Rfn
Henry Lawrence Eagle
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1889 |
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Place of birth: Camberwell, Surrey, England, United Kingdom |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Rifleman |
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Service number: 375315 |
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Enlistment place: Surrey, Lambeth, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — London Regiment, 2/8th Bn. (Post Office Rifles) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 30/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Poelcapelle, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 28 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 150 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Henry Lawrence Eagle was a rifleman of the London Regiment (Post Office Rifles) 2nd/8th Battalion, 174th Brigade, 58th Division. On 24 October 1917, the 2/8th Battalion came back in line in the area of Poelcappelle. On October 28th, the Battalion was ordered to attack, in cooperation with a company of the 2/6th, on the night of October 29th-30th. They would support the main attack by the Canadians on Passchendaele Ridge.
On 30 October 1917 at 5.50 a.m., the battalion attacked (green dot on map: 20.U.19.a.7.1). Their objectives were Moray House, Papa Farm, Hinton Farm and Cameron House. These were German strongholds lying between the villages of Poelcappelle and Passchendaele. Besides from enemy artillery and machine gun fire, the men faced another obstacle. The heavy artillery shelling had destroyed the irrigation channels which used to irrigate the fields and pastures. The water flooded the plains and had nowhere to go. This on top of the heavy rainfall had turned the battlefield in a swamp. Men got stuck in the mud, which made them easy targets for German rifle- and machinegun fire. All this made the going very tough. None of the objectives were taken. However, a new line was established 100 yards or so in advance of the original and in doing so they relieved the main attack on Passchendaele Ridge. The 2/6th Battalion on their left was more successful, taking the pillboxes at Noble’s Farm, where they could advance on drier ground.
At the end of the day, 47 men were wounded, 39 killed and 173 men were missing (all believed to have been killed). Probably, Henry Lawrence Eagle was one of the missing, for he has no known grave.
On 30 October 1917 at 5.50 a.m., the battalion attacked (green dot on map: 20.U.19.a.7.1). Their objectives were Moray House, Papa Farm, Hinton Farm and Cameron House. These were German strongholds lying between the villages of Poelcappelle and Passchendaele. Besides from enemy artillery and machine gun fire, the men faced another obstacle. The heavy artillery shelling had destroyed the irrigation channels which used to irrigate the fields and pastures. The water flooded the plains and had nowhere to go. This on top of the heavy rainfall had turned the battlefield in a swamp. Men got stuck in the mud, which made them easy targets for German rifle- and machinegun fire. All this made the going very tough. None of the objectives were taken. However, a new line was established 100 yards or so in advance of the original and in doing so they relieved the main attack on Passchendaele Ridge. The 2/6th Battalion on their left was more successful, taking the pillboxes at Noble’s Farm, where they could advance on drier ground.
At the end of the day, 47 men were wounded, 39 killed and 173 men were missing (all believed to have been killed). Probably, Henry Lawrence Eagle was one of the missing, for he has no known grave.
Sources 4
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2/8 Battalion London Regiment (Post Office Rifles) (The National Archives; KEW (TNA), WO 95/3006/3). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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McCarthy C., The third Ypres Passchendaele : the Day-by-Day Account. (Londen: Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018), p 133. Sources used |
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One of the Battalion Commanders, History of the Post Office Rifles 8th battalion City of London Regiment: 1914 to 1918 (Uckfield, Naval and Military Press, 2014), p. 24-5. Sources used |
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Operation Report London Regiment (Post Office Rifles), 2nd/8th Bn. http://www.nmarchive.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/1630726 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=de0444b7-b154-4fd4-abc3-b3eff3d8c16b |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/2358969 |