CHC2D - Mrs. Kelsey

Date/Location: March - April, 1915, Ypres, Belgium (in region of Flanders)

Canadians to capture town from the Germans Germans used chlorine gas (outlawed by military convention) Canadian soldiers blinded by gas attack

the Canadians and British held their positions, captured town 6000 casualties John McCrae wrote poem “In Flanders Fields” to commemorate the battle

Date/Location: July -November 1916, near the river Somme, France. British Soldiers in a trench at the Somme

Attack on German trenches using outdated military tactics (troops followed by cavalry) British leadership of Canadian troops criticized

Disaster! 90% of Royal Newfoundland Regiment dead or wounded at Beaumont-Hamel in one day Casualties for both sides reached 1.25 million Canadian casualties British claimed victory, gained less than 12 km Royal Newfoundland Regiment, No. 3 Platoon, A Company, Scotland, 1915

Date/Location: April 1917, France

Ridge important strategic position Advance preparation, precise timing Early morning advance, leap- frog” technique First time all four Canadian divisions fought together

Stunning 4 day victory! Canadians outperformed British and French National Pride at all time high casualties (3598 fatalities) National Vimy Memorial, France

A.Y. Jackson’s “The Pimple, Evening, 1918”

Date/ Location: November 1917, Belgium

Objective: capture of German submarine bases on Belgian coast. massive assault resulted in the destruction of drainage systems fields turned to swamps of water and mud

After months of failure Canadians took over, led by Canadian Arthur Currie CEF took the ridge, seized Passchendaele 8000 Canadian casualties, allied casualties