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Age-32

1, Dean Trench Street, Westminster

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 2nd November, 1914, after suffering severe losses during the Battle of Gheluvelt at the end of October, the 1st Coldstream Guards battalion of 1 Brigade, 1st Division were still in the trenches near Gheluvelt.  From 8.30am the enemy had been pushing forward on both sides of the Menin road where stood a mixed force that included 1st Coldstream Guards.  This was an ill prepared position, the troops had but recently taken it over with shallow disconnected lengths of trench and no wire.  There was a barricade across the road where 1st Coldstream were, behind which were a group of houses.  Their field of fire was limited by a ridge on one side and a falling slope on the other and hedges further obstructed their view.  There was also a house one hundred yards in front of the line which the British had failed to burn. The barricade was soon blown away and the Germans brought up a machine-gun to the unburnt house and another one through a sixty yard gap in the line.  This allowed the enemy to move down the road in groups of thirty and forty as a result of which  1st Coldstream were overwhelmed and half of their number were captured or killed.  One of their casualties was Henry Adeane.