Military History

Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders	1914-1915 Star, British War & Victory Medals	Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial
Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
18 May 1915	~	Moreton Morrell
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted	Other War Memorials
Battle of Bellewaarde (Second Battle of Ypres)	August 1914 at Scarborough	Paulerspury
Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units
Hooge near Bellewaarde	~

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

On 23rd May, the Regiment marched to the front line trenches at Hooge to relieve the 4th Dragoon Guards. Arriving just before 9 p.m. meeting up with the 9th Lancers on the right by the Menin Road and then along up to Bellewaarde Lake. Their trenches are shown as the blue pencil line on the map.

At 2:45 a.m. on 24th May (Whit Monday), the Germans launched a chlorine gas attack against the British positions on Bellewaarde Ridge. The new British respirators seemed to provide little protection against the yellow-greenish gas as it travelled across the 18th Hussars trenches. Nearly all the troops, except for some by the lake, were either killed or badly incapacitated by the gas, which had also penetrated a long way behind the front line. It was not until about 6 a.m. those reinforcements were able to arrive to help strengthen the 18th Hussars and 9th Lancers lines, which were under shell, machine-gun and rifle fire.

The Germans broke through and captured the British trenches on the north side of Bellewaarde Lake. As the Germans gained more ground they were able to shoot directly along the 18th Hussars’ trenches and so their position became more and more vulnerable. At 9 a.m. the residue of the Regiment, with a company of infantry and part of the Cavalry reinforcements had to withdraw south of the Menin Road by which time practically the entire Regiment was out of action except for a few that had attached themselves to other units.

The above is taken from, and courtesy of, the Surrey in the Great War website (click here)