Current Information:

Born-West Ham

Potijze Burial Ground Cemetery, Belgium

29th Division left the Somme battlefield at the end of July, 1916, and entrained for their first experience of the Ypres salient. They took over the line opposite the German held village, or rather the ruins of the German held village of St Julien. On 30th July, 2nd Hampshire of  88 Brigade, moved into the front line east of Potijze where they spent ten relatively quiet days except for 8th August. On that day the Germans unleashed a cloud of phosgene gas opposite their lines. It was seen slowly approaching from the north-east and with only a light wind the gas cloud lingered and was therefore much more lethal. At the same time an artillery barrage was placed on the trenches of 2nd Hampshire and the combination of shells and gas caused very heavy casualties but the Germans did not follow this up with an infantry attack. 125 men were killed and 115 wounded. Phosgene gas was very deadly. As it continued to roll across the British rear areas it killed birds and rats and corroded metal for some distance. Among those killed by this attack was John Kimpton. (These deaths are all shown as 9th August, 1916, but that was probably when they were recorded rather than when  they took place which was 8th August.)