After First Ypres

World War 1 - An Unkept Promise  By it for Christmas or Purchase "The Great Promise" on Amazon

THE YPRES CAMPAIGN

In medieval times Ypres was once a center for the cloth trade, which is evident in the impressive Cloth Hall. By 1914, the town was better known for the manufacture of ribbons and lace.  Both Cloth Hall and Saint Martin’s Cathedral are excellent examples of Gothic architecture. 

The population of Ypres in 1914 was about 17,000, which made it the nearest large city to the North Sea. It was of military importance because it was the road, rail, and canal center of the area and it was only 30 miles from the Port of Dunkirk. Many of the roads headed westward, towards the Channel ports of Boulogne-sur-Mer and Calais, making Ypres the enemy’s last major obstacle. To accomplish their goal of reaching the channel ports, they had to break through the Allies’ defenses, which surrounded Ypres.

Perhaps the Battle of First Ypres should be renamed “The Battle for Ypres” since it was a combination of four battles, which ultimately converged on Ypres. The battles lasted from October 10^th to November 22, 1914. The Battle of La Bassee took place between (October 12 – November 2^nd); Armentieres (October 13^th – November 2^nd); Messines (October 12^th – November 2^nd); and Ypres (October 19^th – November 22^nd). The battles were intermingled with one-another, making the timeline of individual battles complex and difficult to sort out. 

In order to comprehend the importance of each battle, it is critical to understand the landscape around Ypres. The area has been described as a shallow saucer with the town of Ypres at the center. The rim of the saucer represents a ridge, which begins seven miles south of Ypres, in the town of Messines, then continues two miles north to Wytschaete, before curving north-east to Hollebeke, Zillebeke, Sanctuary Wood, Hill 60, Gheluvelt, Winhoek, Nonne Bosschen, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Passchendaele, Langemarck, and Bixschoote.

 It could be surmised that the First Battle of Ypres was a series of battles fought to control the ridge, which became known as the Ypres Salient. 

The army in control of the ridge had the advantage of overlooking all of Flanders plain, permitting their artillery a choice of targets. 

Sir John French had removed two sections of Second Corps from the Battle of The Aisne, and concentrated them at the town of Bethune, which is located 25-30 miles south of Ypres. Winston Churchill, Lord of the Admiralty, pulled First Corps from Aisne and transported them by rail to Hazebrouck. From there they would march through towns north of Ypres.

 Prior to the arrival of the German Army, the Allies created trench defensive positions around Ypres in the shape of a small salient. The BEF held a thirty-five-mile-long line in the center of the bulge, while the French Army protected the British flank south of the city, while the Belgian Army guarded the northern flank.

 On October 20 the German Army Chief of Staff, Falkenhayn, ordered his army to break through the Allied lines to capture the ports of Dunkirk, Calais, and Boulogne. Initially they struck the Belgian defenses on the Yser River near Nieuport. The Belgian forces were unable to hold their position, therefore to prevent the enemy from continuing their path along the coast, they opened the sluice gates and flooded the surrounding land with sea water. With the water table around the Yser River only a couple of feet below ground, opening the sluice gates turned the land into a sea of mud, thus forcing the Germans to reconsider their plans. An added benefit of this action was that it protected the BEF's northern flank for the duration of the war.

Now that the German Army was unable to break through the coastal area, they decided to launch a series of attacks against cities around Ypres. As was the case in previous battles, the German forces outnumbered the British; until some of the Empire’s Indian divisions arrived to replace the reserves. 

Nov. 22^nd – Dec. 12^th

This, our period of rest, was greatly appreciated for a time, but soon became monotonous.

   

 Our Officers had short leaves, and I was fortunate, through the good graces of Major Madocks, to obtain 48 hours to BOULOGNE. He kindly gave my dear wife instructions on his arrival in England, how to get to BOULOGNE, time etc.

    

I left camp on the evening of the 1^st Dec and rode into HAZEBROUCK. [I] arrived by train at BOULOGNE 7 o’clock next morning, [and] I expected to meet my wife at 5 o’clock. [I] was delighted to see her at 11 o’clock – our stay together was short, the shortest 28 hours of my life, and to leave her next day was the hardest thing for me through the campaign.

 I arrived back in camp next day – and we were all getting impatient to get to business again. [We] were pleased to hear on the 11^th that we were [leaving] for the firing line next day.

