Current Information:

Enlisted-Stratford

In the south-east of the Ypres salient  the Ypres-Comines canal crossed the front line and on its northern bank there was a large  and dominating pile of earth, which had been put here when the canal was being dug before the war. It became known, to the British, as the Bluff and it was on the British side of the line. If the Germans could capture it, it would give them a commanding view of much of the salient and the British positions and activities in and around Ypres would be compromised.

17th Division took over the front here during the first week of February, 1916, with 51 Brigade to the north of the canal, protecting the Bluff and 52 Brigade in the line south of the canal. On the morning of 14th February, 1916 the enemy began a bombardment of these positions. By the afternoon the Bluff was very much their target. Communications were broken with the infantry of 51 Brigade and in the early evening, after the Germans had blown 3 mines under the British lines, an infantry attack was launched which resulted in the capture of the British front line and the Bluff. For the next 2 days , 17th Division tried to recapture this lost territory but to no avail.

Two weeks later, 17th Division tried again to recapture the Bluff using 51 Brigade and 76 Brigade who were attached from 3rd Division for this action. After a period of intensive training the attack was launched at 4.30am on 2nd March, 1916, in very cold weather, after a 24 hour bombardment of the enemy positions by the artillery. In the front line of the attack were 3 battalions of 76 Brigade, 2nd Suffolk, 8 Royal Lancaster and 1st Gordon Highlanders. 7th Lincolnshire were in support and when the attack was temporarily held up on the left by machine gun fire, a company of 7th Lincolnshire was sent to assist. Overall, the attack achieved complete surprise and within 40 minutes all objectives had been captured and the Bluff was back in British hands. It came at a cost however with over 1600 British casualties. 56 officers and men from 7th Lincolnshire were killed, including Lance Sergeant Todhunter.