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Post by evolution on Nov 16, 2007 7:53:32 GMT -5
Under great pressure Haig had to move up what reserves he had and made a had hoc assault force, having to draw battalions from 3 diff brigades, he directed that a dawn attack with 5 battalions to restore the situation, it was deemed to difficult to mount an attack at night!!! where as the Germans routenly used the darkness to mount there attacks. The attack went in at 0400hrs on the 23rd and won back all the lost ground, leutenant J G W hyndson of the 1st loyals recorded the great site of masses of grey coated men standing up to surrender, 1 german in a windmill continued to fire even after it had been set on fire, dieing in the flames., ariel recon was worring, masses of german troops were spotted in the rear, but now the French began to arrive. With the repule of the German attacks all along the line from ypres to the sea, sir John French C+C of the BEF started to be come optomistike and reported to kitchiner that the battle was practably won. And on the 24 25th ordered the advace to be restarted.
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Post by evolution on Dec 5, 2007 10:08:54 GMT -5
The Battle of Gheluvelt 31st october 1914. With the french now pushing reinforcements into the sakiant and taking over the northeren face of it the british did a side ways movement to the south, and were able to move some battalions into reserve had try to give them a rest. the 2nd batt Welch Reg had been pulled out of langemark on the 24th oct, some of the men finding a punt amd a Gondola at bellewarde and went for a row on the lake, it was far saer on there as fritz was laying down seaching barrages all around, there then was a recall to the front to retake some trenchs that had been lost at what was to become hill 69 on 26th Oct, followed by another rest period on the 28th at Veldhoek woods. That evening Pvt Knight joined a small group humming then singing a welsh hymn, Soon the remnants of the battalion about 300 men gatehred around, the air is filled with old celtic harmonies, favourate hymns are called for "Delyn Aur" and "Beth sydd imi yn y byd" are special favourates, passing officers and local people gather around in the wood watching and listing, a passing chaplin bursts through and stops at the edge of the crowd exclaining "wonderful wonderful! the greatest incident i have witnessed in the whole campain. But the men singing had no idea that within 3 days The 2nd batt The Welsh Regiment will have ceased to exist and most of them would be dead. The germans were still attacking the whole of the salient, trying to find a weakness and force there way through, but with the flooding further north a large amount of man-power became available, with these and fresh formations arriving a Army Group was formed called Fabeck. Fabecks orders were simple, force a way through the british line, the Kaiser moved up near the frontlines ready to lead his army into Ypres, theynwere to attack astride and south of the menin road, facng them was the 1st div, 3rd brigade, with the 2nd welsh dugin across the road, with the 1st batt South Wales Boarderers to the left and the 3 coys of the 1st Queens to there right, there was then a gap to there other Coy, but a outpost line was set up with 2 coys from Kings Royal Rifles. . This part of the British line formed a small salient, at each end of this salient was the 1st Guards Brigade, on the left of the Salient, in touch with the SWB the 1st Scots Guards, then the line sweapt back towards Polygon woods and the strong point Black watch corner, here from right to left holding the line were 2 coys of 1st Cameron Highlanders and 1st Black Watch. by now, even though we are still using the term battalion and companys, these batt were now only at or just over company strengt, but still expected to hold aa Batt frontage (in 1914, a British Div contained to the most part 3 brigades, each containing 3 batt, a Battalion at full strengh was around 1,024 men, with 800 of these classed as the fighting part, but with the fighting in 1914-15 you would see time and time again a final line made with the non- combat troops of a battalion such as cooks ordalies , mil police, drivers, pioneers and engineers, thats how desparate the fighting was, and why time and time again you will read of a battalion wiped or virtualy wiped out. Later in the war a cachment of men from a battalion would be held back when a batt went into the line or into an attack, it was a hard lesson to have to reform battalions from scratch)
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Post by evolution on Dec 5, 2007 10:33:27 GMT -5
The Allies had no idea untill late on the afternoon of 30th Oct. The French found out the german plans, Foch, C+C of the French got into his car and headed north and arrived at the BEF CO Sir John French's HQ at St Omer just after midnight, Sir John French arrived at the meeting in his pyjamas doing up his dressing ground, according to Foch, French was panicking, hearing the news he said "we are for it" "We shall see, in the mean time hammer hammer away, keep on hammering and u will get there" replyed Foch, also saying! if the line is pierced all will be lost. The night be4 what was to be the most immportant day of the first battle of Ypres was suprisingly quite, indeed south of Hollebeek Alenbys cavalrymen could hear a german band playing light opera tunes. As dawn rose, unusualy warm, in the memorial words of the British Offical history of WW1 Vol2 operations France and Belguim "The line that stood between the British Empire and ruin was composed of tired, haggard and unshaven men, unwashed plasterd with mud, many in little more than rags!
