Current Information:

Age-20

22, Routh Road, Wandsworth Common

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.

The 1st Liverpool (Kings) battalion of 6 Brigade, 2nd Division arrived in Ypres on 20th October, 1914 and on the following day they marched to Wieltje to join in an attack north of the Ypres-Passchendaele road. This did not make much progress and they moved back to billets at St Jean. On 24th October they joined with the French in an attack on Zonnebeke during which their commanding officer was shot and killed. The village was finally captured on 25th October but with attack followed by counter attack 1st Liverpool remained in the thick of the fighting around Zonnebeke until they were relieved on 28th October. One of the many casualties suffered by the battalion during this period was Edward Baker who was killed on 26th October.