Plaque to Captain J J Crowe VC, Nieuwkerke Hospice

The final German attempt to break through to the Channel ports, known as the Fourth Battle of Ypres, had initial success, and on 13 April 1918 the 2nd Worcesters were pushed back to the small village of Nieuwkerke, where they made a stand in the area of the Mairie. That evening the Germans entered the village and poured machine gun fire onto the defenders. Captain Crowe, the adjutant, realising that their position was becoming untenable, set off with a handful of volunteers to silence the guns. First they crawled and then charged, the fleeing Germans. However, further enemy re-inforcments arrived and, for silencing the guns and for allowing a controlled withdrawal of the Worcesters in later fighting, Captain Crowe was awarded the VC

Adjutant Allowing Becoming Charged Controlled Crawled Crowe Defenders Entered Fleeing Further Handful Hospice However Ieper Initial Mairie Onto Plaque Ports Poured Pushed Realising Silence Silencing Volunteers Withdrawal Worcesters Ypres

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