The action of the 2nd Battalion The Worcestershire Regiment at Gheluvelt on 31st October 1914 was quickly recognised as being of major importance in the outcome of the 1914-18 War. It was, however, followed by many other battles with heavy casualties and was not commemorated Regimentally by any special Memorial.

Nevertheless, a Mr George W. Jones of Worcester, with the assistance of the "Asile de Soldats Belges" (a Belgian ex-servicemen's organisation), erected at his own expense a memorial to the battle. The monument, - not impressive aesthetically - was placed against one side of a cottage owned by the "Asile de Soldats Belges" on the roadside some distance from the site of the battle. The original inscription on the memorial contained the words "Fighting Gloriously against the unchivalrous foe". This was changed after the 1939-45 War to read "against a determined foe", as there had never been any indication that the conduct of the Germans during the battle had been anything but correct.

In 1984 the Worcestershire Regiment learnt that the cottage had been sold and the new owner had asked that the memorial be moved. The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, acting for the Regiment, found a new position for the memorial nearer the site of the battle. This was adjacent to the South Wales Borderers 1914-18 War Memorial.

The 1st Battalion The South Wales Borders, although over-run, were still fighting in Gheluvelt when the 2nd Battalion The Worcestershire Regiment made their memorable Counter-attack. The South Wales Borderers chose Gheluvelt as the site for a Regimental Memorial for the whole war and, not surprisingly, it is a much bigger and more impressive memorial than the one to the Worcesters, which commemorates a single action.

When it was decided that the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment Memorial should be re-positioned, it was not considered appropriate to move the surround and this was discarded. The Memorial plaque was mounted on a brick background and it is believed that this will soon weather and fit into the surroundings.

Below are some images of the original and present location of the Gheluvelt Memorial to the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment men.

The new position of the Gheluvelt Memorial move here in 1984

Original site of the Memorial stone against the cottage wall

Original site of Memorial changes later made to cottage

Present location next to the South Wales Borderers Memorial