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Born-Edmonton

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.

During the night of 23rd-24th October 7th Division, in the line at Polygon Wood in the Ypres salient, had been kept on the alert, mainly by rifle fire as the Germans attempted, mostly unsuccessfully, to establish snipers and machine guns near the British line. On 24th October the 2nd Warwickshire battalion of 22 Brigade and the Northumberland Hussars from Divisional reserve were sent to check any German advance through Polygon Wood. As they cleared that part of the wood that lay south of the racecourse, 2nd Warwickshire came under heavy shell fire and suffered many casualties. A large number of the enemy were occupying a farmhouse in rear of the wood and the battalion were ordered to capture this and in carrying out this order they were hit by fierce rifle and machine-gun fire resulting in more casualties. By noon a new line had been taken up by a considerable mixture of British units, including 2nd Warwickshire, near the eastern edge of the Wood. Ernest Adams died from wounds on the following day, 25th October.