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Age-33

47, Russell Street, Brixton Road

The Battle of Hill 60 (17 April – 7 May 1915)

Hill 60 was at the southern end of the Ypres Salient and was a man made mound from earth excavated from the nearby railway. It was an important vantage point for whoever controlled it which, at the beginning of 1915, were the Germans. In April 1915, 5th Division took over the line in front of it and prepared to capture it. On 17th April six mines were blown beneath it which so shocked and dazed the defending Germans that 13 Brigade was able to capture it, sustaining only seven casualties. However, holding it was a much more difficult task. German artillery began to pound the position and that night they launched three counter attacks which were only repelled after heavy losses and only after the British had been forced back to the crest of the hill. Later that evening British counter attacks retook all of the hill The next three days saw intense German shelling of the position and numerous counter attacks until it was a mass of shell holes and mine craters. Between 1st and 5th May the Germans launched a series of attacks preceded by gas and eventually after desperate fighting, took back the hill.

Between 17th April and 21st April, 13 and 15 Brigades of 5th Division were engaged in an epic and costly struggle to capture and retain Hill 60. This they managed to do and on the night of 21st April the 1st Devonshire battalion of 14 Brigade, took over the front line.  The Germans continued the fight all next day, 22nd April, by the end of which all traces of trenches on Hill 60 had disappeared.  There was nothing but craters, broken timber, tangled wire and dead bodies.  1st Devonshire hung on in here until relieved on 23rd April suffering a number of casualties as they did so. One of these was Alfred Salmon who was killed on 22nd April.