Six miles from victory - The Battle of the Lys 1918 | Chris Baker

in this presentation, Chris Baker takes a forensic look at the action between 9th and 29th April 1918, which is now known as The Battles of the Lys. Was this attack the nearest the Germans came to winning the First World War?
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[@hipsterbro5204]

Thank you so much for covering in great detail the participation of the Portuguese army in this battle. I have two ancestors who were in the Portuguese army during the first world War and likely fought in this battle. I feel like this presentation brought me closer to my family's history. Thank you.

[@CatherineReese-qm8km]

Thank you for this - my Great Grandfather died in this battle on 25th April 1918 and I have spent years researching where/when this action took place. I visited the area with family a few years ago which was very moving, This presentation is fascinating and is very helpful to help bring me closer to what happened during this period.

[@phil84761]

I’ve inherited my Great Grandfathers war memorabilia, including his PoW letter dated June 4th 1918 writing to my Great Great Grandmother to let her know that he is ok and injured and “not to worry, it’s only a small hole in my leg, I can get about”. I’ve been told by my dad that my GGF was at the battle of Lys and sustained an injury after being shot in the leg. Whilst in the medical tent a German Officer came in and took everyone as his POW’s. My GGF was taken somewhere else and made to work on a farm until the end of the war, and returned back to the U.K. in January 1919. He stated in his PoW letter that they were ‘treated alright’ but my understanding was that at the time there was a lack of food. My dads friend researches a lot about the war and has said that sometimes the PoW’s would be killed due to the lack of food and that my GGF was lucky that he was taken as a PoW…….how true is this? I believe he was in the 6th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment when he joined (also known as the Bradford Rifles) and at some point moved to the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, though I’m not sure when this happened. I stumbled upon your video after trying to find out more about my GGF time in the war, where he’s been etc. He lied about his age when he joined as he was too young to serve. Seeing photos from the time is fascinating, and I try to spot my GGF in them. I have 4 photos one is of my GGF on his own (his gun and bayonet is taller than him), another with his comrades and another two photos of groups of men in their uniform, though my GGF isn’t in those two photos. I’ve also got his newspaper article of being missing before everyone knew he was a PoW along with his army books and medals. One of his medals is for his time in Kurdistan. He never spoke about the war, other than being taken as a PoW. After the war the Battalion would have a meal every now and again that my GGF would attend and have the menu from one of the events. Friends for life. Thank you for the video. I’ll be showing it to my dad 😊

[@rodblievers620]

Possibly the most fascinating, informative and entertaining WFA lecture that I’ve ever heard. Very well done indeed, Chris. More please?

[@freespirit5680]

Brilliant lecture, very interesting. My great uncle Walter was serving as a Lieutenant in 210 Field Company RE at the time, and took part in the defence around the Nieppe Forest, essentially as part of the ad hoc groupings trying to stop the Germans reaching Hazebrouck. If readers will forgive me, I think the entries in his unit's war diary are of interest; I have tried to transcribe them as best I can, and they run as follows, this just the main parts relating to the battle, from 10th April to 13th April: - TINCQUES 10/4/18 Worked on Army Line. 2.30 pm received orders to withdraw men from work and embus at WANQUETIN. Reached Camp at 3.30 pm and Company (less transport) proceeded by Bus at 4.45 pm to TINCQUES. Reported to O/C 3rd Coldstream Guards on arrival who produced to Company orders to embus at TINCQUES X Roads at 10.20 pm. Company proceeded to embussing point at 10.20 pm. No buses arrived. Company spent night alongside the road. - 11/4/18 Buses arrived 12.15 pm. Company embussed and arrived at STRAZEELE 9 pm. Ordered by G.O.C. 4th Guards Bde to billet at nearest farm. - 061 STRAZEELE 12 4 am Received Orders from 4th Guards Bde to move to VIEUX BERQUIN and report at 6 am. Company marched out at 5 am and reported at 4th Guards Bde H.Q. 6 am. Instructed to billet Company - 8 pm Company employed digging Front Line for 4th Grenadier Guards and on way to work carried up Ammunition and Rations. On finishing work Company proceeded to billets in BOIS D’AVAL arriving 4 am. - 13 [April] Company posted along Northern edge of BOIS D’AVAL with instructions to guard approaches through the wood. - 4 pm Instructions from 4th Guards Bde to be ready to move my Command at once in fighting order and to report at Brigade H.Q. On reporting received information that the Enemy had broken the line on the right and instructions to at once dig a series of posts in front of the Eastern edge of the BOIS D’AVAL and to occupy this line. The posts were dug under heavy shell fire and machine gun fire and the sappers held the line in support to the Australian Machine Gunners who held a series of posts approximately 150 yds in front. - 14 [April] 5 am Orders to withdraw from line and move to BORRE My great uncle served on the Western Front from 1916 to the end of the War. He never spoke about the War, not that my mother can remember. He also hardly visited a church ever again, saying he felt closer to God on his allotment than he did in church. I can only try to imagine what he went through during those years up at the front. Probably this action, especially on 13th April (see the diary entry above, particularly the reference to move '... in fighting order ...'), was one of the most dangerous. What a brave generation they were.