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Post by evolution on Dec 6, 2007 10:24:22 GMT -5
If you want the old battalion we know where they are we know where they are we know where they are If you want the old battalion we know where they are there hanging on the old barbwire We seen em We seen em hanging on the old barbwire We seen em We seen em HANGING ON THE OLD BARBWIRE
If you want the Quarter Sargeant we know where he is we know where he is........
WW1 tommy song.
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Post by evolution on Dec 6, 2007 10:35:30 GMT -5
Menin Gate What are you guarding man-at-arms why do you watch and wait I Guard the graves said the man-at-arms I gaurd the graves by flanders farms where the dead will rise at my call to arms and march to the Menin Gate
When do they march man-at-arms Cold is the hour and late "They March Tonight" said the man-at-arms With the moon on the Menin Gate They march when the midnight bids them go with their rifles slung and their pipes aglow along the roads-the roads they know The road to the Menin Gate
What are they singing man-at-arms as they march to the Menin Gate? The Marching Songs " said the man-at arms That let them laugh at fate No more will the night be cold for them for the last TATTOO has rolled for them And their souls will sing as old, for them As they march to the menin Gate.
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Post by evolution on Jan 2, 2008 6:35:01 GMT -5
As was expected the German attack would come from the direction of Kruiseecke south of the menin road, the weight of the attack on the Gheluvelt x roads, this was the junction between the badly weakened 1st and 7th Div's. The german 4th and sixth Armys continued to attack the whole of the allied line, so as to stop the movement of any reserves the allies had and the new army group Fabeck slotted it self in between, its orders smash the British line and take Gheluvelt opening up the road into Ypres. In front of Gheluvelt is a dip in the land, dead ground the british could not see, here the Germans placed there 54th Div and the XXV11 corps, where they waited for the barrage to lift of the british frontline.
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Post by evolution on Jan 2, 2008 7:06:37 GMT -5
At 06630hrs the German barrage smashed into the whole of the britishline,, after 0800hrs it got very heavy at the crossroads,the 1st Queens and 2nd Welsh, were blowen out of the positions and withdrawn out of the barrage, as the barrage lifted they would try to reoccupy these postions. A gap of 50 yards now exsisted in the britishline, and anyone trying to get into it were killed. at 1000 hrs cheering and singing 4 battalions of the German 54th div, supported by 3 more Batt of the 16th Bavarians started a concerted attack north and south of the M road , at first they were caught by there own bombardment which was slow in lifting, then as it did they were caught by sustained rifle fire, it was of such intensity that the Germans later claimed they were faced by lines of non-excistant machine guns, no matter, nothing was going to stop them, the 2nd Welsh and 1st Queens were simply deystroyed as they attempted to reoccupy there frontline, by 1100hrs both Batt had ceased to exist and the Germans swept into Gheluvelt, taking no prisoners. The left of the British line, under the weight of the attack, the 1stSWB and Scots Guards fell back into the grounds of the cheateu only to find it full of German infantry, to there left the 1st Black Watch and 1st Camerons and been simply swamped by numbers, and they were now surrounded, and took cover in the out buildings of the cheateu and began fighting for there lives. by 1200hrs the Germans had at last done it, theyt had smashed the allied line right open and captured the town, the road was open all the way to Ypres! and like what would happen time and time again during 1914-18, these moments that could have won the war, the germans stopped for dinner,12-1400 Germans in the grounds of the Chatau stacked there rifles lit there fires and had a brew up, after all they had completed there orders, others began to loot the town and chateu, while others settled down to take pot shots at the surronded british in the out buildings. You must remember there where no radios, if there were phones the lines had more than likely been broken by shellfire, so runners had to be sent back to there Batt HQ, then from there back to Div HQ, it all takes time, and fritz didnt know but heading striaght for the chatau were a group of very angry chaps!
