The Canadians in the Ypres Salient 1914-1918 The Canadian Battlefi elds Foundation Maps and Text by Andrew Iarocci Background of the Ypres Salient The Ypres Salient constituted a focal point of British Canadian troops fi nally secured the village in November, and Dominion military effort throughout the First World but the broader objectives of the offensive were never War. Between 1914 and 1918 four major battles were realized. Finally, in April 1918, the salient was the target fought here, and in between the larger actions, many of a major German offensive (the Battle of the Lys). All of smaller engagements occurred. After the German invasion of 0OELKAPELLE 0OELCAPELLE France was thwarted on ,ANGEMARK ,ANGEMARCK . the banks of the Marne )JZER+ANAAL 9SER#ANAL River in September "ROODING 3OLDIER 1914, the First Battle of . Ypres erupted as German +ITCHENERS7OOD 0ASSENDALE forces attempted to -ONUMENT 0ASSCHENDAELE 3INT*ULIAAN 4YNE #OT #REST break the Allied lines 3T*ULIEN #EMETERY &ARM around Ypres and drive %SSEX&ARM through to the channel #EMETERY coast. Stubborn British "RIELEN . resistance and the arrival . of French reinforcements :ONNEBEKE 3INT*AN *EAN narrowly prevented 4th 3T and 6th German Armies . from enveloping the )EPER T@(OGE town. After six weeks 9PRES (OOGE of fi ghting, combined ! British and Indian Army . :ILLEBEKE (ILL losses approached 4O-ENEN 80,000. The 4th German -ENIN 4O Army again attempted 3INT%LOOI 3T%LOI . to eliminate the salient . in April 1915, this time with the help of chlorine Tour Map gas. While the Germans were able to capture a large the ground captured by Allied forces during the previous parcel of ground in the autumn was retaken by German forces, and the loss of northeastern portion of the Ypres itself was narrowly averted. salient, the resistance of British, French, Canadian Operations around Ypres were particularly costly for and Indian troops once again Allied forces because they found themselves defending saved the town from falling a salient that was surrounded by German forces on three into enemy hands during the sides: to the north, east and south. The decision to defend Second Battle of Ypres. The the salient at such high cost throughout the war has third major battle at Ypres always been controversial, but there were tangible reasons was waged between July for doing so. With virtually ninety percent of Belgium and November 1917 when under German occupation, Ypres became a symbol of British and Dominion forces resistance for the Allied cause. Furthermore, the town launched an offensive in the was strategically signifi cant as a bastion standing between direction of Passchendaele. German forces and the channel ports of Dunkirk and Calais. By the end of 1914 the Germans already occupied The Kitchener’s much of the Belgian coast, and Britain, as a sea power, was Wood monument not willing to tolerate German naval bases in the French Canadian Operations in the Ypres Salient ports. Finally, the loss of Ypres would have threatened the advance, British commanders issued orders for immediate security of the northern Allied fl ank and placed the British counterattacks. That evening two Canadian battalions, Expeditionary Force in jeopardy. Defending the salient the 10th and 16th, launched their country’s fi rst offensive was not a desirable option, but under the circumstances, action of the war against Kitchener’s Wood. Early the there were few viable alternatives. next morning 1st and 4th Canadian Battalions launched a second counterattack against Mauser Ridge. Both The Second Battle of Ypres, attacks were extremely costly, but Canadians displayed April 1915 great soldierly skill and managed to delay the German advance. The 1st Canadian Division arrived on the continent in February 1915, and after serving for several weeks in the On the morning of 24 April the 4th Army renewed Armentières sector, the division moved to Ypres in April. its offensive with a second gas cloud. This time the By this early stage of the war, operations on the Western deadly vapour was concentrated directly against the Front were locked in stalemate as each TH2ESERVE$IVISION ND2ESERVE$IVISION ST2ESERVE$IVISION 4HE3ECOND"ATTLEOF9PRES 0OELCAPELLE side prepared strong TH!LGERIAN$IVISION !PRIL TH4ERRITORIAL$IVISION defensive positions ND2ESERVE%RSATZ"DE stretching between the (ET3AS ,ANGEMARCK channel coast and the #HLORINE'AS!TTACK ST#ANADIAN$IVISION Swiss frontier. In an TH +EERSELAERE ,ANDWEHR"DE endeavour to break the 0ILCKEM 0ASSCHENDAELE +ITCHENERS deadlock and disguise 'RAVENSTAFEL2IDGE 7OOD "OESINGHE 9SE troops movements to the ,OCALITY# R #ANAL Eastern Front, German -AUSER2IDGE 'RAVENSTAFEL TH$IVISION 3T*ULIEN RD2ESERVE$IVISION forces planned an &RONT!PRIL attack against Ypres in &ORTUIN April 1915 using a new (ILL4OP2IDGE weapon of war: chlorine 7IELTJE "RIELEN gas. The Germans had :ONNEBEKE 3T*EAN &REZENBERG already used less lethal &RONT!PRIL 6ERLORENHOEK types