In our thoughts today: William Edward Hipkiss, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (Photo Blog)

10/26/2017

Bray Farm at Poelkapelle, Belgium. View towards Varlet Farm.

An able seaman on land

Able Seaman William Edward Hipkiss from Birmingham was a brave member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

He enlisted on the 24th of April 1917, age 19. After his training in England, he joined the Howe Battalion on the 27th of September in France.

He was killed only a month later on October the 26th 1917, during the start of the 2nd battle of Passchendaele. His battalion attacked the German frontline near Varlet farm, a German strongpoint on the left of a forgotten village called Wallemolen, Belgium.

Royal Naval Division WWI Propaganda (1915). Source: www.ww1propaganda.com

RNVR. The badge of the Howe Battalion. Source: © IWM (Q 68448) (photo edited)

Wallemolen (Passchendaele) before the Great War, Belgium.
Source: http://gabolem.canalblog.com/archives/2014/12/19/31168018.html

Wallemolen, Passchendaele today (2017).

The attack on October 26

October the 26th, 1917. It was a cold, grey and rainy morning. The front line was reduced to a scene from Dante Inferno: a dark landscape covered with a sea of mud and many craters, all filled with water and rotting corpses. Although both sides suffered hard under this cruel circumstances, the Germans had a slight advantage since they were defending their heavily fortified farms and pillboxes.

Young William Edward Hipkiss already spent a night in the frontline, trying to get some rest in the cold Flanders mud. He was waiting to attack the fortified ruined farms near the village Wallemolen, on the left of Passchendaele.

Poelkapelle, Belgium today. View over the attacking ground. In the far distance the starting position of the 63rd Division.

The Howe battalion, part of the 63rd Royal Naval Division, was in the second wave of the attack. The division gave support to the Canadians who were attacking on their right flank. William's Battalion was ordered to push through the consolidated lines of Anson battalion in order to capture the next objective near Source Trench.

Heavy shelling and machine gun fire however made that impossible and the assault was stopped in the center of the front, between Bray and Varlet Farm. We can only guess what happened with William that day but one thing is for sure, he would never return to his home in Birmingham.

Poelkapelle. Photo taken on the road between Bray Farm and Varlet Farm. View towards Bray Farm.

Poelkapelle. Photo taken on the road between Bray Farm and Varlet Farm. View towards Varlet Farm.

Poelkapelle. Map of the area around Varlet Farm. Source: http://poelcapelle14-18.be/Varlet%20Farm

Bray and Varlet Farm after the war

Today it is hard to imagine that such a peaceful place was once hell on earth. Nothing here reminds us of the region’s tragic history except for the war debris, which is still spread out over the fields. After the war the region recovered from his wounds and many houses and farms were rebuild.

Bray Farm at Poelkapelle can be visited an has an impressive collection of found relics.

Bray Farm at Poelkapelle, Belgium.

Bray Farm at Poelkapelle. View towards Varlet Farm.

In the far distance Banff House (left) and Bray Farm (right).

Banff House at Poelkapelle, Belgium.

Varlet Farm at Poelkapelle, Belgium.

Varlet farm is now a Bed&Breakfast with a great collection of relics, all found in the surrounding fields during the past years.

Varlet Farm at Poelkapelle, Belgium.

Varlet Farm, Poelkapelle, Belgium. 63rd Division Memorial Plaque.

Tyne Cot Cemetery

William’s body was never found and he has no known grave.
He is commemorated on the memorial wall at Tyne Cot Cemetery, panel 2.

Panel 1&2 of the Tyne Cot Memorial Wall, Zonnebeke, Belgium.

Cross of sacrifice at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke.

William Edward Hipkiss, Tyne Cot Cemetery

William Edward Hipkiss is commemorated on panel 2.

Cross of sacrifice at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, Belgium.

Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, Belgium.

Join us in remembering William Edward Hipkiss

Many thanks to the family of William for the information they gave to us. It is thanks to their reaction on our blogpost on the first day of the battle of Passchendaele (the Boezinge sector) that we came across his story.

100 years ago today, brave William Edward Hipkiss fought and died far from home. Please join us in remembering him and all the other men who fought and died during the Battle of Passchendaele.

Let us know if you have any relatives who fought during WWI. Reply to our blog or send us your stories or subject suggestions. We’ll be happy to integrate them into our blog whenever possible.

Thank you for sharing our blogpost!

Tom and Sarah

Battlefield Photography

Sources
www.wartimememoriesproject.com
http://poelcapelle14-18.be
http://gabolem.canalblog.com/archives/2014/12/19/31168018.html
www.iwm.org.uk
www.ww1propaganda.com
https://brayfarmcollection.weebly.com
www.varletfarm.com

ABOUT OUR BLOG

We take you along our photographic journey through the World War battlefields in Belgium and France. With our black and white photographs and self written poetry, we share our impression of these historic, heroic and tragic events.

10 Comments

Stephen Fay

10/26/2017 10:22:23

Hello,
I don't suppose you have any pictures of Hawke Battalion (RNVR), as my Great Uncle James McBarrons fell attacking Banff House 100 years ago today & died at a CCS the next day.

Thank you

Stephen Fay

10/26/2017 12:41:58

Dear Stephen,

I couldn't find any pictures of the bn from 1917. There's a good book about the Hawke Bn 'The Hawke Battalion' by Douglas Jerrold. Do you know it? When did your Great Uncle enlist ? If I find a picture I will mail it to you.

Best regards

Tom

Klaus Steffensen

10/26/2017 17:24:58

Great research and photography

10/26/2017 18:17:19

Thank you Klaus for the compliments!

My best regards

Tom

Joan Dawson

11/8/2017 00:24:45

I must thank you again for the work you put in to discovering what happened to my Uncle and for this wonderful tribute to him. I am truly grateful. The pictures are stunning.

11/8/2017 14:10:29

Dear Joan
Thank you for those kind words and compliments. I'm glad that we we're able to help you out with this. And I'm also glad that you had a nice stay in Ypres and that you were able to visit Varlet Farm and the surrounding fields where William fought and lost his live 100 years ago. A special experience it most have been.

Our best regards

Tom and Sarah

John Greene

6/11/2019 23:21:34

My Father was Royden Hipkiss Greene, but was Lorton before he was adopted by the Green family. His Mother was Ivy Lorton why lived in Birmingham. We believe William could well be his Father from what we can gather Ivy and William were going out together and William joined the navy as a able seaman and was killed in battle. We can't find another Hipkiss who fills this description. Perhaps it could be William. John Greene

6/12/2019 13:19:47

Hi John,
Well this is a surprising turn of events! I’m not sure if we can get any closer to verifying this information? I can tell you where William was living before he signed up if you know where Ivy might have lived, presumably in those days they would have met people living in their area rather than wider afield. I am happy to exchange information with you. Perhaps Tom could privately email us with each other’s email address if you are willing?

6/12/2019 13:47:35

Thank you Joan, it would be a good idea tho exchange information by email. I have today found a DNA match to Mark Dawson, a relative of yours I assume.

John

6/12/2019 14:03:38

Hey Joan and John,
I just send you an email. Great that both found each other!

Grtz,
Tom

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