Current Information:

Born-Deptford

Enlisted-Woolwich

The Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge (22–23 April 1915)

In the late afternoon of 22nd April the Germans used poison gas on the Western Front for the first time when an unfamiliar green cloud was seen to rise from the German trenches on the northern part of the Ypres salient, held by two French divisions. It was chlorine gas and this destroys moist tissues such as lungs and eyes. The French troops in the path of the gas cloud suffered 6,000 casualties, many of whom died within ten minutes. Many others were blinded. Not surprisingly the French line broke leaving a four mile gap into which the German soldiers advanced. Desperate defending by Canadian troops prevented a complete German breakthrough but nevertheless a lot of ground was lost including Langemarck and Pilckem and the Ypres salient became even smaller. Two British divisions, the 27th and the 28th, were holding the line nearby and they sent their reserves to try to stem the German tide. Although this action was given the name of the Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge, it was actually fought further to the west in the region of Koorslaere and to the west of St Julien.

13 Brigade of 5th Division had been fighting their own desperate battle further south in the Ypres salient at Hill 60 when, on the morning of 23rd April they were ordered to move north-east to support the hard pressed troops of 27th and 28th Divisions. The situation was confused. No one was quite sure how big the gap in the British lines was nor how far the Germans had advanced, but it was imperative that the breach was closed and that the Germans were pushed back. With this as their objective, 13 Brigade, along with other units, were ordered to counter attack. That afternoon they marched under shell fire to reach their starting point near St. Jean and at 4.25pm they launched their attack with the 1st Royal West Kent and 2nd  Scottish Borderers battalions leading,  2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry in support and 9th London in reserve.

As soon as they rose from cover they were met by heavy fire with every man very visible in the clear light of the afternoon. Inevitably there were heavy casualties especially among the officers and except in the more enclosed ground next to the canal the attack made little progress. The main problem was that they did not know where the Germans were and after 200 yards the leading lines came up against fierce machine gun and rifle fire at short range and the advance came to a halt with the enemy line still 100 to 200 yards away.  There followed some fierce hand to hand fighting in the farms and cottages held by the Germans in advance of their line but by 7pm all movement had came to an end with the line reached running from Kitchener’s Wood to Hampshire Farm then along the forward edge of Colne Valley through Turco Farm, Fusilier Farm, Glimpse Cottage to the canal at South Zwaanhof Farm where they met the French.  After dark a new line in the valley, a bit further back was organised with the troops digging in at least two feet until they met the water line.  There 1st Royal West Kent spent a miserable night.  One of their many casualties during this operation was James Edwards.