Current Information:

Age-20

1, Dane Road, Ilford

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 who, at the beginning of 1915, were the Germans. In April 1915, 5th Division took over the line in front of the hill 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.

After 26 days in the trenches at Hill 60, during which time they had been involved in much of the heavy fighting there, the 1st Norfolk battalion of 15 Brigade, 5th Division were finally relieved on 6th May, 1915 and moved back to a camp at Ouderdom. During their time at Hill 60 the battalion suffered many casualties including Charles Strohman who was killed on 4th May.