of it, the salient, though drastically reduced, still stood.

The Battle of Frezenberg Ridge which began on 8th May, 1915 was a further attempt to destroy the Ypres salient. The name is deceptive because the Frezenberg ridge, which lay to the north-east of the town rose to only 50 metres above sea level and was one of a series of low ridges that ran in a generally westerly direction and branched off the main ridge that ran north-easterly from Kemmel to Passchendaele. Nevertheless, it gave a commanding view down on to the town of Ypres and for that reason it was strategically important.

The brunt of the German attack fell on 28th Division but 4th Division, holding nearby trenches at Shell Trap Farm near Wieltje, were called upon to lend their support. The 2nd Royal Irish battalion of 11 Brigade moved two of their companies to the right and readied themselves for an attack and although this attack did not materialise, they came under heavy shell fire during the day. On 9th May they relieved a battalion of the Monmouthshire Regimant in new trenches to the north-east of Shell Trap Farm where they remained, again under constant shell fire, until they were relieved themselves on the following day. During these three days 2nd Royal Irish sustained nearly 150 casualties including Henry Goodden, the battalion medical officer, who was killed on 9th May.