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Joseph Baines
Army information
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Country: Verenigd Koninkrijk |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 202806 |
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Enlistment place: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1/4th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 10/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Waterloo, 's Graventafel, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XX Row: F Grave: 2 |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Enlistment place | ||
| #2 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Joseph Baines was a soldier during the First World War in the 1/4th Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI). In October 1917, the battalion was sent to the battlefield at Passchendaele to participate in the Battle of Poelcappelle on 9 October, part of the Battle of Passchendaele.
At 12:50 a.m. on 9 October, the 1/4th Battalion, led by Lieutenant Colonel Harry Moorhouse, moved towards their positions as a reserve for the attacking troops. Due to the combination of a very dark night and difficult terrain, their progress was slow. At 5:20 a.m., the front part of the battalion reached their positions at Abraham Heights, just as the attack began. Shortly afterward, German artillery opened fire on their column, causing further delays and casualties. Subsequently, the decision was made to proceed towards the positions north of the Ravebeek in two waves in attack formation. Z Company advanced along the left flank, while X, Y, and W Companies moved along the right flank. Machine gun fire from Bellevue Spur, the destroyed Ravebeek that had overflowed due to heavy rainfall, and the mud from constant rain made this nearly an impossible task. On the right flank, several men became lost as they could barely move through the thick mud.
Eventually, calls for reinforcements came from the 5th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment on the right and the 4th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment on the left. Z and Y Companies were sent forward on the left flank, while W and X Companies advanced on the right flank. Machine gun and rifle fire from Wolf Copse and Bellevue Spur continued to increase the number of casualties. Eventually, the attack completely stalled, and it was decided to dig in along the ’s Graventafel ridge. In the afternoon, after consolidating the line, the battalion faced heavy artillery fire. At 5:30 p.m., a possible German counterattack was thwarted. Finally, at 7 p.m., a section of Z Company, led by Captain Chadwick, attempted to take two German bunkers. However, the thick rows of barbed wire around the bunkers rendered the attempt unsuccessful. During the night, the battalion was relieved by New Zealand troops.
During the Battle of Poelcappelle, the battalion suffered: 20 killed, 151 wounded, and 20 missing. Joseph Baines died on 10 October. He was reburied after the war at Tyne Cot Cemetery in plot XX, row F, grave 2.
Joseph Baines was a soldier during World War I in the 1/4th Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI). In October 1917, the battalion was sent to the battlefield near Passchendaele to take part in the Battle of Poelkapelle on October 9th. Baines would also fight in that battle.
On October 7th, the men of the KOYLI found themselves in a previously captured German trench. That day, they also received their orders for the upcoming attack on October 9th. During the two days leading up to the attack, they mostly focused on the necessary preparations. On the day of the attack itself, the 1/4th Battalion, KOYLI, was to remain in reserve, while the 4th and 5th Battalions, York and Lancaster Regiment, and the 5th Battalion, KOYLI, were deployed as the attacking troops.
At 12:50 a.m. on 9 October, the 1/4th Battalion, led by Lieutenant Colonel Harry Moorhouse, moved towards their positions as a reserve for the attacking troops. Due to the combination of a very dark night and difficult terrain, their progress was slow. At 5:20 a.m., the front part of the battalion reached their positions at Abraham Heights, just as the attack began. Shortly afterward, German artillery opened fire on their column, causing further delays and casualties. Subsequently, the decision was made to proceed towards the positions north of the Ravebeek in two waves in attack formation. Z Company advanced along the left flank, while X, Y, and W Companies moved along the right flank. Machine gun fire from Bellevue Spur, the destroyed Ravebeek that had overflowed due to heavy rainfall, and the mud from constant rain made this nearly an impossible task. On the right flank, several men became lost as they could barely move through the thick mud.
Eventually, calls for reinforcements came from the 5th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment on the right and the 4th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment on the left. Z and Y Companies were sent forward on the left flank, while W and X Companies advanced on the right flank. Machine gun and rifle fire from Wolf Copse and Bellevue Spur continued to increase the number of casualties. Eventually, the attack completely stalled, and it was decided to dig in along the ’s Graventafel ridge. In the afternoon, after consolidating the line, the battalion faced heavy artillery fire. At 5:30 p.m., a possible German counterattack was thwarted. Finally, at 7 p.m., a section of Z Company, led by Captain Chadwick, attempted to take two German bunkers. However, the thick rows of barbed wire around the bunkers rendered the attempt unsuccessful. During the night, the battalion was relieved by New Zealand troops.
During the Battle of Poelcappelle, the battalion suffered: 20 killed, 151 wounded, and 20 missing. Joseph Baines died on 10 October. He was reburied after the war at Tyne Cot Cemetery in plot XX, row F, grave 2.
Joseph Baines was a soldier during World War I in the 1/4th Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI). In October 1917, the battalion was sent to the battlefield near Passchendaele to take part in the Battle of Poelkapelle on October 9th. Baines would also fight in that battle.
On October 7th, the men of the KOYLI found themselves in a previously captured German trench. That day, they also received their orders for the upcoming attack on October 9th. During the two days leading up to the attack, they mostly focused on the necessary preparations. On the day of the attack itself, the 1/4th Battalion, KOYLI, was to remain in reserve, while the 4th and 5th Battalions, York and Lancaster Regiment, and the 5th Battalion, KOYLI, were deployed as the attacking troops.
Sources 3
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1/4 Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry war diary (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2806/1). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919, His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO), 1921. http://Ancestry.com Sources used |
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UK, World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923, (Western Front Association: 012/0038/Bai-Bai). https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/ Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461796 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/135359 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=c51c4526 |