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Age-22

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First Battle of Ypres

Between 21st October and 22nd November, 1914 a desperate fight took place around the Belgium city of Ypres, the first of three major battles that were to be fought there during the course of the war. British troops entered Ypres in October. The 1st and 2nd Divisions plus the 3rd Cavalry Division had made their way up from the Aisne as part of the “Race to the Sea”, whilst the 7th Division came west to Ypres after Antwerp had fallen. The Germans knew that Ypres was the gateway to the Channel ports and that these were vital to Britain’s war effort so they poured reinforcements into the area. The fighting fell into three distinct battles; the Battle of Langemarck, 21-24 October, the Battle of Gheluvelt, 29-31 October and the Battle of Nonne Bosschen, 11 November. Ypres did not fall to the Germans but its defence during these two months resulted in the destruction of much of the old regular British Army.

From 21st October to 24th October 7th Division, in their position east of Ypres were repeatedly attacked by the numerically superior Germans, whilst 1st and 2nd Divisions were similarly assaulted to the north-east of Ypres around Langemarck. This was the old regular British army at its fighting best and the German offensive failed to break through, but the cost was high.

By 26th October the British troops in the Ypres salient were near breaking point and there were instances of them abandoning their trenches after putting up only a token resistance. 20th Brigade of 7th Division were in the line at Kruiseecke at the point of the salient where there was simply a 300 yard street running north-south on the top of the rise of ground with a few outlying houses on the eastern side.  The British line was entirely on the forward slopes and therefore exposed and after a night of bombardment they were subjected to an infantry attack in the morning. The trenches of the two companies of 2nd Scots Guards holding the apex were completely destroyed and many men were buried alive.  Some were dug out, others died.  Later the same fate befell the 1st Grenadier Guards, 1st South Staffordshire and 2nd Border battalions and at 9 am German troops began to emerge from the woods in which they had concentrated overnight.  The 2nd Gordon Highlanders had been in reserve trenches while all this was going and they had escaped the worst of the fighting. Nevertheless the battalion did sustain some casualties one of whom was Gilbert Ewing.