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Post by evolution on Jan 2, 2008 7:51:25 GMT -5
Sir John French CO BEF was shocked as he left Ypres on his way to 1 corp HQ at the white chateu at what would become known as Hellfire corner, streams of wounded were pouring down the road, and a sure sign things were bad, heavy artillery at the trot heading for the rear, things were about to get worse for him and 1 corp CO Haig, as theyt met to discuss the collapse of the line and draw up plans were the stand would be taken, orders were sent to 1st and 7th Div HQ where to make a new line, a runner entered and tiold them the Div HQ for 1st and 7th had been wiped out. As word reached this HQ that the line had collapsed a meeting was called and stall officers of both Div began to arrive at the Hooge Chateu, no one took much notice of the aircraft circling high above, or when a few minutes later hen it left in a easterly direction, at about 0115 a cluster of 4 shells hit the chateu, the 1st shell landed in the court yard, killing all the men and horses in it, the 2nd landed directly out side the window where the meeting was taking place, the only officer to survive, because he was standing in the doorway was General Monro, 5 staff officers were killed out right GSO1 of 1st div Col F W Kerr + GSO 2 2nd div Lieut Col AJB Perceval, Lomax was severly wounded and died later. Haig sent his GSO2 of the intellagence office forward to see what was happing "u can not imagine the scene, the road was full of troops retreating, stragglers, wounded, wagons artillery, and all the time the noise of a terrific bombardment. It was impossable to get a clear idea of what was going on except that the Germans attacking in overwhelming numbers, and our men where falling back but fighting for every inch of the way".At the white chetau the mess servents were organising a defence. But things were already happing that the stall had no control over. 10mins before the shells had hit the chateu Lomax had sent orders to Fitzclarence holding Polygon woods, he had to get what ever men he could and restore the line, all he had was the remnants of 3 cos of the 2nd Worcesters, 350 men, the 4th cos was further in the wood helping another Batt, a message was sent to them to rejoin, and also to a cos at rest of the Royal berkshires were ordered to join the attack. The 3 coes were ordered not to wait and formed to lines, getting rid of all there equipment except rifles bayonets and ammunition they began there attack, quickly followed byb the other 2 cos. Col Hankey brigade co spoke a few words to them be4 they set out. "The 2nd Worcesters WILL take Gheluvelt, we can and will do it, good luck to you all" 1 of the officers descibed them as "dog tired, cold, wet, plastered with mudand unwashed and unshaven for days." a strong rum rasion was handed out, Hankey carring his hunting horn lead his men , the first600 yrds were under cover in the woods, although shells were exploading every where, then a 1000yards devoid of any cover. If you stand at black watch corner today, east is 12 0clock, Gheluvelt is at about 1-30, from the chuch steeple is a long line of trees, behind this is the grounds of the chetau, as you leave the wood the round falls away from you then rises again and then goes of into the distance, the line of trees was the area the worcesters where to make for, blowing his hunting horn, they broke into a fast run, and they were spotted staright away as machine guns artillery and rifle fire was turned onto them, the 2 lines advanced, wounded pouring up the hill started cursing as this new hell fell opon them, some spinning about joined the attack, by the time they reached the trees they had lost about 100 men, and they started to force there way into the grounds of the chetau.
