First Battle of Ypres - The Battle of Gheluvelt (Geluveld) 31 October 1914

[@lex1945]

I am lucky to live very close to Ypres, about one hour riding. Whenever I have a day off, I try to viait the old battlefields, monuments and cemetaries there on my motorcycle. Thx for the upload! Very interesting!

[@asd36f]

With the 2nd Worcestershire restablishing the British line, this action effectively stopped the war of movement on the Western Front, leading to the onset of static trench warfare. Open movement would not happen again until the German Spring Offensive of 1918.

[@jackthebassman1]

Most commendable video and narrative, thank you for posting.

[@eduardovaldivia5572]

If anyone was still in town, they'd probably regretted not evacuating.

[@leod-sigefast]

I visited Gheluvelt in 2012, being a lifelong WW1 history buff, It is a strange place, as are all the towns and villages surrounding Ieper, rebuilt and quiet with a real feeling of something having happened there. It was quite difficult to place the village to the events of 31st October and the Worcesters counterattack as everything was destroyed then rebuilt post-war. But Ieper (Ypres), to give it its proper Flemish name, is a beautiful little city that I would recommend, even if you are not into history.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Indeed, Ieper has a long and rich history and I think it is one of the go-to places when visiting Belgium.

[@stevebolt9570]

Were going here on Sunday to visit the place where my wife's relative was killed on 2nd November 2014. He was in the Gloucestershire Regt and is commemorated at the Menin Gate. We're also going to take in the service before heading home on the Sunday evening.

[@robertcolajezzi5273]

@@TheAceDestroyer did you quit making videos?

[@luispancich2]

Hi, i'm brazilian, south Brazil, my city is Uruguaiana, border with Argentina country, i'm historian, and I really liked your work, showed in footage the location of the battle and in map how it happened, I went to google map to get a better sense of the location !!

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Always happy to hear that someone enjoys my videos! Thanks! I always check google maps as well. That way I already know what and where to shoot videos.

[@luispancich2]

Do you're English, Belgian or Frensh ??

[@TheAceDestroyer]

I'm from Belgium (30km from Ieper) so I have quick access to the battlefields.

[@luispancich2]

My friend, the battle, it does not happen without being planned, there is a prerparative for this event, different from a combat, where it is occasional and happens without the belligerents wanting that, when there is a battle in a book, we imagine the facts and the attitudes that have arisen in it, but when one goes in the place where it happened and has an idea of the relief and the topographical configurations, then one has the real notion of why these facts happened, when one goes in the place of the battle, the historian consegue understand perfectly the reasons that led her to be like that !!

[@luispancich2]

The Battle of Gheluvelt was first real battle after the battle Mons, where BEF-British Expedicionary Forces fight with Germans troops??

[@Shellshock69]

My Great grandfather was one of the survivors from the decimated 1st Queens .

[@timjones3201]

hello, i am ex royal welch fusiliers, i nee to contact you about Zandvoorde is i could please.

[@thes.a.s.s.1361]

How do you say Ypres? Sound like he's saying "wipers" am I hearing this correctly?

[@TheAceDestroyer]

I used to say Wipers like the 'Wipers times', but I say EEPes now, or just Ieper as it is pronounced in Flanders.

[@xl250mon5]

Glorious Welsh RIP.

[@mikehesketh3453]

My Grandad was in the Loyal North Lancs, I understand that they had 2 coys involved in this battle. Does anyone know what happened to them?

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Like you said, the 1st battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment had 2 companies in the front line when the Germans attacked. They were located south of Geluveld, along the main road leading towards Zandvoorde. Most of the action that day occurred in front of the 1/ The Queen's and 2/KRRC, but that didn't mean the 1/LNL were spared from the heavy fighting. Although not much is known about the actual fighting itself (as most had become casualties), what is known is that by noon the line south of Geluveld had collapsed. All along the front line small parties fought on until they were either killed or until they were forced to surrender. Several men of the LNL fought on, providing cover to the few men who managed to pull back towards Veldhoek. By 13.30pm, all of the LNL's resistance pockets had been silenced and the line fell into German hands. The British subsequently established a new line close to Veldhoek, close to where the 2 remaining companies of the Loyals had waited in reserve. It is said that of the two Loyal North Lancs companies at Geluveld, only 1 officer and 35 men remained after the ordeal at Geluveld.

