Current Information:

Age-23

4, Grove Terrace, West Kensington

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 21st October, 7th Division held a long line to the east of Ypres with a right angle in it but lack of tools made trench digging difficult. 22 Brigade’s trenches near Zonnebeke were badly enfiladed by artillery and machine gun fire from Passchendaele and by 8am were seriously threatened.  At 11.30am 7 Cavalry Brigade was moved up in support.  There followed a very determined German attack and at 3pm, 7 Cavalry Brigade was moved first to Voormezeele and then Hooge. This left a gap between the left of 7th Division and the right of I Corps which the enemy attacked and got to within 200 yards of 22 Brigade. The left of 22 Brigade was in an exposed salient and under enfilade fire from the ridge north-west of Zonnebeke and the 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers battalion suffered over 250 casualties, one of whom was James Ware, and were reduced to the size of a company. At 5.30 pm this endangered left flank of 22 Brigade was withdrawn from the salient and joined on direct with I Corps through Zonnebeke.  From there the brigade front ran south-east past the front of Polygon Wood to connect with 21 Brigade at Reutel.