Flanders Fields and Canadian Coming of Age

[Bill Alexander]

Today marks the anniversary of the Canadian baptism of fire in World War One. On April 22, the cloud of chlorine washed over the Allied troops in the Ypres salient. Canada's First Division stood to and held the line as the German's, surprised by the success of their own weapon attempted to exploit the weakened line. The Canadians suffered 5,975 casualties by some estimates. Ypres become a bloody chapter in Canada's military heritage, and marked a coming of age for our nation. In the bloody fields of Flanders, Canadian soldiers bought our freedom. We will remember them.

[Broznitsky]

Hear, hear. Nice tribute, Bill.

[AndyHollinger]

All too often we (USA) forget the part played in our world by our neighbors to the north ... In my WWI lecture, I show the picture of the monument and tell the story ... It is one everyone should know and remember ....

[Joris Ryckeboer]

We will remember them! We'll keep on talking about their heroic holding the line during the attack with gas on that sunny april 22 1915.

And also the Belgian (at Steenstrate) and French (Pilkem, Boezinge) troops who were deadly surprised by the horror of one of the most terrible invention ever made to kill; GAS!

Joris

Westouter

[Terry]

Hi Bill,

I am away from home until tomorrow evening, but at that time I plan to send in my own contribution to the Canadians at 2nd Ypres by presenting a list of the men who were casualties in that battle and whose medals now reside in my collection. In addition I have a couple of scans of medal groups to 1st Division men who emerged unscathed from @nd Ypres but later met their fate.

Second Ypres has always been my own favourite of the Canadian battles in the Great War, perhaps because it was the first and because of the gallantry displayed during those days, Thanks for starting this thread.

[Robert Missinne]

We will remember them…

The Vrije Basisschool Sint-Juliaan has a long tradition of remembering the first chemical attacks on 22 april 1915.

Some years ago, the Kitchener's Wood-memorial was erected on demand and initiative of this elementary school.

Every year, the children of the 5th and 6th class (11-12 year) hold a commemoration ceremony at ‘their’ memorial.

This afternoon, the children talked about of the gasattacks, they sung their song ‘Let there be peace on earth...’, they said the poem ‘In Flanders Fields the poppies blow’ and they finished by laying flowers expressing their wishes for peace on our days.

Click here for more info

[Desmond7]

There are 21 Canadians with strong Ballymena connections on our town's War Memorial. Many more served. I come across more of them week by week as I go through old papers.

I posted this topic before but given the dates in April mentioned I thought it would be worth posting again.

They are not forgotten in the 'old country'

Des

Private Mann’s Thrilling Experiences

PRIVATE Samuel Mann, High Street, Ballymena, of the Canadian contingent, who has seen fierce fighting at the front gave the following thrilling narrative of his experiences:-

“After some training in Canada, we were sent to Salisbury Plain in England where, after three and a half months spent in finishing our training, we were efficient and well prepared for the fighting line.

We embarked on a transport for France and after four days in rough sailing we were landed somewhere in France.

After a short stay on the coast we boarded a cattle train and were taken inland.

On the 10th April we were taken out for what we thought was a route march but we were soon brought to our senses when we heard the thunder of the guns becoming clear. We were soon close the firing line near Armentiers.

When we reached the firing line the French were retreating but when the Germans saw the Canadians still advancing they beat a hasty retreat.

The Germans at length reached their trenches and turned their machine guns on us and men were mown down in great numbers.”

Reporter takes over: They dug in at midnight and remained five days under incessant shell fire, dozens of his comrades being blown to pieces but they still held on and did not retire. They were eventually relieved and sent for a

46 hour rest.

“On the following evening when we were having tea in the billets, round went the word to get ready for action. We arrived in the trenches on the left of St. Julien and again met the French retiring, We stopped the Huns and drove them back into their first line of trenches”

Reporter again: They dug themselves in and remained there until they were reinforced by the Buffs (East Kent Regt.) .On Saturday they lost many men through the retirement of the French and the Germans took four guns. They got

order to recover the lost ground and secure the guns. They did this and drove the Germans back in the face of powerful odds.

In connection with the fighting at Hill 60, Pte Man said there was a little wood on the left of it and they lost 900 men in clearing it out.

“The English soldiers blew the hill up and the result of it was that the place where the hill stood was as flat as any of the surrounding ground,” said Pte Mann.

They remained there for 18 days and after being relieved went to a place called the ‘Horse Shoe’ or better known as the ‘Death Trap’.

“During the time we were there a spy on top of one of the churches in St. John gave the position away but we speedily ferreted him out and shot him. We again got orders for action and went in near Ypres where we stayed in the trenches for four days. A day’s rest came again and then a 25 mile match which brought us to a small town where we were billeted.”

They were brought up to full strength by reinforcements and were ordered to La Bassee. On the 12th May they went in as reinforcement to the English troops and took a German line of trenches.

“We were fighting along with the Irish Guards and several other Guards regiments at that time and when we came out of one of the bayonet charges the Guards yo-hoed us and cheered us all the way, they were calling our boys the

White Goorkas,” he aaid.

Pte Mann and two of his comrades were sitting in a dug-out one day and a shell burst upon them burying them with earth. When he was extricated, he was unconscious and after he regained his senses it was to find that he had lost his

teeth.

The other two soldiers were buried forever. Private Mann was sent to Havre where he remained for two weeks and after spending some time in a hospital in England, he got home to Ballymena on a few days leave. He has a memento of the war in the shape of the head of a shell which burst near him.

Ballymena Observer, July 2 1915