Current Information:

Age-33

Enlisted-London

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.

On 13th November, 1914, the 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry battalion of 13 Brigade, 5th Division left their billets in Neuve Eglise and marched to Ypres where they occupied trenches near Hooge. On the next day they attacked and captured Hooge chateau but were unable to take the nearby stables. Over the next two days they moved into the front line where they remained, under heavy shell fire until relieved in the evening of 18th November. During these five days at Hooge, 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry suffered over 80 casualties, including Frederick Cross who was killed on the day they were relieved.