Hundreds gather to mark battle's 110th anniversary

Lt Col Mark Jackson said the memorial for the 110th anniversary highlighted the "amazing feat" of the Worcestershire Regiment

Hundreds of army veterans gathered to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Gheluvelt - a pivotal World War One clash that was won by 300 men from Worcestershire.

Lt Col Mark Jackson said the memorial for the 110th anniversary was important as it highlighted the "amazing feat" the regiment carried out.

The service, on Sunday, celebrated the men from the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment who saved Ypres, Belgium, from capture in 1914.

Lt Col Jackson said: "The battle is so important. It is unique in military history because a small group of 300 to 400 men actually altered world events."

"If the Worcesters had not counterattacked, the British forces may have been ejected from Belgium and we may well have lost the war in 1914," said Lt Col Jackson, who is president of the Worcestershire Foresters Regimental Association.

The battle saw more than 300 men charge through open fields during the battle in the Belgian village of Gheluvelt before the Germans retreated.

The Worcestershire Regiment was the last available reserve of the British defence and fought against the Germans alone, leaving 187 Worcestershire men wounded or dead.

Events to remember the battle have been held every year since 2010, with veterans and the high sheriff of Worcestershire attending.

Lt Col Jackson said: "It means an awful lot to me and my fellow comrades that we should respect and commemorate the amazing feat of arms done by our forbearers."