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Post by evolution on Jan 9, 2008 13:10:02 GMT -5
As the 2nd Worcesters (nickname FIRM) pushed there way through the trees and entered the grounds, quickly followed by the 2 follow up coys, they found an army at rest, camp kitchens fired up men eating, queing to get there grub, rifles stacked, lolling about on the floor, there were about 12-1400 germans there and the Worcesters smashed into them, bayoneting, clubbing, stabbing, stamping and shooting, the germans nearest the trees tryed to get away from these madman who had suddenly appered from no where, those further back tryed to see what was going on, the South Wales boarderers and Scots Guards, holed up in the out buildings saw what was happing fixed bayonets and came swaming out and hit fritz from his right, mayhem ensued, within 10 mins, the germans broke and ran for it , or those who were able did, the line was re-establised, the British with rew from Gheluvelt next day to a new line, as this small saliant was now untenible, the british would not return untill late in 1917 in the 3rd battle of Ypres, the Germans would retake it in April 1918 in there great offensive and finaly the british would finaly push them out in the battles of the last 100 days. There are 2 monuments here, both side by side, 1 to the 1st Battalion South Wales Boarderers, the other to the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment (FIRM) they are right next to the windmill which dates from the battle, nice little bar in the square as well, and u cant beat Belgain beer, and they seem to love us brits. The 1st battle would go on for another 2 weeks, with so many stories, only 1 more I will tell and that happened on the 11th Nov, it is most notably remembered for the attack by fresh elite troops brought forward, The Prussian Guard, and by the 4th Div which only recruted Pomeranians and west Prussians, this Div was actualy regarded as even superior to the Guards. The day began with its customary mist which was not dispersed untill noon when a stong wind began to blow, which grew heavier and heavier as the day went on. As on the 31st the German attack was procceded by a very heavy barrage, it is claimed it was even heavier than before, and it reached a peak at 0900hrs, the worst of the shelling fell onto 11 corps battalions from Wings 3rd div, in the groups commanded by Mckraken, Shaw and Fitzclarences 1st Guards Bgd, which now comprised to line Batts the 1st Black watch and 1st Cameron Highlanders and the 1st Scots Guards. most off the defenders still had there heads down when the german infantry began there attack, but fortunatly, in many cases with the exception off the new units, Fritz did not attack with the energy there commanders had anticipated, there losses so far must have been horrific, so you can imagine there reluctance. But the main German thrust was opposite Gheluvelt, extending from the so called shrewsbury forest, across the menin road and upto Polygon wood, theres a sort of shallow dip that runs along the southern edge off Polygon wood, the A6 motorway now runs along it, opposite is Nonnebosscen(nuns corpse), this is where the fresh German troops attacked, holding the centre of this sector, where the 3 groups from 11 corps, men still recovering from the severe fighting that had already been takeing place. McCraken had some 1754 men, Getchen 1600 and shaw 2714 including a French Zouave coy, while Fitzclarence held 800 holding the 900 yards between polygon and veldhoek, but behind the line 5 strongpionts had been constucted some days earlier, the british had 7800 men, they were about to be attacked by the elite of the German army, 25 battalions of 17,500 infantry
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Post by evolution on Jan 14, 2008 5:40:53 GMT -5
The german 4th Div attacked the troops of McCraken and Gleichens and were immediatly stopped by a heavy and sustained rifle fire, this was not the case with Fitzclarences and Shaws men who were attacked by the 12 fresh Guards Batt's, the 4th Guards brigade attacked Shaw and the 1st attacked Fitzc,, the Germans advanced silently at the jog, in massed columns with officers out in front carrying swords. shaw was able to beat of the first attack, but the second broke into the trench'es of the french Zouave and 4th Royal fusiliers in the herentage woods, a counter attack by the 1st royal Scots, which resulted in terrable hand to hand fighting in the cramped comunication trench's with neither side giving quarter, the British managed to push the Germans out of these, and threw up a trench block, the frontline remained in German hands, Shaw himself was wounded in this fighting. things were begging to wrong for the British in this area, a Fusiliar batt of the 2nd(Emperor Franz)Guard Grenadier Regiment, passed right over the frontlines of the 2nd Duke of Wellingtons in a lull in the artillary bombardment, in which the british had withdrawn there men into cover of Veldheok woods, however the germans were stopped by 1 of the strongpoints held by a french zouave coy, but the Germans kept the British frontline. the German batt took some 500 casulties and the Dukes380 of its 826 rank and file. The Germans were very big men, and the British found that there wounded would not fit on ther strechers. The most seriouse breach though was in Fitzclarences line.
his position was largely in open ground, and completely over looked by the Germans on the ruetel ridge, which resulted in the British keeping as many men pulled back as poss, the A6 motorway runs right through it. Even with out the thining of the line the defence was over streached, the 1st kings had to hold 1 mile of line between Polygon wood and the Poezelhoek stream with only 6 officers and 450 men, and no reserves, also the heavy non-stop bombardment had made it totaly impossable to get supplies of food, water and ammunition to them, also the heavy rain had turned the churned up ground into a swamp. the men were surviving on rum and biscuits and had neither washing os sanitation facilitys.
