The Eighth of May, The Second Battle of Ypres

The Eighth of May by Fred Roe (Newport Civic Centre)

Standing above a trench, which his men are desperately attempting to hold against advancing German troops, Captain Harold Thorne Edwards is depicted armed only with his service revolver, as he fires into the advancing enemy ranks. Facing overwhelming odds and attacks from the front and right, where British forces had been pushed back, Captain Edwards had rallied men from D Company in an attempt to form a defensive flank. Surrounded by German troops, The Monmouthshires were called upon to surrender. Captain Edwards responded with the words “surrender be damned,” and was last seen firing his revolver into the attackers. The incident took place during The Second Battle of Ypres on 8^th May 1915 and is described in a report by a fellow officer of The 1^st Monmouthshires became part of regimental legend.

The painting is by Fred Roe and carefully depicts much of the detail of the event. The German attackers include men from the 2^nd Marine Brigade who were attached to the German XXVI reserve Corps who made up the forces facing the Monmouths. The German officer also carries a signal disc, used to inform artillery observers when British positions had been captured. Captain Edwards himself wears a black dragon on the back of his tunic as was the tradition with Monmouthshire officers. The Monmouths are shown wearing khaki field service caps, while the German soldiers wear pickelhauber helmets covered with a canvas field service cloth and the marines wear their naval hats; steel helmets were not generally worn until 1916.

Fred Roe (1864-1947) was born in Cambridgeshire and trained at the Heatherley’s School of Art. He lived in London for many years, exhibited at the Royal Academy and was a member of The Royal Institute of British Painters. Examples of Roe’s work are in many collections, including the National Portrait Gallery and Naval Museum in Greenwich. He was known as a portrait painter, but particularly well known for large historical paintings, including scenes from the life of Joan of Arc and Nelson. He later became a well known expert on antiques and was the author of a number of books on the subject.

Captain Harold Thorne Edwards was aged 32 when he was killed on May 8^th 1915 and is buried in The New Irish Farm Military Cemetery near Ypres. He was born at Mynyddyslwyn and was the son of Thomas S Edwards, a solicitor, and Alice Elizabeth Edwards, who originally came from Bromley in Kent. On Harold’s death his parents’ address is given as 24 Stow Hill Newport.

The authors wish to thank Newport Museum and Art Gallery for permission to use this image.