Poem ~ Fight for Lover's Knoll (Hill 60) - Wednesday, 21 April 1915

Impression Sketch of  "The Dump" from British trench line near Hill 60  - By Jamie Mann. An original images can be seen at: http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC52K2Q_1-14-zero-hour?guid=62142e00-f904-4af8-ab72-6e97ded159eb

4 years to the day before this war would end,

11 November 1914 saw Hill 60 fall into hands

Of German forces, in the first battle of Ypres.

Man made Hill 60 - the result from earthen

Works dug in the 1850's created by spoils from

Railway cuttings of the Ypres Comines rail line.

Previously known to locals as 'Lovers Knoll,'

Or 'Cote des Amants' - these heights of ground

Became Hill 60 - 60 metres above sea level.

The opposite hillock of the line being more spoils

Of irregular shapes, became called Caterpiller Hill;

As another smaller mound became the Dump,

From German success of the first Ypres battle,

The French worked to make regain, until the area

Taken by British, on entering line February 1915.

Hill 60's advantage being good observation points

That arose above waterlogged ground - the plan

Became set to recapture the Caterpillar grounds.

This double feature of height could then be held,

The French mine gallery was dug deeper by

Northumberland and Welsh miners, in readiness.

By 10 April six mines were ready; two northern

Mines held 2000 pounds - two central mines

2,700 pounds, as the southern had 500 pounds.

By 16 April preparations of British artillery made

By air observation - as flying corps kept enemy

Craft away - British infantry assembly in darkness

A report of the time, by Sir John French, stated

How weather had improved, as British craft drove

Taube’s away as they made their reconnaissance.

By St Eloi enemy shelling set to explode a mine,

Giving great damage to their parapets which they

Set to repair - in early light two more mines blown

The remainder followed, within ten seconds debris

Scattered round 300 yards having flown 300 feet

High - causing some injuries to British men.

The infantry regiment of the Saxons suffered,

As Hill 60 shifted beneath them - overwhelmed

Survivors in attempts to resist were bayoneted.

With the ground taken along with the enemy hill

Trenches  -these were defended over Saturday

Night to connect old front with new placements.

The Germans retaliated with a bombardment -

On 18 April came three enemy counter attacks;

Hand to hand exchanges drove Germans back.

Losses grew either side, but it seemed Germans

Had more deaths as they moved in formations

En-mass, to face British machine-guns efforts.

Then the British fell back to the crest as gas,

Machine guns, high explosive came enfilade.

That day saw more German attacks, till 6 p.m.

Two British Battalions took a counter attack

To regain the whole Hill 60 - by night their

Footing was removed from southern slopes.

The 15th relieved the 13th Brigade, yet still

The Germans did not want to relegate the high

Ground of Hill 60, as they bombarded the hill.

20 April re-attacks of bombing parties came -

As the British held on, the ground was sunk

In continuation of a cratered moonscape.

A German report tactic tried to state how British

Used gas about Ypres - a false ruse and excuse

To use gas at Hill 60 - against Hague conventions.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. The British Success Near Zillebeke... The Hawera and Normanby Star, [online] 1 Apr. P.2. Col.3. Available at: http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=HNS19150421.1.5&e=-------10--1----0-- [Accessed: 21 April 2015].

Source: Hill 60 Memorial and its History 60 Metres Above Sea Level. From The Great War 1914-1918. [online] Available at: <http://www.greatwar.co.uk/ypres-salient/memorial-hill60.htm> [Accessed: 21 April 2015].

Source: File: Battle of Hill 60 (Western Front). From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hill_60_%28Western_Front%29> [Accessed: 21 April 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 21 April 2015). 

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=HNS19150421.1.5&e=-------10--1----0--

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