As every where else the Germans came on at 0900hrs, coming on in closely arranged lines, apparently at a fast walk, cos of the mist and smoke blowing towards the british they were spotted only at 50 yards from the frontline, thus the Germans swarmed over them before the men could be brought back from the cover in the rear. Craig Brown of the 1st caeron Highlanders only just manged to order his men to fire, he saw the Scots Gaurds begin to run and wis men followed them, I shouted at them to turn and fire, but I might just as well as shouted into the wind. As the germans swarmed into the trench he and a lance corporal dived into a dugout, a German peered in but did not see them, sometime later a wounded german crawled in and when it got dark to more camerons crawled in, later with these he crawled back and found the remains of the batt.
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Post by evolution on Jan 14, 2008 6:00:34 GMT -5
None the less Fitz's men put up a sturdy resistance, and the artillery, abandoning any notion of conserving shells lay down sufficient fire to prevent the germans bringing up reinforcements, the German troops who had pressed forward were now on there own. The combination of resistance and the counter bombardment broke the cohesion of the German formations, Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussias 1st Guards Brigade drifting into Polygon wood to deal with the defenders rather that maintain the inteneded advanve north westward between poly and veld woods, a gap also began to widen between the Gaurds and 4th div. As the fighting continued 2 strongpionts in the rear of Fitzcl 1 only held by cooks and spare details were overwhelmed, but a third at Northhampton farm held out, as did blackwatch corner held by 40 men, and Verbeek farm mostly held by the batt staff, all surronded. Trying to find away around the fire coming at them from all directions the 1st and 3rd German foot guard regiments, around about a 1000 men veered left into nonnebsschen a small wood of oak, chestnut, hazel and maple, it was empty, and unknowen to them they had completley passed through the british frontline defences, there was little in front of them except a line of artillary. As they came out of the western end of the wood they as were the artillary men to see them, surprised, the guns were quicly dropped onto open sights and fire began to pour into the Germans as they tryed to advance, a gunline was also made along a hedgeline and cooks, drivers, streacher beareres and engineers poured a steady fire into them, the germans fell back into the wood. 1 German officer captured on the edge of nonn wood asked a artillary officer were the British reseves were,, the latter pionted to the 2nd div gunline, and when asked well what is behind this line, simply replied divisional HQ, god almighty the german exclaimed.
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Post by evolution on Jan 14, 2008 6:29:43 GMT -5
The German attack had been stopped, now they had to get back the ground lost, keeping up a heavy bombardment to prevent German reserves being brought up. 1st priority was nonnebosschen, and between 1400-1500hrs the Oxford and bucks led by Captain Harry Dillon fixed bayonets and attacked the wood. The tall Prussian Guardsmen were taken by surprise, many in picklehaubs, but some in caps (i want 1 of them for my collection)were swept out of the wood, 1 witness said it was like pheasant shoot, coming out of the trees in 1s and 2s then in a great rush, all those who ran were shot down, the Ox and bucks paused breifly at the edge of the wood, then retook the former support trench'es then then pushed onto the mornings frontline, at that piont some french battaries near Frezenberg mistook them for Germans and opened up on them, by the time the french were warned it was raining heavly and getting dark to go any further. The O+B had suffered just 5 dead and 22 wounded, by contrast Fitzclarences brigade had been reduced to just 300 men. The prussian Guard however had also taken heavy losses, 2135 men and the 4th div 2932 in november as a whole. that night Fitzclarence were determined to recapture the lost ground, and against the wishes of many of his senoir officers began to plan the next move, he went forward accompanied by Trefusis and his Irish Guards, on the way forward he met the O+B pulling back towards nonn, they informed him that the Germans had already constructed a whole new trench system behind the British old frontline, which were already well wired and full of troops, and it would be madness to attack. according to Ma Jeffreys the Irish were "shakey" 1 man letting off his rifle in the air and starting to run, Ma jefferys kicked the man back into line only for the man to dive in a hedge. There was faint moonlight, and the shot had atracted the germans and as the moon came out from behind the clouds a shot rang out and Fitzclarence was killed. The attack was called off, and it left the Germans in possession of the Britishfrontline between polygon wood and the menin road. The 1st Battle of Ypres was effectivly over! GSO3 of I Corps R J "JACK" collins said at the end of 11th Nov "I am sorry for the hun on the other side of the hill, they must have had a terrable day, I think they are beat!.
