Current Information:

Born-Rotherhithe

Enlisted-London

Poperinghe Old Military Cemetery, Belgium

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.

The 2nd East Surrey battalion of 85 Brigade, 28th Division had moved to the Zonnebeke area on 10th April, 1915. After an initial tour they moved back into the front line on 18th and at 6.30pm on 22nd April their trenches were heavily shelled, killing some men sheltering in them. The shelling continued the next day, 23rd April, and that evening the Germans launched an infantry attack which was repelled, but not without loss. One of the battalion’s casualties during this period was John Bristow who died from wounds on 23rd April.