The charming Flemish town of Ypres has a name that is pronounced in classical French as “eepre”, but in the local Flemish dialect as “weepres”. Thus the British officers called the place “eepre” when talking to the French high command, but the British tommies who mixed with the locals anglicised the Flemish pronunciation to be “wipers”. Very soon the town would be better known as “Bloody Wipers” due to the horrific battles that took place around the town.
When the winter closed down operations for 1914, Ypres was held by the British. The front line ran in a great bulge east of the town with the British lines pushing miles to the east into territory captured by the Germans. As soon as the good weather returned in the spring of 1915, the Germans launched an assault designed to eradicate the salient and bring Ypres into German hands. The resulting battle is generally known as Second Ypres, but the Battle Honour is Ypres 1915.
At 5pm on 22 April, the Germans released vast clouds of poisonous chlorine gas to be blown west toward the Allied lines. The gas struck a section held by French troops, and within less than ten minutes about 6,000 Frenchmen were dead. The survivors fled back to Ypres, bringing horrific tales of a deadly mist that spread silently to kill without mercy. A Canadian officer recognised the chlorine for what it was and knew that ammonia would block the gas. He therefore ordered his men to urinate into their handkerchiefs and breathe air through the soaked fabric.
Meanwhile, the Germans had advanced behind the gas to find the French lines utterly deserted. The German high command had not expected such success and did not have any reserves ready to break through, capture Ypres and surge on to spread havoc behind Allied lines. Instead the Germans occupied the abandoned French positions. The Canadians pushed gingerly forward and recaptured some of the lost trenches, elsewhere digging in to form a new front line.
On 25 April the Germans released more gas at the Canadians, and this time followed it up with a massed infantry assault. The Canadians fought well, but in places were pushed back. The Hampshires were sent forward to plug the gaps and to stop the Germans advancing around the village of St. Julien. The Germans were halted. Next day the Hampshires attacked again and this time managed to push the Germans back, but not so far as to the original front line. Local assaults continued around St Julien until 5 May after which the fighting died down. The Battle Honour St Julien is not carried on the colours.
Meanwhile, the Germans were planning quite different tactics for a third assault a few miles to the south at Frezenberg. The British trenches ran along the eastern side of a low ridge and at dawn on 8 May these trenches were deluged with heavy fire from German artillery. As soon as the heavy guns ceased firing, a wave of German infantry dashed forward to seize the shattered British positions. The artillery had not been as effective as the Germans had hoped and enough British riflemen opened fire to force the Germans to take cover. More German troops were pushed foward in renewed attacks and at 11am the 83rd and 84th Brigades were driven out of their trenches and fell back over the ridge to the low ground beyond. The gap was plugged by the 10th and 11th Brigades (of which the Hampshires formed a part) that night and new trench lines were hastily dug under German fire about 1.3 miles west of the ridge. The Battle Honour Frezenberg is not carried on the colours.
The fighting at Frezenberg continued until 13 May, but the front line did not move far from that established by the Hampshires on the night of 8 May.
The Germans were not yet finished with Ypres, however. On 24 May the Germans released another gas attack followed by infantry assaults at Bellewaarde south of the Frezenberg Ridge. The aim was to push back a small British salient formed by the German advance at Frezenberg. The attack was successful in driving the British back about 1,000 yards. The Germans halted the attacks after 24 hours, having achieved their objectives. The Battle Honour Bellewaarde is not carried on the colours.
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