Dec. 13^th

Marched to PONT DE NEIPPE and billeted in a farm just outside the village. [We] could hear the old familiar sounds in the distance, the rockets from the trenches.

Dec 14^th

Marched through PLOEGSTRESTTE, [sic] and took up position beside the 35^th Btty, behind a ruined chateau, on the grounds of which had once been a beautiful garden.

We ran our line beyond the chateau to some ruined houses, from where we had a good view of the German trenches and MESSINES beyond.

On my way back, I went into a partly wrecked house and was surprised to find a young woman and her brother, and her five little children. The baby I took from its bed, for it reminded me of my own, she gave me some hot milk. As well as I could I tried to induce her to go away to a safe place, but she would not. She told me her husband a soldier, had been killed. I was rather upset I think over the poor little kiddies – I gave them my peppermints and odd money and came away. I never had time to go that way again, but I thought of the kiddies very often.

Dec. 18^th to 20^th

Remained in position for a bombardment of MESSINES. Did little firing until 20^th, when the bombardment took place – it was horrific, but we had nothing much at the guns in return. The wagon line was shelled out in the morning, but fortunately only one man was wounded. We left position at 5 o’clock and marched back to our rest billet.

Dec. 21^st to 23^rd

Remained in rest billet until morning of 23^rd, then marched to BETHUNE and billeted in a school house.

George and I having no blankets, resolved to find a bed somewhere, and while asking a Frenchman in our best French, his daughter came along and invited us to their house, which was only a little way down the street. They were very poor, but treated us handsomely.

 The mother, an elderly woman, doted on us, [and] gave us as much as we could possibly eat and drink. [She] made us up a bed on the floor, she called us at 3:15 am and had coffee ready for us. On leaving [she] was indignant when we went to make payment.

We marched at 4:30 am towards LA BASSEE to take up position. It was Christmas Eve – a very grim Christmas Eve, and my thoughts were far away.

Dec. 24^th

We took up position at CAMBRIN, CUINCHY and GIVENCHY were just on our left; all were in a state of ruin, for heavy scrapping had been recently taking place.

George and I took over the wires of the 47^th Btty, and were very busy firing up our communications. We had a grand observing station – a ruined brewery – It was beautifully furnished – but everything was ruined, lovely carved furniture and ornaments –  in pieces – a piano, and large gramophone, everything had been left as it stood. I secured plates, cups and an assortment of cooking utensils and took [them] back to the guns.

Late that night I had orders, to get into communication with 2^nd Infantry Brigade. It was uncomfortable laying the line on account of rifle bullets, but did the job without mishap and got back to my dugout.
The thoughts of the previous Christmas Eve were with me, and I felt anything but happy.

Dec. 25^th

I forgot it was Christmas Day for I was busy firing up communications all day. All was very quiet – it was a mutual truce.

I had a piece of bacon for dinner – one of the chaps secured a chicken and some vegetables, and at night we had a feast. George came down from the observing station, and with couple more, we went to a large house nearby and collared a piano, and brought it to the guns.

We had a concert, it was not a great success – but we made the best of it. There were many poor devils much more worse off than us. 

Dec 26^th

Rather quiet, occasional shelling.

[I] had a sorely needed wash, the first for four days.

[We] did little firing. [The] dugout [was] swamped, [so we] moved into a small shed at rear of farm. [It was] very cold and drizzling rain.

Dec 27^th – 28^th

Nothing unusual, [we] fire at intervals, at working parties of Germans, and [into] trenches. They search for us but all over, and save for a shell now and again, nothing near us.

Kept up very slow fire at long intervals throughout nights.Am on duty day and night with phone, but am so used to it, that it takes little or no effect, although I never have a complete night’s rest when in action.

Dec. 29^th and 30^th

Did much firing – and were credited with smacking up a German Field Battery near LA BASSEE.

Dec. 31^st

The morning was rather quiet.

At 2:30 pm we were subjected to a fierce bombardment and a heavy attack. The enemy capturing the KEEP, by the railway embankment, from the Kings Royal Rifles, who [then] recaptured it again late in the afternoon.

About 10pm the Germans again attacked and gained the KEEP and REDOUBT. We were firing heavily all night, it was very cold. After two attacks we succeeded in again retaking the lost ground about 3 am, but could not hold it, the KRR’s being ‘ bombed’  out soon after gaining possession.

Throughout the night until about 8 am we kept up hot fire – the New Year had came in, in real war like style.

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