The 3rd
Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force and the 2nd Battle of Ypres
April 22 – 26, 1915
The Second Battle of Ypres in April 1914
represents Canada’s introduction to modern warfare. It is the first use of
Chlorine gas as a weapon of destruction, the first battle involvement of Canadian troops in World War
One and resulted in the death of over two thousand Canadians in four days. Our
own 3rd (Toronto Regiment) Battalion played an integral part in the
Battle.
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Kitchener's Wood near St. Julien, Ypres Salient
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By April 22, 1914 the 18,000 Canadian
troops of the 1st Canadian Division were established in shallow
trenches (2nd and 3rd Brigades) and in reserve (1st
Brigade that included the 3rd Battalion) along a line that ran from
50 metres north of the Ypres-Poelcappelle Road, four miles (6km) to the
Gravenstafel-Passchendale road. On the right were British troops and on the
left, French Colonial troops. The Battle started when German troops, after
waiting days for ideal conditions, released the contents 5,500 cylinders of
lethal Chlorine gas opposite the French and on the flank of Canada’s 13th
Battalion. Leaving an open left flank the 13th and the remainder of
the French Colonials did everything possible to stem the tide of onrushing
German soldiers in the enlarging gap in the Ypres Salient. All immediately
available Canadian units were moved up. For the next 24 hours an intense battle
ebb and flowed as the Canadian 1st Division was ordered to hold the
Germans at all costs otherwise Ypres would be taken with nothing stopping the
Germans from rushing to the English Channel.
Late on April 22, the 2nd and
3rd Battalions of the 1st Canadian Brigade were ordered
to move up to reinforce and be prepared to launch an attack with the
16th and 10th Battalions respectively in Kitchener’s Wood
and join up with the 13th Battalion holding the village of St.
Julien. At this time the 1st and 4th Battalions were
moved from reserve as well and ordered to recapture (unsuccessfully) the
east-south ridge south of Pilckem village, known as Mauser Ridge. By early
morning of April 23, “A” and “B” Companies of the 3rd Battalion had dug in for the night along the roadside
and right angles to the new G.H.Q. Line between the original Canadian front and
the Yser Canal, along with four fellow
Canadian companies and two British battalions. “C” and “D” Companies settled in
farther east. The 2nd Battalion had come to the aid of the suffering
10th Battalion with a remaining company settled on the right flank
of the 16th Battalion. However there was a 500-yard gap in the line
between the Company from the 2nd Battalion and the 13th
Battalion holding St. Julien. “C” and “D” Companies of the 3rd
Battalion under command of Major A.J.E. Kirkpatrick were ordered at 4:00am to
fill that gap, ”C” Company under command of Captain J.E.L. Streight and “D”
Company under Captain C.E.H. Morton. Objective was a German trench some 400 yards in length about a mile and a
half away. The two companies advanced
through a deadly barrage to a position north of Vanheule Farm. From here they
crossed an open field swept by machine gun fire. They captured their trench
after fierce hand-to-hand combat losing 500 men of their 750 with 250 remaining after the battle. By the
time they had plugged the gap between the 2nd and 13th
Battalion troops, the two 3rd Battalion companies had been sadly
depleted however the line was unbroken from the crossroads east of Keerselaere
south-west to Oblong Farm (north of Keerselaere there was still a mile gap
eventually to be filled by the 7th and 15th Battalions).
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| Pte. Frederick Blacklock, T.Eaton Co |
At 8:30 on the morning of April 23,
orders were received to move “A” and “B” Companies and it’s machine gun
detachment to the G.H.Q. Line trenches to the left of the 3rd
Brigade H.Q. at Mouse Trap Farm. “C” and “D” Companies remained sustaining
casualties and in perilous situation. That evening (April 23) the 3rd
Battalion still held the front west of
St. Julien and the G.H.Q. Line near Mouse Trap Farm. During the night supplies
were sent in, repairs made and wounded brought out. However before morning and
after an intense artillery barrage, the Germans again released deadly Chlorine
gas along the Canadian north-west portion manned by the 8th and 15th
Battalions. The result was a small arms German attack that opened another hole
in the Canadian line. The news of this attack was directly relied to the
detached companies of the 3rd Battalion. Soon the St. Julien line
was also under attack with “C” and “D” Companies instructed at 4:30am to hold
the line at all costs. The artillery attack was intensive all along the line.
At 8:30am orders were received at 3rd Battalion H.Q. to send 2
officers and 100 men to fortify the garrison manned by the 13th and
units from the 7th and 15th Battalions in St. Julien. Led
by Captain L.S. Morrison and Lieutenant W.E.Curry their orders were to provide
a rearguard while what was left of the 13th Battalion retired. In
the meantime, “C” and “D” Companies facing repeated attacks were running short
of ammunition and healthy men. Overwhelming numbers of Germans began to
approach from all sides as the right and left flaks gave in with retirements of
the 7th, 14th and 15th Battalions. By 12:20 pm
St. Julien was reported as being overrun. With the massing of German troops in
the direction of Langemarck about 300 yards away and the retirement was
mentioned. Orders were given by General Turner, Division commander gave
instructions for the all Battalions to retire and fortify the G.H.Q. Line. The
remaining men from “C” Company were in no position to retire due to being
wounded and surrounded on three sides by machine gun fire. “D” Company fought
on. At 3:30 pm, April 24, the few surviving members of 3rd
Battalion’s “C” and “D” Companies, including Major Kirkpatrick and Captain
Streight, were completely surrounded and captured. Only 43 wounded men from
these two companies escaped death or capture. The 100-man party under Captain
Morrison fighting in St. Julien divided when the retirement order came in. Lieutenant Curry and 27 men withdrew with the
14th Battalion however the remaining 70 or so totally disappeared
never to be located dead or alive! Some of us remained convinced there is a
mass grass of 3rd Battalion men buried very near to St. Julien
remaining to be discovered.
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| Men of the 3rd Battalion Menin Memorial |
In the next few hours masses of British
troops were rushed to the Ypres Salient. A new British attack was launched late
on April 24th from Mouse Trap Farm on Kitcheners Wood and St. Julien
unsuccessfully. The line was reinforced but substantially shorter after the 2nd
Battle of Ypres, however Ypres was saved and the line held almost totally
responsible by the Canadians. The 3rd Battalion more than valiantly
held their own – the Canadian 1st
Division was gradually withdrawn into reserve. Late on April 25, the 3rd Battalion
was relieved by the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. A few days later (May 5)
after resting in bivouac near Vlamertinghe the 3rd Battalion
received 362 reinforcements from the 23rd Battalion (including my
Grandfather, Corporal John Cody).
Between April 22and 30, the 3rd
Battalion suffered losses of 19 officers, including four company commanders,
and 469 other ranks. A total of 268 men from the 3rd Battalion were
captured in St. Julien by the Germans and remained in captivity until the war’s
end. Most of the men listed officially as killed were originally missing in
action and have no known graves. Their name are inscribed on the Menin Gate
Memorial in Ypres.
Thanks to Marika Pirie and Library & Archives Canada for photographs.