[@chrisbaker777]

Thank you for your kind remarks and for a most interesting post.

[@aaroninlatin]

Excellent talk on an interesting battle. Thank you.

[@andymoody8363]

A very good talk, I enjoyed it a lot. great detail without losing the overall narrative from Chris who clearly knows his stuff.

[@greenriverviews6819]

lots and lots of exciting details presented with vivid clarity thanks !!!

[@nogbat1]

My son in laws gt grandad was in the Portuguese infantry in this battle. He was gassed and his lungs were damaged but he survived.

[@californiadreamin8423]

In November 2009 I took my narrow boat from Lille to Paris where I was going to live and work. I had planned to be on the St Quentin Canal on the 11th where Wilfred Owen was killed. I did not have sufficient time. My route was Douai , Canal du Nord and Peronne and clearly took me through where these events took place. Very very interesting.

[@freddymacke347]

thank you ,je suis francais, j habite a Hazebrouck ,hazebrouck hopital city for english troupe in the great war

[@ianwalker404]

A great uncle of mine was captured during this Battle James Haydock enlisted in the 7th battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment - the Preston Pals; where his brother William had joined the 1/5th Bolton Pals shortly after the outbreak of war. He had been transferred to the 1st Battalion at some point before August 1916 as he is described in William's obituary as an LNL regular and is recorded in the International Red Cross records as belonging to the 1/LNL when taken prisoner. Unfortunately there is no more than the barest detail as the relevant record 52713 doesn't survive. war diary 1st LNL, 1st Division "On the 16th, the 1st Battalion of the Loyals moved into the front line near La Bassee Canal (scene of fierce fighting at the Battle of Loos in 1915). They relieved a Battalion of Lancashire Fusiliers and were in position by 3.55pm. The next day was generally quiet. The Battalion War Diary records that "at 4.15am, the enemy commenced to bombard the whole of the Divisional front. The barrage became intense and at 8.10 the enemy attacked from the north, filtering into our trenches under cover of the high ground at Givenchy. He succeeded in reaching and occupying the main line of resistance before counter measures could be taken. Vigorous counter attacks by "C" and "D" Companies eventually succeeded in ejecting the enemy from our main line and by 11am he was only holding a few isolated posts in our outpost line." During the 19th there was some sniping, probably from the Germans now holding the shell craters which had formed the outpost line. The next day, the 1st Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment attacked the Germans holding the craters and a small section of the front line. This was successful and the Germans retreated back to their own line. The remaining period of the tour of duty was relatively quiet and the men concentrated on repairing and improving the defences." 352 officers and men were killed, wounded and missing during this couple of days of intense action including 189 other ranks missing, of whom one was James Haydock Bolton Remembers "Of 245, Darwen Road, Bromley Cross, Turton, Lancashire. Formerly employed by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company at Bromley Cross. Brother William also serving in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Captured Prisoner of War on 18 April 1918 at Limburg, Germany." James resumed his previous occupation after the war, engine shunter. British prisoners were often in an appalling state upon release. Germany was starving and the British pow's suffered greatly] starvation rations, threadbare rags to wear and forced labour combined to leave the men looking like scarecrows. The Times correspondent was outraged when he saw some of them. James died of heart failure in 1926, not suprising really.

