The Crowded Hours.
THE JOURNAL OF THE YPRES LEAGUE
Vol. 4, No. 4 Published Quarterly October, 1928
By W. H. DUNCAN ARTHUR, M.C.
THIS story has been told beforeit has also been filmedbut neither with
pen nor camera can the glory of the immortal defence of Ypres by the
gallant old Regular Army be worthily portrayed. Those of us who knew
Ypres during the war will be able to read between the lines a bit, and thus more
fully understand the suffering, both mental and physical, endured by those men who
held on when, as Kipling says, there was nothing in them Except the will
which says to them, Hold on!" But for their magnificent discipline and skill,
their stout resistance and unconquerable spirit, Ypres would have been in German
hands in 1914. What would have followed can be left to the imagination. Let us
never forget that valiant little Army that soared to unprecedented heights of
superhuman courage and devotion to duty and yielded only to death.
On October 7th, 1914, Ypres was occupied by 20,000 German soldiers, but
they moved out on the 10th, and from that date to the end of the war no German
ever set foot in the city, save as a prisoner of war.
The First Battle of Ypres commenced on October 19th, and it is only intended
in this article to give some account of the achievements of the old Regular Army
which here made its last glorious stand. The British divisions most actively
engaged were the 1st, 2nd and 4th, with two cavalry divisions, all of which had
been exhausted in the great retreat from Monsthe heroes of the Marne and the
Aisne and the 7th Division. The last-mentioned division disembarked at Ostend
and Zeebrugge on October 6th, and after acting as rearguard covering the
retirement of the Belgian Army after the fall of Antwerp, had marched day and
night, arriving at Ypres seven days after landing in Belgium. Three other British
divisions held the line from Armentières to La Bassée, the British front line being
about thirty miles in length.
Against these already exhausted forces were massed four army corps of
German troops, which were reinforced during the battle by the Guards Division.
Not in man power alone were the odds overwhelmingly against the British. The
Germans held all the high ground, with perfect observation, and were able to
mass troops unseen on the counter slopes of the hills. The British positions were
well-nigh hopelessevery movement was visible to the enemy, and in wet weather
such trenches as existed drained all the water from the high ground held by the
enemy. The Germans were well provided with guns, machine guns and
ammunition of all kinds, whereas our men had no high-explosive shells at all,
shrapnel had to be rationed at the most critical stage of the battle, and machine
guns were scarce. Reserves were non-existent, and for nearly a month our men
were constantly in the line with absolutely no hope of relief or support. Such was
