Current Information:

39, Frankham Street, Deptford

Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France

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 there 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.

During the night of 16-17 April, 13 Brigade, 5th Division took over the trenches in front of Hill 60 with the 1st Royal West Kent and 2nd Scottish Borderers battalions in front. At 7am the next day six mines were blown and this was the signal for “C” Company to storm the hill, which they did with total success and were soon joined by “B” Company and 2 companies of the Scottish Borderers. At first the German response was slow and they had time to consolidate their new positions. Just after midnight 2nd Scottish Borderers began to relieve “C” and “B” Companies and at the same time the Germans made a determined attack to retake the hill where the British troops were subjected to a terrific artillery bombardment. “D” Company were sent up to reinforce. At 4.30am, when the heaviest German attack was launched, “A” Company were sent up with much needed ammunition. At 8.30am on 18th April, 1st Royal West Kent were relieved and although they had been pushed back to the crest on the right, most of Hill 60 remained in British hands. One of the many casualties sustained by 1st Royal West Kent during this period of heavy fighting was Charles Barr who died from wounds on 19th April, after having been sent to a base hospital on the coast