A Little About
​Myself.

My name is Enrique Billiau i was born in 1997 and my passion around WW I all started, visiting museums with my father. This evolved to the search of scrapnell balls in the fields. When I got the hang of this, I requested my license as a metaldetectorist. I bought myself a metaldetector, and this became my hobby: to search the fields where our grand- and great grandparents fought to defend our country. I came to think “why not share my hobby with others and show this generation how things went in 1914-1918”, so this is what I did. All the relics in my collection are inert and harmless. My museum is situated on Bray Farm in Poelkapelle (Langemolenstraat 49). This is where the first bataljon from the Royal Marines had a defending post. The house was rebuild in 1925. Next to the house, there is a German trench which finds its way through the fields.

:Bray Farm in WW1

1ROYAL Marines Light Infantry

26th October 1917
From left to right: - Back row: Lt JE Cornish, Lt CE Mennel, Lt EC Bonnet (Killed), Lt BC Pippet, Lt JH Thomas, Lt HA Carruthers, Lt DA Pipe (Killed), Lt FC Howe, Lt WC Williamson , Lt RM Snider, Lt BG Evanson, Lt RHP West, Lt RE Champness, Lt CLC McKeand, Lt HG Bennett, Lt JD Aldridge (Killed) - Middle row (seated): The Rev W Whitehead, Capt HB van Praagh, Maj EJ Huskisson, Surgeon RG Morgan RN, Capt TH Burton - Front row: Lt JD Murray Smith, Lt HA Bass, Lt RF Orfeur, Lt CS Easterbrook, Lt MK Gilbert

a story of the 1RMLI at bray farm

Foto
As they lined up for the attack 1RMLI had a strength of 16 officers and 597 Marines.They were to advance on a front 900m wide between the Lekkerboterbeek stream on
the left and Inch Houses on the right. Their objective was to advance 900m capturing
Berks Houses, Banff House and Bray Farm. ...
Heavy rain fell all night filling the shell holes with water.
Mud made the ground almost impassable but at 05:40am on 26th October 1917
the British Artillery barrage opened up and 1RMLI advanced.
Despite heavy machine gun and sniper fire the battalion succeeded in taking all their objectives,
but casualties were very heavy. The battalion held their new positions and the following
day were replaced by Hawke Battalion.
1RMLI withdraw to Irish Farm north of Ypres.

Capt Pipe, Lt Aldridge, 2Lt Balcombe and 2Lt Bonnett were killed in action. Surgeon Morgan, Lt McBerney Woods, 2Lt Trotman, Capt Evanson, 2Lt Williamson, 2Lt McKeand were all wounded. Of the Marines 270 were casualties. On 5th November Lt Col Ozanne was sent to the Field Hospital and Maj Huskisson took over command. 2Lt Pippet was promoted to Acting Capt. 2Lt Carruthers took over command of C Company. On 18th December Lt Col Ozanne returned to the battalion and resumed command.

The objective line of the 1Royal Marines Light Infantry yo can see Bray Farm on the map