200
THE YPRES TIMES
By a Member of the Party.
A PARTY of some thirty officers, during March, carried out a three-days' tour
of the battlefields of France and Belgium, and were much indebted to the
Ypres League, and in particular to their Secretary, who most kindly did so
much to make the tour a success. It is thought, therefore, that a short account
might be of some interest to the members of the Ypres League.
Spending the first night at Lille, an early start was made by charabancs on the
following morning, and, going by Douai and Cambrai, a halt was called at Bourlon
Wood. Here a study was made of the attack by the 3rd Guards Brigade in
November, 1917, on the village of Fontaine-Notre-Dame, during the Battle of
Cambrai. It was here that some of the bitterest fighting of the war took place,
and yet, with the exception of a few cartridge cases and Mills bombs, little or
nothing can be seen. Bourlon Wood has almost resumed its normal appearance.
The next stop was made at Metz-en-Couture, a village just south of Havrin-
court Wood. It was here that on the morning of November 30th, 1917, the 1st
Guards Brigade first heard of the successful German attack on the Cambrai salient.
The enemy attack had caused considerable confusion and demoralization amongst
the troops holding the line, and who were streaming back down the road into the
village of Metz. The 1st Guards Brigade were ordered to move forward at once
and restore the situation. The advance was carried out with the accustomed
spirit, traditional to the Guards Division, and, driving the Germans out of the
village of Gouzeaucourt, captured the high ground beyond, in the vicinity of
Gauche Wood, thus restoring the situation. It was an operation of which the
Guards Division was justly proud. A description of the attack of the 3rd Guards
Brigade, on the left, in their advance on the village of Gonnelieu, brought the first
day of the tour to a close.
The party embussing once more, and following the road via Cambrai and
Lille, arrived at Ypres and slept the night at Skindles Hotel.
The second day was spent in the Salient. The action of the 7th Division in
the First Battle of Ypres was explained in some detail. The casualties of this
division, some 372 officers and 9,473 other ranks, go to show the important part
played by it in this battle. The story of the First Battle of Ypres has often been
told, and a visit to the ground goes a long way to bring home to those who were
not present the terrible struggle that took place. It was clearly brought out by
an officer who himself took part, how nearly the Germans came to success.
The afternoon was spent in examining places of particular interest, while some
of the officers took the opportunity of revisiting those portions of the line in which
they themselves had fought. The party attended the sounding of the Last
Post" at the Menin Gate at 8 p.m., an impression of which is not likely to be
forgotten.
The last day was devoted to the study of the German attack in April, 1918,
now known as the Battle of the Lys, and in particular to the action of the
4th Guards Brigade in the defence of Hazebrouck. Leaving Ypres at an early
hour and travelling via Messines, Ploegsteert and Armentières. a halt was made on
Aubers Ridge. From here an admirable view may be obtained of the whole
