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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 |
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 |
My story
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 AM on October 9th, the 1/4th Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Harry Moorhouse, moved toward their positions as reserve for the attacking forces. Due to a very dark night and difficult terrain, their progress was slow and difficult. At 5:20 AM, the forward part of the battalion reached their positions at Abraham Heights, just as the attack began. Shortly after, German artillery launched a bombardment on their column, causing further delays and casualties. A decision was then made to advance in two waves in assault formation towards positions north of the Ravebeek. Z Company would advance along the left flank, while X, Y, and W Companies would advance along the right flank. Machine gun fire from Bellevue Spur, the shattered Ravebeek, which had overflowed due to heavy rainfall, and the mud from the constant rain, made this an almost impossible task. Along the right, several men were lost as they could hardly move through the thick mud. Eventually, calls for reinforcements came from the 5th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment on the right, and from the 4th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment on the left. Z and Y Companies were sent forward along the left flank, while W and X Companies moved along the right flank. Machine and rifle fire from Wolf Copse and Bellevue Spur caused the casualty count to keep rising. Ultimately, the attack stalled completely, and it was decided to dig in along the ridge at 's Graventafel. In the afternoon, after consolidating the line, the battalion came under heavy artillery fire. At 5:30 PM, a possible German counterattack was thwarted. Finally, at 7:00 PM, a section from Z Company, under the command of Captain Chadwick, attempted to capture two German bunkers. However, the thick rows of barbed wire around the bunkers made the attempt unsuccessful. During the night, the battalion was relieved by New Zealand troops. The night was spent near the Asylum in Ypres, which is likely the present-day 'Psychiatric Hospital Heilig Hart'. After a well-needed rest, the battalion moved toward the rear.
During the Battle of Poelkapelle, the battalion lost: 20 killed, 151 wounded, and 20 missing. Among the fallen were Joseph Baines, as well as Lieutenant Colonel Harry Moorhouse and his son, Captain Ronald Moorhouse. Joseph was reburied after the war at Tyne Cot Cemetery in plot XX, row F, grave 2.
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 AM on October 9th, the 1/4th Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Harry Moorhouse, moved toward their positions as reserve for the attacking forces. Due to a very dark night and difficult terrain, their progress was slow and difficult. At 5:20 AM, the forward part of the battalion reached their positions at Abraham Heights, just as the attack began. Shortly after, German artillery launched a bombardment on their column, causing further delays and casualties. A decision was then made to advance in two waves in assault formation towards positions north of the Ravebeek. Z Company would advance along the left flank, while X, Y, and W Companies would advance along the right flank. Machine gun fire from Bellevue Spur, the shattered Ravebeek, which had overflowed due to heavy rainfall, and the mud from the constant rain, made this an almost impossible task. Along the right, several men were lost as they could hardly move through the thick mud. Eventually, calls for reinforcements came from the 5th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment on the right, and from the 4th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment on the left. Z and Y Companies were sent forward along the left flank, while W and X Companies moved along the right flank. Machine and rifle fire from Wolf Copse and Bellevue Spur caused the casualty count to keep rising. Ultimately, the attack stalled completely, and it was decided to dig in along the ridge at 's Graventafel. In the afternoon, after consolidating the line, the battalion came under heavy artillery fire. At 5:30 PM, a possible German counterattack was thwarted. Finally, at 7:00 PM, a section from Z Company, under the command of Captain Chadwick, attempted to capture two German bunkers. However, the thick rows of barbed wire around the bunkers made the attempt unsuccessful. During the night, the battalion was relieved by New Zealand troops. The night was spent near the Asylum in Ypres, which is likely the present-day 'Psychiatric Hospital Heilig Hart'. After a well-needed rest, the battalion moved toward the rear.
During the Battle of Poelkapelle, the battalion lost: 20 killed, 151 wounded, and 20 missing. Among the fallen were Joseph Baines, as well as Lieutenant Colonel Harry Moorhouse and his son, Captain Ronald Moorhouse. Joseph was reburied after the war at Tyne Cot Cemetery in plot XX, row F, grave 2.
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 |