Current Information:

Age-22

24, Smeaton Road, Southfields

Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France

At 10.30am on 30th October the enemy attacked the trenches held by the 3rd and 2nd Cavalry Divisions to the south-east of Ypres near Hollebeke.  There was a heavy artillery bombardment of their positions but little infantry action except near Hollebeke Chateau where a squadron of 1st Dragoons fought off an attack.  By noon, the Germans had moved their big guns forward and concentrated their attack on the left of 2nd Cavalry Division.  Their main target was 3 Cavalry Brigade, just south of the canal near Hollebeke.  Trenches were blown in and pivoting on its right, 3 Cavalry Brigade wheeled back, relinquishing the village  but keeping control of the road bridge across the canal.  With no trenches dug in this new position, natural cover was sought.  This retirement brought the enemy within three miles of Ypres and allowed them to close round Hollebeke Chateau.  At 2.30pm a squadron of 1st Dragoons at Hollebeke Chateau withdrew, taking their guns and wounded with them.  Because of continuing pressure, 2nd Cavalry Division was gradually withdrawn to a prepared second line. From there 6 Cavalry Brigade continued the line along the canal to the bridge.  To the right of 2nd Cavalry Division there was heavy shelling throughout the day of the 1st Cavalry Division at Messines.

The enemy kept up the pressure on the following day, 31st October, as they prepared to attack Wytschaete and the 12th Lancers found themselves in the firing line and heavily outnumbered. They were saved by the arrival of French troops and artillery and this allowed them to be relieved and move back to a farm one mile in the rear. On 1st November, with the enemy continuing to press, 12th Lancers were sent to secure the ridge at Wytschaete which they did with a bayonet charge. They were relieved from this position by French troops and moved back to billets for the night. At 6.30am on 2nd November they were ordered to Lindenhoek to hold a position near Hill 75 which was under fire from the enemy on the Messines-Wytschaete ridge. The horses were kept back in a small wood half a mile in the rear but that evening five shells hit them causing death and injury to both horses and men. Meanwhile the men on Hill 75 were under fire all day until relieved that evening when they moved back to Dranoutre. Thomas Cooper died from wounds on 8th November, 1914, after having been sent to a base hospital on the coast, but as yet there is no information as to the exact date he was wounded.