[@greglucas1497]

As I know little of the first world war ground actions,only major campaigns.I find your script and videos making up for my lack of knowledge. Principally I studied aerial combat and development thru.Ww1 and Ww2.

[@johndarby9437]

the glorious worcesters

[@model-man7802]

Were these Battalions decorated?They certainly deserved this and should have been.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

All units involved in the First Battle of Ypres received the 'Ypres 1914' title on their colours. Individual soldiers were also awarded with various medals.

[@anthonyeaton5153]

What no Australians in the Battle!

[@martincaines2128]

Or Canadians.

[@jpm8782]

Where the hell is "wipers" ? Is Ypres or Ieper (in local language) too difficult to prononce?

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Yes I know, I used to say Wipers as a direct reference to 'The Wipers Times'. A sort of war time joke. However, in all my recent videos where Ieper comes up I either say the EEpes version or just our Flemish pronunciation.

[@jpm8782]

@@TheAceDestroyer Thanks for your reply. I visited the Ieper War museum several times. Very emotional, I hate it to be called Wipers. A huge amount of soldiers have paid the price for our freedom but numerous citizens as well, i believe we owe them to keep them and their town alive in our memory with the proper name. No offense intended to anyone but Anglophones can adapt, we perform the outpost everyday for their memory, it's the least they can do. I really enjoy your videos. Thanks

[@peterdemkiw3280]

@@jpm8782 My great uncle died at Ypres, in the first battle, he was lost on the 11th November 1914, he has no known grave so is remembered at the Menin Gate, He was 23 and had left England just 6 weeks before. I understand Ypres is liper in local dialect but known as Eeps by the world, however for me it'll always be "wipers" that's what the soilders called it at the time, that's where they died. Normally I would agree with you about getting the name correct as a sign of respect, but in thIs case I believe calling Ypres, wipers is absolutely fine.

[@WarblesOnALot]

G'day, Well done... Slightly slower Pans & Tilts, and keep working to try to impersonate a Gyro-Stabilised Steady-Cam mounting... Maybe find a 2 Megapixel Potato to practice with..., to successfully pan or tilt the Frame while they're videoing requires doing it slowly enough that the tiny little Processor can crunch the (changing) Data without crashing and presenting one with a Viewfinder full of giant Pixellation wherever the changing Scene overwhelmed the Processor's tiny mind... Then, once you've schooled yourself on how slowly & steadily one must restrain oneself when panning & tilting to avoid overtasking the Potato..., those Learned Responses can later be employed when using a better Camera ; and then the slow Pans & Tilts will permit the Viewer to fully process (and therefore understand...) the entire Scene as it changes on their Screen... Have a good one, ;-p Ciao !

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Well, I've finally bought myself a tripod. But, half of this footage was shot before I bought it. My previous video (Zantvoorde) was however shot fully with my tripod. Whenever I use it, I tend to film way slower which is positive I think.

[@threestepssideways1202]

Interesting little fact that the memorial to the 2nd Worcesters that you show at 6:33 has been both moved and altered since it was erected. It was moved in 1984 by the owner of the land it was on asking for it removal and you can actually see the word that was changed quite clearly which is 'determined'. It used to read 'unchivalrous', but was changed after WW2 in a time of reconciliation.

[@tomjcarty]

indeed they did well... ably assisted by and covered by a guerilla unit for want of a better way of describing the unit ran by John Dopping Boyd of Letterenny whose story is here: www.writingsinrhyme.com/index.php/this-far-and-no-farther/

[@MrJhuxley]

Whipers 😂😂

[@deanlates1020]

A brutal battle, my great grandfather fought

[@TheAceDestroyer]

A brutal battle indeed! What unit was he in, if I may ask?