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Age-27

Enlisted-London

First Battle of Ypres

Between 21st October and 22nd November, 1914 a desperate fight took place around the Belgium city of Ypres, the first of three major battles that were to be fought there during the course of the war. British troops entered Ypres in October. The 1st and 2nd Divisions plus the 3rd Cavalry Division had made their way up from the Aisne as part of the “Race to the Sea”, whilst the 7th Division came west to Ypres after Antwerp had fallen. The Germans knew that Ypres was the gateway to the Channel ports and that these were vital to Britain’s war effort so they poured reinforcements into the area. The fighting fell into three distinct battles; the Battle of Langemarck, 21-24 October, the Battle of Gheluvelt, 29-31 October and the Battle of Nonne Bosschen, 11 November. Ypres did not fall to the Germans but its defence during these two months resulted in the destruction of much of the old regular British Army.

Relieved on 26th October, the 2nd Highland Light Infantry battalion of 5 Brigade, 2nd Division, moved back to bivouacs. However their rest was short lived and on the evening of 27th October they were back in the line where they remained, under constant shell fire until they were once again relieved on 1st November. Again, after the shortest of rests they were back in the line the following day when they moved into trenches east of the Beceleare-Passchendaele road where, at 4.40 on the misty morning of 7th November, the enemy attacked. Within minutes they had got into some of the battalion’s trenches and after some desperate hand to hand fighting, had captured them. One of the casualties suffered by 2nd Highland Light Infantry was Ernest Webb.