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Born-Camberwell

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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.

At 3pm on 25th October, 2nd Division attacked with the 2nd Grenadier Guards and 1st Irish Guards of 4 Brigade, passing through 5 Brigade and advancing towards Becelaere. Fading daylight and stiff German resistance made progress slow and there was no chance of enveloping Reutel from the south as was their objective. By 7pm both battalions had their leading troops in close contact with the enemy on the western slopes of the Reutel Spur where 2nd Grenadier Guards were hit by enfilade fire from the right while the 1st Irish Guards were only 200 yards from Reutel before they were halted. Charles Hewitt of 2nd Grenadier Guards was one of the casualties of this operation.