2nd Lt
Edward Stokes Hatte
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1888 |
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Place of birth: Cork, Munster, County Cork, Ireland |
General information
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Profession: Tea Planter |
Army information
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Country: Ireland |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Second Lieutenant |
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Service number: / |
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Units: — Royal Irish Rifles, 7/8th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 16/08/1917 |
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Place of death: Potsdam, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 29 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 138A |
Distinctions and medals 3
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1914-15 Star Medal — 04/07/1919 |
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Edward Stokes Hatte was born in Cork, Ireland. He was the second child of William Munday and Lucy Margaret Hatte. Edward studied medicine for two years, but abandoned his studies and moved to British Ceylon, where he managed a Tea Plantation. In August 1914 Edward joined the Ceylon Planters' Rifle Corps. He fought in Egypt and at Gallipoli with the Ceylon Planters and was then seconded to the Irish Rifles. By August 1917 Edward served as a Second Lieutenant with the 7th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, part of the 48th brigade, of the 16th (Irish) Division.
After having seen action in the Battle of Messines, the 16th (Irish) Division moved to the Ypres area, where it participated in the Battle of Passchendaele. On 16 August 1917 it was to attack German positions to the West of Zonnebeke, with the 48th and 49th Brigades. In anticipation of the attack, Battalions of both Brigades occupied positions on the Frezenberg Ridge. The 7th Royal Irish Rifles were on the right Divisional flank and went over the top at 4.45 a.m. Going towards Potsdam, they came under machine-gun fire from Pillboxes on the Ypres-Roulers Railroad and from Borry Farm and Potsdam. The machine-guns at Potsdam even kept in action while the barrage passed over them. The crossfire immediately caused heavy casualties and all officers were lost before the first objective had been reached. The advance on the right flank went a bit better and several Pillboxes were taken along the Railroad, but the attack soon came to a standstill along the whole line. Reinforcements were to no avail and the 7th Royal Irish Rifles were forced to dig in, in front of Potsdam. During the afternoon the Germans launched a counter-attack and with both flanks in the air the men of the 16th (Irish) Division were forced to withdraw to the Frezenberg.
Second Lieutenant Edward Stokes Hatte was killed in action on 16 August 1917 during the attack on Potsdam. Edward has no known grave and is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
After having seen action in the Battle of Messines, the 16th (Irish) Division moved to the Ypres area, where it participated in the Battle of Passchendaele. On 16 August 1917 it was to attack German positions to the West of Zonnebeke, with the 48th and 49th Brigades. In anticipation of the attack, Battalions of both Brigades occupied positions on the Frezenberg Ridge. The 7th Royal Irish Rifles were on the right Divisional flank and went over the top at 4.45 a.m. Going towards Potsdam, they came under machine-gun fire from Pillboxes on the Ypres-Roulers Railroad and from Borry Farm and Potsdam. The machine-guns at Potsdam even kept in action while the barrage passed over them. The crossfire immediately caused heavy casualties and all officers were lost before the first objective had been reached. The advance on the right flank went a bit better and several Pillboxes were taken along the Railroad, but the attack soon came to a standstill along the whole line. Reinforcements were to no avail and the 7th Royal Irish Rifles were forced to dig in, in front of Potsdam. During the afternoon the Germans launched a counter-attack and with both flanks in the air the men of the 16th (Irish) Division were forced to withdraw to the Frezenberg.
Second Lieutenant Edward Stokes Hatte was killed in action on 16 August 1917 during the attack on Potsdam. Edward has no known grave and is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Sources 6
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"Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Uniform, 2018, pg. 52-53. Sources used |
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"The Royal Irish Rifles in the great war : the history of the first seven battalions", Falls C., Aldershot, Gale & Polden Ltd, 1925, pg. 108-110. Sources used |
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Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/ Further reference |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/838908/hatte,-edward-stokes/ Sources used |
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The Long, Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Sources used |
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War Diary Royal Irish Rifles, 7th Bn. http://www.nmarchive.com/ Further reference |