[@thisnicklldo]

Very interesting and well presented. Obviously years of meticulous research behind this summary. Thank you.

[@IanCross-xj2gj]

Thanks WFA. Moved by the sacrifice made by the many ad hoc units involved in the battle. Lest we forget.

[@joeblow9657]

In some ways it reminds me of the German kamfgruppe of WW2.

[@pusspussmckitten]

Good lecture, Baker speaks to the point without skipping over important parts in a almost casual way. Good presentation and good information, thank you

[@colinbottoms3303]

Fascinating talk, most interesting and told very lucidly. Thank you

[@islandhopperstuart]

Chris, that was brilliant. Thanks for such a fascinating presentation.

[@oscarthompson2171]

A great talk, very informative. Thank you.

[@asnieres32]

Absolutely fascinating and the smile on Chris's face at the end as he knew that he had nailed a great presentation.

[@Survivethejive]

My great grandfather was captured in that battle on the 13th April. I have his war diaries about the event

[@Survivethejive]

he was born in Ceylon and was also a coldstreamer just like Jacotine - i am sure they knew eachother

[@chrisbaker777]

@@Survivethejive That is terrific. I certainly envy you having your GGF's diary!

[@awordabout...3061]

Have you considered allowing an archivist from your local museum to preserve these in photographs? I imagine they must be fascinating reads.

[@rhysnichols8608]

Cool to see survive the jive here

[@churmsy1]

Literally found about an hour ago that my great great great grandad fought here battle of the lys .. we have made some calls and found his actual medal awarded ( 1 down from the Victorian cross ) .. and the description of his actions there are nothing short of Hollywood esque!!! And lots more of his history that I never knew of .. if I can figure out how to put the photo on here of his actions il do it . Unbeliavable … very proud family right now .. not that we rnt Anyway lol

[@chrisbaker777]

Who was he? I would love to look him up.

[@kingscarbine]

Really good. BTW the 3rd Brigade couldn't reach the front line but individual attempts were made to carry ammunition to the other units. It was chaos.

[@russelldoherty5416]

Brilliant presentation !

[@jlvfr]

Thank you for that assessment of the portuguese troops. It's *_extremely_* rare to see a fair and properly done report by a non-portuguese, and specially by a british national.

[@chrisbaker777]

Very kind of you to say so. Thank you!

[@andreymarkin429]

@@chrisbaker777 Thank you for an excellent lecture! May I ask you a question if you have come across the following event: "The same offensive [Georgette] provided a much-quoted example of machine gun use by a German assault unit, in an action fought by the 13th Reserve Infantry Regiment. The attacking battalion’s sixteen-gun machine gun company swept the whole British position with the exception of a four metre gap, through which an entire battalion assaulted in single file. The progress of their attack was signalled by raising a helmet. (from Machine Guns and the Great War of Paul Cornish)". It seems to be a side-show to the attack on the Mont Kemmel. Are there any sources on that attack? Thank you.

[@chrisbaker777]

@@andreymarkin429 Not come across that, Andrey. I will see if I can find out more and will post here again.

[@andreymarkin429]

@@chrisbaker777 Dear Chris, thank you! I have come across several perfunctory references to the German technique called "feuergasse" (fire break) as exemplified above in some memoirs, but not a single reliable souce about its actual application. The book of Paul Cornish refers to "a much-quoted example", and yet, still nothing on the Internet.

[@hansschonig2472]

i love those super detailed things. not this superficial shit ... this is nice and super detailed with background info. great.

[@expatexpat6531]

Given that the German lines were so close to the railway line, could they not have used their artillery to disrupt the line, thereby sparing their infantry?

[@chrisbaker777]

Good question. The railway remained beyond range of field artillery but certainly did come within range of the heavy guns and of course from aerial bombardment. It was a severe problem that caused the British to abandon two important marshalling yards. The line did, however, remain open.

[@rhysnichols8608]

Perhaps the Germans wanted to capture the line intact? I have only a novice understanding of this part of the 1918 battles so I’m not sure if the railway would’ve provided the Germans with an important logistical advantage had they taken it and advanced further

[@martinnicol9196]

No u didn't