Friday, 6 October 2017

Sixty Eighth Day of the Third Battle of Ypres



Saturday 6th October 1917

Although there has been little to write about today at Ypres we have again heard from the 1st/5th Battalion in Palestine. Yesterday in the front line near Gaza passed without incident. But at six o’clock in the evening patrols were again sent out, commanded by Second Lieutenants Dennis, Phillips and Sowden. They had the same objectives as the previous night, to lure the enemy into a trap. In the event Second Lieutenant Dennis’ patrol had to withdraw under heavy fire and on arrival back at the trench he and Sergeant Clifford were found to be missing. The other two patrols did a lot of shooting at bodies of Turkish infantry, but it is not known with what result(1).

Source: X550/6/8

(1) Sergeant Clifford is listed as killed on 5th October and he is buried in Gaza War Cemetery. Lieutenant Dennis is not listed on the Commonwealth War Graves site and so was probably taken prisoner.

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