South Wales Borderers
Location
Geluveld is a town approximately eight kilometres south-east of Ieper on the main road to Menen (N8). From Ieper simply take the Meenseweg towards Menen. On arriving at Geluveld you will see the church on your left and shortly afterwards a road to the left Kasteelstraat. Turn left into it and almost immediately you will see a parking area on your left in front of the church. Park here.
The memorials to the South Wales Borderers and the 2nd Bn Worcestershire Regiment are at the bottom of the cul-de-sac opposite the car park Oude Kommenstraat.
In 1914 the town was called Gheluvelt.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.833942 | 2.995523 | Map |
Historical Information
The decision by King Albert to flood part of the Belgian polders brought an end to the Battle of the Yser in the last week of October 1914. Whilst the Belgian coast had been saved the Germans, now realising that they could not achieve a breakthrough there, brought more weight to bear on the British holding the line to the east of Ypres (Ieper).
On 31st October 1914 Geluveld became the scene of one of the most important battles of the Great War.
The town commands the main road into Ieper from the south-east and despite the recent loss of Zandvoorde (to the south) it was essential for the British to hold fast. From here they could observe the Germans’ movements.
The British defensive line crossed the main road about four hundred metres past the church. Here the trenches were held by the 2nd Bn Welch Regiment of 3rd Brigade. Off to their right was 1st Bn Queen’s Regiment and part of 2nd Bn KRRC holding the area around Oude Zandvoordestraat.
North of the Welch Regiment were the 1st Bn South Wales Borderers near Geluveld château from where 1st (Guards) Brigade held the line as it curved back towards Polygon Wood, there the line was held by the 1st Bn Black Watch.
Following a night of sporadic shelling and sniper fire the Germans launched their infantry assault at just after 0600 hours. Almost everywhere they were thrown back with heavy losses, but critically a breach was made on the southern side of the main road.
Even after months of bloody losses, both sides were still of the impression that will-power and fighting spirit were enough to carry the day. Despite their superiority in artillery the Germans (thankfully for the Allies) constantly tried to rush the opposing trenches as opposed to blowing them to pieces first — which they were about to do.
Within an hour and a half the trenches held by the Welch Regiment on the main road had been rendered impossible to hold and Lt Colonel Morland having personally informed the SWB on his left and sent messages to the Queen’s on his right, ordered his men to retire to their support line.
The support line, however, was also in full view of the Germans and that too had to be abandoned. Geluveld was open for the taking.
By the time that the Queen’s received the message that the Welch were pulling back it was too late. Their left flank had been exposed and by 1000 hours seven German battalions were advancing against the village from both sides of the main road. At the same time the three battalions of the 105 (Saxon) Infantry Regiment attacked the remnants of the Queen’s and KRRC.
Following on behind these ten battalions was the 16 Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment.
A tide of feldgrau rose and crashed against the British defences, the Germans were aware that the Kaiser himself was not far away and were determined to do themselves proud. But, for an hour they were held back. Volley after volley broke their charges and the Germans wrote afterwards that they had been met by a wall of machine-gun fire when in reality it was simply rapid fire from desperate men.
Their infantry assault having stumbled, the Germans brought up field guns into close range and that ended the heroic stand. Here and there the line was infiltrated and by now Geluveld was aflame and German infantry had made their way into the village.
As the morning wore on and things became more and more desperate on their right flank it was clear, that with the retirement of the main body of the Royal Welch and the trenches of the SWB being blown in by shelling, that a retirement into the grounds was going to be necessary. At least the walls offered some protection from fire and from here the Welshmen put up a stout resistance.
It seemed certain, however, that the village had been lost, the British line had been broken and that Germans were forcing their way into the gap. The two Divisional Commanders of 1st and 2nd Division (Major Generals Lomax and Munro) had both concluded that in the event of a complete breakthrough the meagre reserves available would take the Germans in the flank from the north as they advanced up the Menin Road.
That possibility had now come to reality.
Orders were sent out from Divisional Headquarters at Hooge Château for the available three companies of the 2nd Bn Worcestershire Regiment :
“…advance without delay and deliver a counter-attack with the utmost vigour against the enemy who was in possession of Gheluvelt, and to re-establish our line there”.
The Battalion could muster just 357 men against more than two German Divisions — no doubt also reduced in numbers but still a daunting task.
Advancing from the area of Polygon Wood, Major Hankey, commanding the battalion, deployed his men into two lines forty-five metres apart as they reached the area just west of Polderhoek Château.
Up until there they had benefited from some cover from the trees but their final kilometre was going to have to be out in the open. The battlefield was chaotic with discarded equipment lying everywhere alongside the dead and wounded. The German artillery spotted the advance and shelled it. Worcesters began falling but the remainder came on until they eventually collided with the 16 Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment and other German units milling about the village.
Catching the enemy completely by surprise the Worcesters managed to force their way through to Geluveld Château grounds and its tiny garrison.
The village had been retaken and for the moment the German offensive had been wrong footed.
The Memorial
The memorial was unveiled on 19th May 1929 in the presence of the Bishop of South Wales and General Sir Alexander Cobbe.
Underneath the regimental badge and the date 1914-1918 is the inscription :
In ever glorious memory of the officers and men of the South Wales Borderers who fell in the Great War.
Some photos from the 100th Anniversary
This was a ceremony following others for the Household Cavalry and Royal Welsh at Zandvoorde.
Click on the thumbnail for a larger version
