Carole McEntee-Taylor Books

It was 2am on the 16^th June 1915 and dawn was slowly breaking over Bellewaarde. It was exceptionally quiet, the troops of 3^rd Division were situated on the western edge of Railway Wood and shrouded in a thick mist which reduced visibility and gave the illusion of safety. Across the few yards of no man’s land, the German troops of Reserve Infantry Regiments (RIR) 248 and 246, and Unter-Elsässisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 132 were also blanketed in the thick damp mist. It swirled round their trenches, deadening sound and reinforcing the illusion that all was secure.

Fifty minutes later the planned British artillery bombardment began. By the end of the day more than 4,000 men would be casualties on a field approximately half a mile square.

At the close of the 2^nd Battles of Ypres, the German trenches between the Menin Road and the Ypres-Roulers railway formed a salient. From Bellewaarde ridge, situated on the eastern side of the lake, they were able to overlook the greater part of the ground east of Ypres. In early June it was decided to attack the salient, and take possession of Bellewaarde ridge. The attack was to be carried out by the 9^th Brigade of the 3^rd Division, with 7^th Brigade in support.

The book is a tribute to those who fought and died at Bellewaarde on the 16^th June 1915 and was written to help raise money for a memorial. Unfortunately the charity did not raise enough money and the memorial fund has been wound up.

For more information about Bellewaarde June 1915 please visit the Bellewaarde website  Available to order here

Reviews

‘A fine piece of informative writing,,, so worth the cost,tells the Bellewaarde fact as it happened,,,,’

 

Naval & Military Press

The account of the battle is detailed and quotes from many individual accounts of participants and of their units, this in itself takes up around a fifth of the work, and after a 25 page summing up, 120 pages list in detail the individuals, British and German, who fell. The book is as much a memorial to all who fought in the battle as a history of it.
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“100 hundred years on from the First World War the Battle of Bellewaarde is not an engagement many, if any, readers will have heard of. The battle which lasted little more than 12 hours over territory little more than half a square mile is dwarfed by more well-known battles on the Somme and Passchendaele. But it is the subject of a fascinatingly-detailed book from historian Carole McEntee-Taylor who brings the battle to life with personal testimony weaved with strategic overview. The story starts in June 1915. Two months on from their gas attack at Ypres, the German Army occupied the Bellewaarde Ridge east of the Belgian town affording unobstructed views into the British rear areas. It was to be here, in the early hours of June 16, 1915, that the British 3rd Division would attack out the mist in an attempt to seize the ridge. However, by the day’s end about 4,000 men would be casualties for marginal gain – the Germans fought ferociously to their positions making the advancing British waves pay dearly for every yard of ground gained. For a British battle plan of 1915 it was relatively well-conceived – 300 guns were massed to help the infantry seize a limited objective. But McEntee-Taylor is clear why the assault – well-planned as it was – failed. At this early stage in the war it was nigh-on impossible to maintain effective communication between the attacking troops and supporting artillery. This meant that although some men reached their ultimate objectives they were shelled by their own guns. It was hoped coloured screens could be used to signal their positions, but mist and smoke from shelling obscured these from view. This coupled with a dearth of well-trained and experienced officers meant the attack lost impetus as casualties mounted. The British Official History of the war declared Bellewaarde a minor action, perhaps with some justification. But such language does a disservice to the gallantry and courage of the men who fought on there. What is particularly refreshing is the level of attention given to German units who fought there. This is becoming more and more common in books on the subject today – long may it continue.”

As mentioned in
Epworth Bells and Crowle Advertiser

A fascinatingly-detailed book from historian Carole McEntee-Taylor who brings the battle to life with personal testimony weaved with strategic overview.
Burton Mail

An outstanding tribute to all those who fought and died at Bellewaarde on 16th June 1915.
Highly Commended. 10/10
The Great War Magazine

This is an excellent memorial and work of reference that will be of use for a long time to come.
Western Front Association

Carole McEnteeTaylor has produced a stunningly detailed account of this action complete with lists of the fallen and cross referencing to their memorial sites and regiments. The book starts by a brief overview of the Allied armies followed by more detailed examinations of the units that made up the orbat of 7,8 and 9 brigades as well as a look at the German units facing them. Royal Scots Fusiliers, the Wiltshire Regiment and the Honourable Artillery Company are all recorded with some excellent sourcing of photographs from both protagonists. Much of the initial collation of information was carried out by Martin Clift and there has been substantial translation of German source material.
Army Rumour Service