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Post by evolution on Jan 14, 2008 6:36:34 GMT -5
The end of the german offensive was not at first apparent as they renewed there attacks on the 12-14th of nov, but they had given up on trying to break through, the situation on the easternfront was worsening and they had begun to move troops from the westernfront there. The German CO Falkenhayn was very soundly critsised for his conduct of the battle, and there were many attempts to get him removed, and a growing astonishment at the fact of stagnation on the western front, but he would not be rplaced untill the battle of the somme had been raging for almost 2 months in Aug 1916.
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Post by evolution on Jan 14, 2008 7:26:19 GMT -5
For the BEF the date of 22nd Nov, when the occupation of the new frontline was completed, became that on which men ceased to be elagble for the 1914 or "Mons" star, the bar which carried the date 5 Aug-22 Nov. It was alos on 22 Nov that the Germans, who had been shelling Ypres continualy since 18th Nov set fire to the cloth hall. Even earlier German aircraft had bombed the town. For sometime the inhabitants had been sheltering in the casements of the old ramparts, nuns old people some officials were all that were left, the Yperlee river that ran beneath the town had been exposed by the shelling, whole quarters of the town were now begining to disappear. Sister Marguerite-Marie of the Lamotte school had recorded back on the 7th nov,a day in which 1st div field coys had been sent back to Ypres to fight the fires, that the city reembled a "enormous furnace". The sisters had been burying the body's of dead British Soldiers killed near there convent in its gardens "for the shells did not permit us to gain the civil cemetary, and over the graves we raised a simple wooden cross with the names who lay beneath". The first man buried was a private Whitehead of the Royal Warwickshires on 22 Oct. The sister also recorded the destruction of the cloth hall. " Heavy fire at about 6 in the morning. By 9 the hall was under fire. The first shell fell on the tower, the 3rd the clock. At about 11 the carillon colapsed and the hall was ablaze. it is a horrible spectacle. In a moment the building is a sea of flame. The st martins chuch also went up, the germans claimed erroneously, that the towers of Ypres had been used for artillery spotting and thus had been destroyed "for German life is more precious that the finest Gothis architecture. Thus the last attempt to break the increasing deadlock during the race for the sea had ended with German failure.As the british official history had it, they had made the mistakeof seeking a weak place by trying many! They also consistantly took the small numbers of defenders they confronted as representimg merely an outpost line since it appears from there the evidence of there own war time semi official account that they greatly overestamated allied stregh. Indeed where as a German brigade consisted of 2 regimenst, each of 6 batts, the british equivilent had only 4 Btts. it had been an old fashioned battle in manny respects, riflemen being as significant as artillery, with desisions made by junoir officers as importany as senoir. And also most importantly remembered the impact of men like Fitzclarence, cavan and Bulfin on the British side. But it was now becoming very apparent that the defensive was far superior to the offensive, when even a lighly armed group of cavalry could hold a trench when faced by superior numbers of infantry! the cost to both sides was heavy, it is difficult to work out the German losses, but they were at least 134,300, and it is felt that it was much higher, certainly the reserve corp lost more than half its infantry. The french lost possably 50,000-85,000, the figures being obscured by the fact they lost 104,000 on the westernfront during oct-nov. The remains of the belgian Army that had escaped from Antwerp, had declined from 52,683 to 34,161 between 18-30 oct. between 14 oct -30 nov the BEF had commited 22 cavalry and 4 Yeomanry regiments, 88 regular and 7 infantry and 95 artillery batterys for Ypres, it had suffered 58,155 casualties, 7th Div and I corp 21,713, in most cases barely 1 officer and 30 men left from those battalions that had arrived in france in Aug 1914. In 1917 while Haig was the CO of the british Army, and he always believed that the Germans error was to abandon thier Ypres offensive! and the pressure was building on the allies he made in a speech, and drew attention to the events of 31st oct 1914 "We must be carefull not to make the same error. Thus was the gallantry of the men of the old BEF to unwittingly bequith a murderous legacy to there succesors. Moreover, the ground that they had held at such cost was to take on its own symbolic significance over the course of the next 4 years.
