19th OCTOBER 1914 – ON THIS DAY IN RWF HISTORY

Start of 1st Battle of Ypres, Belgium, 1914

The 1st Battle of Ypres has been said to have begun when 7th Division (with 1 RWF) met the Germans near Gheluvelt on 19 October. It resulted in the establishment of the Ypres Salient which the British would hold until the final advance of 1918. This battle lasted until 22 November. The 7th Division was reduced to a weak brigade and four battalions, including 1 RWF, had been merged into one.