In December of 1914, the newly formed Princess Patricia's Canadian Light
Infantry arrived in France and in April of 1915 the First Canadian Division
would join the ranks. Both outfits would partake of one of the most
remembered battles in the First World War.
The Battle of Ypres saw a group of newly trained volunteers and poorly
equipped soldiers, who would march into one of the bloodiest battles
ever. On April 22, 1915, the German forces introduced Chlorine
gas to the already dismal picture, and it did not take long
for the clouds of Chlorine Gas to render the Allied forces incapable
of stopping the Germans from progressing through the lines. Chlorine
gas causes a slow and painful death for those who breathe it.
When the Allied Forces were unable to stop the Germans from breaking
through the front line, the Canadians were quick to fill the gap and
stop the Germans from attaining further ground. The Germans knew that
if they were to gain the ground they would have to focus on the Canadian
line. In a move to obliterate Ypres, the Germans made their attack
on April 24th, 1915 and that would be the beginning of the nightmare
of the Canadian soldiers.
The Canadians did not have any experience in fighting in trench warfare,
and were at a major disadvantage not only in terms of experience but
also in terms of weaponry. The rifles provided to the Canadian forces
were unreliable at best, often jamming and becoming ineffective for
battle, leaving the soldiers without protection from incoming attacks.
The mass clouds of Chlorine Gas further complicated facing the uncertainty
of death from flying shrapnel and machine-gun fire.
Soldiers were forced to tie cloths around their faces to help filter
the gas. Damp cloth and muddy cloth was the only thing that would start
to slow the effects of the gas. Given that the soldiers were fighting
from trenches, water was not readily available and some had to resort
to urinating on the cloth that would be tied around their mouths. The
soldiers would be gasping for air and each breath would burn through
their throats and into their lungs.
Despite the incredible odds, the Canadians held the line until reinforcements
could arrive. The Canadian casualties from the Battle of Ypres numbered
around 6,000 soldiers. In the 48 hours that the battle was fought there
were 1 in 3 individuals at Ypres who would suffer injury.
The Battle of Ypres did little in terms of gaining ground and was extremely
costly in Canadian lives and casualties. As a result of this battle,
however, Canadian forces became known for their dogged determination
and were even later thought to be unmatched in as attacking troops.
The Battle of Ypres would provide a taste of what was to come and the
Canadian forces would continue to participate in often costly battles,
in an effort to help the Allied forces defeat the aggressor, Germany.