As seen in the Essex Chronicle.
Essex Chronicle

wendywoo38
5.0 out of 5 stars… very interest to find out where & how my great grand father died in WW1
19 December 2017
Format: Hardcover|Verified Purchase
Fabulous book very interest to find out where & how my great grand father died in WW1,
Very quick delivery in amazing condition too

2.0 out of 5 stars Not recommended
By ParaBellum Londonon 26 December 2015
Format: Hardcover
Confusing to read, errors aplenty. Not recommended

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
By stella egan on 17 July 2015
Format: Hardcover|Verified Purchase
Excellent

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
By Clive Gary Hopkins on 5 June 2015
Format: Hardcover|Verified Purchase
Excelent Book covers the Battle from start to finnish and also gives casualty lists

4.0 out of 5 stars Half a square mile of ground, 12 hours, 4,000 casualties.
By mark mckay on 1 February 2015
Format: Hardcover
ONE hundred years on from the First World War the Battle of Bellewaarde is not an engagement many, if any, readers will have heard of.
The battle which lasted little more than 12 hours over territory little more than half a square mile is dwarfed by more well-known battles on the Somme and Passchendaele.
But it is the subject of a fascinatingly-detailed book from historian Carole McEntee-Taylor who brings the battle to life with personal testimony weaved with strategic overview.
The story starts in June 1915. Two months on from their gas attack at Ypres, the German Army occupied the Bellewaarde Ridge east of the Belgian town affording unobstructed views into the British rear areas.
It was to be here, in the early hours of June 16, 1915, that the British 3rd Division would attack out the mist in an attempt to seize the ridge.
However, by the day’s end about 4,000 men would be casualties for marginal gain – the Germans fought ferociously to their positions making the advancing British waves pay dearly for every yard of ground gained.
For a British battle plan of 1915 it was relatively well-conceived – 300 guns were massed to help the infantry seize a limited objective.
But McEntee-Taylor is clear why the assault – well-planned as it was – failed. At this early stage in the war it was nigh-on impossible to maintain effective communication between the attacking troops and supporting artillery.
This meant that although some men reached their ultimate objectives they were shelled by their own guns. It was hoped coloured screens could be used to signal their positions, but mist and smoke from shelling obscured these from view.
This coupled with a dearth of well-trained and experienced officers meant the attack lost impetus as casualties mounted.
The British Official History of the war declared Bellewaarde a minor action, perhaps with some justification.
But such language does a disservice to the gallantry and courage of the men who fought on there.
What is particularly refreshing is the level of attention given to German units who fought there. This is becoming more and more common in books on the subject today – long may it continue.

3.0 out of 5 stars There are also no maps for the first 147 pages – which made it extremely difficult to understand the movements of the various ba
By Mr. P on 22 December 2014
Format: Hardcover|Verified Purchase
I’m afraid I can’t agree with the other comments. I found this book confusing to read, repetitive in places and containing basic errors in military terminology that became quite irritating after a time. For example, is it the 1/10th The (King’s) Liverpool Regiment, 1/10th The King’s (Liverpool) Regiment or 10th Scottish Battalion The King’s (Liverpool Regiment)? There are also no maps for the first 147 pages – which made it extremely difficult to understand the movements of the various battalions and regiments that are described in great detail during the preamble to the battle itself. Similarly, some of the maps that are present are too small to be of any real value. Photos are plentiful, but many are not linked to the text and without any explanation as to why they are there they appear completely random. Finally, although the book is quite detailed the narrative simply did not flow for me and read more like a collection of standalone anecdotes and interesting facts.

4.0 out of 5 stars I particularly like the way that the author concentrates on the experiences …
By Alan Robinson on 12 December 2014
Format: Hardcover
A well structured and clearly written account of this relatively unknown battle. I particularly like the way that the author concentrates on the experiences of individial British infantry battalions in the battle – it makes for a more intimate account of the battle. Why not five stars? The book could do with many more clearly drawn maps to show where the respective sides were at the commencement and end of the battle and also to show the position of individual units from both sides during the course of the battle. A well drawn map can be worth a thousand words. I hope the author will go on to write of other lesser known battles of 1915 such as the German assault on the Frezenberg Ridge.

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
By M. Hall on 9 December 2014
Format: Hardcover|Verified Purchase
v good

4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars
By Ivor Scott on 24 September 2014
Format: Hardcover|Verified Purchase
A fine pice of informitive writing,,, so worth the cost,tells the Bellewaard fact as it happened,,,,