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Friday 7 August 2015

"Under Hell’s Flames" - The Battle of Hooge, August 1915

Before the First World War, a few kilometres east of Ypres on the Menin road lay the small village of Hooge. Hooge was no more than a handful of houses and farm buildings, but set back some 200 metres north of the road there was a large red-brick chateau and stables.

By the early summer of 1915, Hooge lay in ruins and no man’s land ran between the chateau and stables, then on 19 July a British mine was exploded under the German trenches, leaving a crater 40 metres across and 12 metres deep. Into this still-smoking crater rushed British soldiers. From the lip of the crater, the nearest German trenches were only five metres away. Less than two weeks later, on 30 July, the Germans launched a surprise attack, blowing up the stables and then, using flame-throwers for the first time against British soldiers, capturing all of Hooge and driving the terrified defenders away from the Menin road south towards Sanctuary Wood.
A view of the Hooge crater showing sandbags and other debris from German dugouts, August 1915 (D/DLI 2/2/213)
D/DLI 2/2/213 A view of the Hooge crater showing sandbags and other debris from German dugouts, August 1915
General Plumer, commanding the British Second Army at Ypres, ordered an attack to recapture the lost ground and the 6th Division was given the task.  Not only did this include the 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, they were chosen to lead the attack. *

Just after midnight on Monday 9 August 1915, rum was issued to each man and two hours later 2 DLI was in position on the northern edge of Sanctuary Wood. In addition to the usual weapons and equipment, they had to carry additional rifle ammunition, sandbags and shovels, plus one day's ration and a full water bottle. These men were about to attack at night across 500 metres of rising ground, hindered by shell holes, broken trees, shattered trenches, barbed wire and the unburied dead from the earlier fighting.

At 2.45am, the British artillery opened fire. Twenty minutes later, the Durhams advanced as near as was possible to the German front line and lay down to await the end of the shelling. At exactly 3.15am, the bombardment lifted and the Durhams attacked.

An account of this attack was recorded in a letter by an unidentified private, published a newspaper:
"Our artillery opened fire and they replied. It was simply awful but we lay there waiting for the order to charge. It came and we lost all control of our senses and went like mad, fighting hand to hand and bayoneting. We got into the first line and went straight on and then dug ourselves in under hell's flames." (D/DLI 2/2/47(1))
The 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry at Hooge 9 August 1915', Gerald Hudson, oil on canvas, The Regimental Trustees of the DLI Museum, Acc no. 883
'The 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry at Hooge 9 August 1915', Gerald Hudson, oil on canvas, The Regimental Trustees of the DLI Museum, Acc no. 883
Advancing in short rushes, 2 DLI quickly reached the trenches linking the crater, stables and Menin road. It was so dark with the smoke and dust from the explosions that Captain Robert Turner, who led the assault companies, later wrote: "It was difficult to know when we had reached our objective. I remember prodding with my walking stick to locate the road." (D/DLI 2/2/50).  The German defenders were overwhelmed. Later 300 dead were counted around the stables and over 200 bodies were seen in the crater. Many had been bayoneted.

By 6am, the Durhams were digging in on their newly-won positions and, for the rest of the day, they held on despite the incessant German bombardment. Again the anonymous soldier described the battle:
"There was nine of us digging this trench. I turned my back one second and when I looked again - what a sight! I will remember it till I die. Every man in the trench blown to atoms - arms, legs and heads staring you in the face. You will hardly credit what I did… I sat down and lit a Woodbine… I was stuck there by myself for sixteen hours and all the time a heavy bombardment." (D/DLI 2/2/47(1))

That night, after the order to pull back had been given, fewer than 170 soldiers and three officers returned to Sanctuary Wood.  The order, however, had not got through to all the surviving Durhams. Many had been isolated by the bursting shells and it was nearly twenty-four hours later that the last of the men came back.

The fighting at Hooge had cost the lives of over 500 German soldiers with a further 130 taken prisoner, whilst, of the 650 Durhams who had waited in the darkness before the attack on Hooge began, some 60 were killed and 330 wounded. A further 100 Durhams were also reported missing, though not all of these men were later listed as having been killed. 
March off of the colours at the Hooge Ball, 1954 (D/DLI 2/2/360(102))
D/DLI 2/2/360(102) March off of the colours at the Hooge Ball, 1954
Though almost forgotten today, the Battle of Hooge was not, however, forgotten by the 2nd Battalion DLI, and every year, until the battalion was finally disbanded in 1955, “Hooge Day” was celebrated. In the Officers’ Mess, an oil painting hung as a constant reminder to young officers of their battalion’s history; it is now looked after by the DLI Museum.  The battle honour “Hooge 1915” can be found on the old DLI Colours hanging in Durham Cathedral.

(Original text by Steve Shannon)

Further reading:
Nigel Cave, Sanctuary Wood and Hooge (Barnsley, 1993).
John Sheen, The Steel of the DLI: The 2nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry at War 1914-1918 (Barnsley, 2010).

*2DLI, who were the first Durham Light Infantry battalion to see action on the Western Front (from September 1914) still had many pre-war professional soldiers in its ranks.

10 comments:

  1. My paternal grandmother's brother was 19 when he was killed on the 9th August 1915. We discovered this information from a member of staff at the then DLI Museum

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  2. My paternal grandmother's brother was called David Rutter from Sunderland

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  3. My maternal grandfather's brother was killed on 9th August 1915 at Hooge. He was Edward Jones (Pte 11660). Will probably never know why he joined a Durham regiment, family from South London, zero connections to Durham that I've found.

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    1. We were told that the regiment he was in was a recall of old soldiers from the previous war, He was only 19 when he was killed and the DLI were surprised that he was young compared to the others.The DLI person said that the majority of them killed that day were in a big push forward around 12:45 on that day. Durham Cathedral have a beautiful book of remberance that they open every day in the DLI area of the cathedral

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  4. My Great Uncle Pvt James Haughey 11575, 2nd Bn DLI survived Troyons on the Aisne, Armentieres, and the Hooge on 9 Aug 1915, one of the few originals left. Sadly, he was killed by artillery nearby on 7 Feb 1916, and is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial.

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  5. My Great Grandfather Sargent John Ernest Elgie, RIP

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  6. My great uncle Sergeant Frank Atkinson died 9th August 1915 aged 20. Remembered on the Menin Gate. he was from Egglescliffe near Stockton on Tees
    What a tragedy WW1 was.

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  7. I have just acquired the medals for Private Charles Murray 12675, 2nd Battalion DLI who was also killed on the 9th August 1915 at the Battle of Hooge and is remembered on the Menin Gate. I feel honoured to own them. RIP. Lest we forget.

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  8. My Great Grandfather, James O’Neil was killed on 9 August 1915 at Hooge. He was a miner from Northe East England. He left behind a widow, a small daughter and small son. RIP James

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  9. My grandfather Edwin Morrell of The DLI fought at Hooge, joined the DLI November 1914 and served until seven months post armistice. He was from Sunderland (same as me) was one of only two non commissioned men to receive the Belgian Croix Dr Guerre and was mentioned in despatches. His diary is in the IWM in London. I am, and always have been so utterly proud to be his grandson. Since being a small. Child in the old. DLI museum in Durham.. My eldest was born 96byears after the start of WW1 and both my sons know about the regiment and the sacrifices made.

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