Current Information:

Born-Battersea

Reninghelst Churchyard, Belgium

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.

On the 1st May, 1915, the 1st Dorset battalion of 15 Brigade, 5th Division were holding the line there when, after a severe bombardment, the Germans released gas along their front.  It moved thickly and quickly and 1st Dorset were taken by surprise.  As soon as the gas reached their line the Germans opened rifle fire and then attacked both flanks with bombing parties whilst at the same their artillery laid a barrage on the approaches to the Hill to prevent reinforcements moving up. Some of 1st Dorset, although suffering from the effects of gas, jumped up onto the fire step and opened rapid fire which allowed the supports, 1st Devonshire and some of 1st Bedfordshire, to charge through the gas cloud and drive back the Germans.  This was a first inasmuch the use of gas was not successful but nevertheless there were heavy casualties for 1st Dorset 90 of whom died from gas poisoning whilst in the trenches.  Of the 207 who reached the dressing stations, 46 died almost immediately and 12 later, after much suffering. Battalion record keeping meant that many of these deaths were recorded as the 2nd or 3rd May. One of those from the battalion who did not survive this encounter was John Burrows.