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Post by evolution on Jan 14, 2008 8:14:32 GMT -5
The remaining civilian population of Ypres was finaly evacuated in may 1915 during the 2nd battle. By 1918 only a few buildings remained. A come back subsidy was instituted in july 1919 and there were 6000 people back by 1920, this was less than half than what lived there in 1914. There were diffring views on what should happen to Ypres. One architect, appointed by the belg Gov in 1915 to save what he could from those belguin towns in the frontline favoured retaining the ruins, which spoke with an eloquence and relief which no inscription will ever equil of the fierce resistance of an entire race.
The Britsh perspective was projected by the town mayor of Ypres Lieutenant colonal Becles Wilson, whose Ypres:The holy Ground of the British Army was published in 1920. Wilson was adamant the the ruins must be preserved as they were"an eternal memorial of British valour", equivalent to Jerusalem for jews and meca for muslims. To Wilson in Ypres there was not a single half acre that is not sacred. Similary, John Buchan had also suggested that the death roll of sons of prominent families at 1st Ypres such as Wyndham, Dawnay, Fitzclarence, wellesley, Cadogan, cavendish, Bruce, Gordon-lennox, fraser, Kinnaired, Hay, and Hamilton was like scanning the death toll after Agincourt of Flodden. Apart from Hubert Hamilton and Fitzclarence, another brigadier and 18 batt commanding officers had been killed. For all the suffring associated with the 2nd and 3rd battles it was therefore that 1st struggle in oct-nov 14 that caught Wilsons imageination. Actualy a Canadian, he envisioned each of the 1st 7 div who had faught at ypres in 14 each having there own memorials in a great marble chapel erected opposite the ruins of the cloth hall, while the cemetaries would range along the the streets by the menin gate, whose cobblestones are worn by the tramp of our infantry's feet and the wheels of our artillary moving towards the frontlines in those 4 years. he did all he could to prevent re-building or any repairs, and very angry by the apperance of huts catering for the already developing pilgramage trade, complaing in july 1919 about 6 new estaminets (pubs) 1 which painted sky blue and called the British Tavern which exposes each day to rebuke by the belgians and french who thenk we are to blame. The argument went on through 1920 on what to do with the ruins, then in 1921, following once again the refusal of the british to put up the money for the presavation work ended the debate, in April the british gov formaly withdrew its request for a british monument on the grotte markt and stated that in consiquence the belgians had no obligation to preserve the cloth hall in its ruined state. Slowly life returned to the town, work commenced on the hall in 1928, st martins church was finished by 1930. St Georges memorial church had its foundation stone laid on 24th july 1927 an hour after the unvailing of the menin gate. Blomfields masterpiece Originaly, it was intended that the Menin gate should commemorate those missing during the first battle, specificly from 19oct-11nov14, but it was decided to commemorate all those missing in the salient up to 14 aug 17. Further memorials were built at Tyne cot for the period after 15 aug 17, and at Ploegsteert(plugstreet) for those missing in the Armentieres sector. The celebrated playing of the last post began in 1928, and since may 1929 has only been interupted by the German occupation in WW2. Apart from the neat familiar green signs of the commonwealth war graves commission and the beutiful maintained cemeteries, many of which relate to the later struggles around the town, little remains of the 1st battle. The reconstucted Gheluvelt Chateau is in private hands and you are not wanted there!, while the white and hooge chateau's are long gone, the latter beneath the bellewaarde liesure park though the chapel is still there and holds a nice private collection. Ypres however was not just sacred ground to the Bitish, for the kindermord had a profound impact in Germany, although rather diffrently than Verdun , a more fascist view of a modernistic machine age conflict, but Ill let u read about that.
I dont know if anyone is reading this but thats the 1st battle of Ypres in a rather simplistic way, I aint no writer as u can tell by the spelling mistakes.
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