TODAY marks a century since the beginning of the Third Battle of Ypres.

Written by Stephen Lyons – of 130th (St John) Field Ambulance Research Group Passchendaele (3rd Battle of Ypres) Pilkem Ridge – the following describes the experience of men from Monmouthshire. It is entitled Monmouthshire Medals Amongst The Mud.

“Early on the morning of July 31, 1917, the air was filled with the shrieking of shells as every Allied gun from the coast to Messines began to pound the German lines at the start of the Third Battle of Ypres, Passchendaele.

“The 38th (Welsh) Division, Lloyd George’s army, was charged with the taking of PilkemRidge, North East of Ypres and, amongst their ranks were the brave, unarmed men of the 130th (St John) Field Ambulance.

These men were no strangers to blood and mud, for they had toiled for 60 hours non-stop, under fire, to bring back the wounded at the Battle of Mametz Wood a year earlier.

“While Officers and nursing staff manned the main dressing station west of Ypres and smaller groups received the wounded at the Sussex Farm and fusilier dressing stations on the West Bank of the Yser Canal, the stretcher-bearers worked tirelessly to carry the wounded from the regimental Aid Posts at Stray and Jolie Farms away from the battle.

“Shelling during previous weeks had decimated the roads and tracks, pitting the ground with shell holes. Heavy rain had then turned this wasteland into an almost impassable quagmire of mud and water.

The 130th had been recruited for the army by the St John Ambulance Brigade from St John branches in South Wales.

“Two of the 130th’s strong Monmouthshire contingent were awarded Military Medals for bravery for their part in the battle. As we know from the diary of Private Jim Cleaves (Abersychan), they started collecting the wounded at 8am from the third German line and didn’t stop until four days later.

“Sergeant Ernest Sweeting, a Newport schoolteacher, won his medal for finding a route through the smashed trenches, remaining on duty for five days with courage, coolness, judgement and determination. Sweeting was also awarded the Croix de Guerre.

Private Oliver Young from Cwmcarn was also one of the 130th’s five Military Medal winners. Oliver, with his pals, repeatedly brought the wounded home across open ground under heavy shellfire, day after day with little rest.

The Pilkem Ridge five were among a total of 26 military medals won by the unit in the Great War: a proud record for the commanding officer, Lt. Colonel John Davies of Wrexham and Regimental Sgt. Major William Stroud, Superintendent of St John at Abercarn.”