Description
1914-15 trio, 9th battalion Rifle Brigade – Killed in Action 25th September 1915, Bellewaarde.
1914-15 Star, S-8692 Pte H.A. Eden, Rif. Brig.; British War and Victory Medals, S-8692 Pte H.A. Eden. Rif, Brig.
Herbert Alexander Eden was from Hackney, Middlsex.in 1896
He landed in France on the 31st August 1915.
He was initially reported as missing on the 25th September 1915, and declared dead on that date. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.
Service papers, MIC etc are available on Ancestry.
Condition – NEF
Between 31st August and 25th September 1915, the 9th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade—serving within the 42nd Infantry Brigade of the 14th (Light) Division—was deployed in the hazardous Ypres Salient. Still recovering from the devastating losses suffered during the German liquid fire attack at Hooge in late July, the battalion spent late August assimilating fresh drafts of reinforcements, replacing lost equipment, and rebuilding unit cohesion.
Throughout September, the battalion rotated regularly through front-line, support, and reserve trenches near Hooge and Sanctuary Wood. By mid-September, defensive duties shifted to intensive preparation for the Second Attack on Bellewaarde. The battalion occupied assembly trenches, received tactical orders, and prepared for a crucial diversionary assault intended to pin German reserves while the main British offensive opened further south at Loos.
Actions on 25th September 1915
At 4:20 AM on 25th September 1915, British artillery opened an intense bombardment, followed by mine detonations at 6:00 AM to launch the Second Attack on Bellewaarde. The 9th Rifle Brigade advanced from assembly trenches into the assault across heavily cratered ground. Facing concentrated machine-gun enfilade fire from Bellewaarde Farm and heavy German artillery counter-barrages, the riflemen courageously pushed into the enemy’s front and support trenches. Fierce hand-to-hand fighting ensued, but overwhelming German counter-attacks and severe ammunition shortages forced the survivors into a defensive posture. By midnight, the decimated battalion had suffered massive casualties, leaving only 140 men fit for duty.
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