An aerial view of the Nieuport Sector on the Belgian coast, showing the ruins of the town and the trench system across the Yser in which the 15th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry fought in 1917. To the left, the River Yser flowed into the North Sea to the north of Nieuport.
The 15th Battalion was transferred to the Nieuport Sector in June 1917, in readiness to support a British offensive at the third Battle of Ypres. But a surprise German attack on the coast on July 10 caused the battalion to be rushed into the line to shore up the defences, a task it performed admirably over several months.
In 1918 the battalion was sent back to France, where it helped turn the tide with a notable victory at Ayette, near Arras. Following the Armistice, it formed part of the Rhine Army of occupation, before finally arriving back in Scotland on 11 November 1919.
Reference: Mitchell Library, GC 356.1 HIG
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
15th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, Battle of Ypres, British Army, First World War, HLI, Rhine Army, River Yser, Western Front
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