Current Information:

Age-18

2, Ivydale Road, Nunhead

Ypres Town Cemetery

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.

When the war began in August, 1914, the 3rd Dragoon Guards were in India but soon returned home, arriving at Liverpool on 18th October, 1914. On 31st October they landed at Le Havre in France and arrived at Ypres on 4th November where they became part of 6 Cavalry Brigade in 3rd Cavalry Division. On 15th November, 1914, the 3rd Dragoon Guards of 6 Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division, minus their horses, moved into trenches at Zillebeke, where on 17th November they came under very heavy shelling for most of the morning followed by two infantry attacks on their positions. Both of these attacks were repelled but at the cost of 55 casualties after which 3rd Dragoon Guards moved to billets and remained out of the fighting line for the rest of the year. William Ellis died from wounds on 27th November, 1914, and it is likely that he was wounded during the fighting on 17th November.