of gas on both the Eastern and Western 0OTIJZE Fronts, but no one had ever experienced 9PRES TH$IVISION anything like chlorine. On 22 April the 4th TH2ESERVE$IVISION German Army released MILE gas clouds against the northern face of the salient. The worst of the gas was concentrated against two Canadian front line, and there was little that the infantry French divisions between the Yser Canal and Poelcapelle. could do but withdraw back onto the higher ground of With no protection against this horrifying weapon, the Gravenstafel Ridge. British reinforcements arrived later French were forced to withdraw. To their right, 1st in the afternoon and launched a counterattack in support Canadian Division remained in position, but with its left of Canadian troops. The British soldiers collided head- fl ank completely exposed as far back as St. Julien. on with advancing German troops, and the situation was momentarily stabilized. Canadian troops, however, were Canadian troops on the left fl ank turned to face compelled to withdraw from Keerselaere and St. Julien; German troops as they fl ooded into the gap left by the later that night Locality “C” also fell to the enemy, despite French divisions. Within hours of the initial German the best efforts of 7th Canadian Battalion. The next day, 25 April, was the last of direct Canadian monument has been unveiled near the former site of the involvement in operations. The morning began tragically wood that was counterattacked by 10th and 16th Canadian with an abortive British counterattack against St. Julien Battalions. Dr. John McCrae’s dressing station at Essex that cost 10th Infantry Brigade in excess of 2,300 Farm has also been restored in recent years, and Canadian casualties. Some of the dead can be found today in the graves from April 1915 can be found in a series of nearby Seaforth Cemetery (Cheddar Villa), just south of St. Commonwealth War Graves Cemeteries. Julien. In the meantime, pressure mounted against the 5th and 8th Canadian Battalions (2nd Infantry Brigade), The St. Eloi Craters, April 1916 which in conjunction with British troops, still maintained In late March 1916 British forces launched an attack their front line positions west of Gravenstafel. Under against St. Eloi, just south of Ypres, by exploding a series relentless fi re from the north and west, the exhausted 2nd of mines under the German lines. It was understood that Brigade troops withdrew that evening to the reverse slope once the British troops had gained their initial objectives, of Gravenstafel Ridge. Four days of combat cost the 1st soldiers of the Canadian Corps would relieve them. Canadian Division more than 6,000 casualties; many Unfortunately, the mine explosions changed the geography battalions lost more than half of their effective strength. of St. Eloi to such an extent that the British assault Some have argued that the Canadians were not properly troops inadvertently left some of the craters unoccupied. trained for the challenges they faced in April 1915, but German troops quickly rushed in to fi ll the void. British a careful examination of the evidence suggests that the troops were ultimately able to secure all of the craters in Canadian infantry, artillerymen and engineers displayed early April, but they incurred so many casualties in the competence as well as courage on the battlefi eld. Under process that the Canadians were called upon to reinforce the diffi cult operational circumstances, even the most earlier than anticipated. The Canadian Corps participated experienced professional troops could have accomplished in the relief operation on 3 April; this was the fi rst time little more than the Canadians. in the history of the British Expeditionary Force that one entire corps had relieved another. Directly in front of the The Brooding Soldier Monument is the most poignant St. Eloi craters was Brigadier-General H.D.B. Ketchen’s reminder of Canada’s role in the Second Battle of Ypres. 6th Brigade. The Canadians had just recently been issued The monument stands at a crossroads on the northern with steel helmets, and they would soon need them, edge of St. Julien; in 1915, however, this location was a for much of the position around the craters was within distinctly separate village known as Keerselaere. It was plain view of German artillery observers. To complicate here that Canadian troops turned to protect their fl ank matters further, the area was badly fl ooded and almost against the initial German gas attack on 22 April. Traces impossible to navigate. The deep and broad craters of Canadian participation can also be found at other points made communication between the Canadians’ front and on the battlefi eld. In recent years a new Kitchener’s Wood rear extremely diffi cult. The troops immediately set to work consolidating this most diffi cult position and suffered heavy casualties in the process. On the evening of 5 April chaos ensued around the St.