First Battle of Ypres

[ejwalshe]

 

 

First Battle of Ypres:  Strong German forces moving west clashed with the B.E.F. and French units in a series of confusing, but fierce encounters between 19 October and 22 November 1914 from Langemarck in the north-east through Zonnebeke, Gheluvelt, Zandvoorde, Wytschaete and Messines in the south.  Among the British Empire troops engaged in the desperate fighting were units of the Indian Army, recently arrived in Europe and put straight into action.

 

Between 21 and 24 October 1914, British forces to the north-east of Ypres collided with strong advancing concentrations of German troops around Langemarck.  A series of determined defensive actions prevented a breakthrough with British rifle fire wreaking havoc against repeated German mass infantry attacks.  Subsequently mythologised as the ‘Kindermord’, the German losses would become infamous.

 

Fighting along the entire front continued in deteriorating weather conditions until further German attacks were called off.  The cost in casualties of the fighting had been enormous.  Between 14 October and 30 November 1914, the B.E.F. suffered more than 58,000 killed, wounded and missing.  German losses during a similar period in the fighting between the French border and the sea are estimated to have been more than 120,000.

 

Edited 2 December , 2019 by ejwalshe

[phil andrade]

That really captivated me, thanks so much.

 

The official return of British and Indian casualties for First Ypres totalled 58,155 ; of these, just under eight thousand were posted as confirmed killed.  The CWGC , however, reveals that very close to fifteen thousand British and Indian dead are attributed to France and Belgium between 19 October and 22 November 1914....so we can pretty well double the official death toll : so many of the missing were dead, and there were the mortally wounded to be accounted for, too. In regard to the latter, I note that the British Lt in the opening vignette was wounded in October, but died of his wounds after evacuation to Blighty in November ; presumably, he and others who shared his fate are not included in the CWGC figure I cited for France and Belgium.

 

In regard to Indian casualties, Henry Wilson reckoned that 65% of them were self inflicted.  Take a look at the footage of Indian wounded - just over thirteen minutes, roughly half way through - and you’ll see that all three of them are bandaged round the left hand.

 

Phil

[ejwalshe]

Yes, appeared to be a disproportionate number of hand injuries (self-inflicted).

 

But...I doubt it, Phil...

 

A little too early in the war to be deciding "I need a way out of this mess."

[phil andrade]

Henry Wilson might have had an axe to grind, but he did go on record as stating that the preponderance of wounds suffered by the Indians were self inflicted, and that was in October 1914.

 

Phil