John Knox (Jack) Morrison (b) 1893 Springfield (nr Romsey) (killed) 4 October 1917 at Broodseinde Belgium in WW1. Ypres (Main Gate) Memorial.
Private John Knox Morrison 6547 Enlisted in December 1915 joined the 7th Infantry Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade, 21st Reinforcements "B" Company. Died 4th October 1917 aged 24 years.
The battle of Broodseinde, 4 October 1917, was the last of three successful “bite and hold” battles launched by General Herbert Plumer during the middle phase of the
third battle of Ypres. That battle had opened with an ambitious attempt to push the Germans back along a long stretch of their line. That effort had failed in the mud. Plumer’s Second Army had then taken over from the Fifth Army. Plumer believed in making limited advances in attacks on shorter stretches of the line, stopping once a pre-determined point had been reached and digging in ready to repulse the inevitable German counterattack.
His first two attacks, at
Menin Road Ridge, 20-25 September 1917 and
Polygon Wood, 26-27 September, had gone entirely to plan. A creeping barrage had protected the advancing troops while standing bombardments had isolated the German troops under attack. Both attacks had seized their objectives and then held off German counterattacks.
Both sides were planning an attack on 4 October. When the British bombardment began, it caught a number of German units out in the open preparing for their own attack (amongst them the 4th Guard and 19th Reserve Divisions). The British attack contained divisions from Britain, New Zealand and Australia. As at Menin Road Ridge and Polygon Wood, the British attack achieved its main objectives and then halted to dig in.
Although these attacks are normally described as small scale battles, the casualty figures demonstrate the real scale of the fighting. The Germans suffered 10,000 casualties and lost 5,000 prisoners. On the Allied side the Australians suffered 6,432 casualties, the New Zealanders 892 and the British 300. The battle was recorded as a “black day” in the official German history of war.
The battle of Broodseinde Ridge was the third operation launched by British general Herbert Plummer as part of the Ypres offensive of 1917. It was a large operation, involving twelve divisions, including those of both I and II ANZAC. The attack was planned on the same basis as its predecessors - the attacking troops' objectives were approximately 1,500 metres deep, the advance would be preceded by a massive artillery bombardment; and a creeping barrage would lead the troops on to their objectives and then protect them while they consolidated their positions.
The attack began before dawn on 4 October 1917. The Australian troops involved were shelled heavily on their start line and a seventh of their number became casualties even before the attack began. When it did, the attacking troops were confronted by a line of troops advancing towards them; the Germans had chosen the same morning to launch an attack of their own. The Australians forged on through the German assault waves and gained all their objectives along the ridge. It was not without cost, however. German pillboxes were characteristically difficult to subdue, and the Australian divisions suffered 6,500 casualties. Reference
http://www.awm.gov.au/units/event_82.asp
