2nd Regiment of Grenadiers

Grenadier Collar Badge	2nd  Grenadiers on the march, 1914	Grenadier Full  Dress

The 2nd Regiment of Grenadiers was formed on August 1, 1914 when the Regiment of Grenadiers was separated following the general mobilization of the Belgian Militia.  Both the 1st and 2nd Regiments were assigned to the 18th Mixed Brigade of the 6th Army Division.  

Division Commander - Lt. General  Lontonnis Van Rode

Commander, 2nd Grenadiers - Major Lotz

Regiment consisted of 3 battalions, each with 4 companies.

The 2nd Grenadiers were garrisoned in Brussels and moved on August 3, 1914 to Wavre, on the east bank of the River Dyle arriving on the 6th.  On the 16th, they engaged the German 7th Corp and 10th Res. Corps outside of Longpré.  After two days of fighting, the regiment began a withdrawal toward Brussels. 

The regiment was engaged repeatedly by German 1st army forces between August 20th -24th in what became known as the Battle of the Borders as the Belgian 3rd, 5th and 6th Divisions evacuated Brussels and withdrew to Antwerp. 

Between September 5th -10th, the Regiment was involved in a series of counter attacks aimed at relieving pressure on Antwerp.  Actions at Schiplaken, Elewijt, Werchter, and Wakkenzeel helped to slow the German drive on Antwerp, but the cost was high for both Regiments of Grenadiers.

By October 9th, it was decided that in order to save what was left of the Belgian Army, Antwerp was to be evacuated.  The army withdrew to Ghent and then to Ostend.  By mid October, the 2nd Grenadiers had taken up positions east of the Yser River and canal at the village of Ramskapelle, between the cities of Nieuport and Dixmude.

The Battle of Ramskapelle

The 2nd Grenadiers, along with the 14th Line Regiment formed the defense of the village of Ramskapelle while engineers began the process of opening the dikes and sluice gates on the Yser River to flood the plains between Nieuport and Dixmude.  On October 20th, the German 22nd Reserve Corp began to engage the Belgian lines.  From October 20th-29th, the 2nd Grenadiers fought constantly, the heaviest fighting taking place from the 24th - 26th when the German Fourth Army launched 15 full scale attacks on Dixmude and the Belgian lines through Ramskapelle.  Though the attacks were repelled by the Grenadiers, other Belgian forces, and a contingent of French Marines occupying the area, the casualties were high and a withdrawal eminent.

On October 31st, the regiment withdrew as the flood water rose and took up positions on the western bank of the Yser River.  The Yser front began to stabilize as the flooding prevented the Germans from launching further assaults and the thrust of the German attacks began to focus on Ypres and the British forces there.

Following the battle of Yser, the 1st and 2nd Regiments of Grenadiers were once again reunited into a single regiment due to the enormous losses sustained by both in the course of the battles leading to the end of the battle of Yser.