The Meeting started with the Branch AGM at which members voted, Mick Bernier MBE, on to Canterbury’s Committee as our Representative to the Society’s Executive Committee.
The talk that followed was given by our guide for the coach outing to Flanders on Monday 18th June 2018.
Peter used slides showing maps of Northern France, Belgium and their borders with Holland and Germany. These maps were used to describe troop placements of the British, French, Belgium and Germans at various dates, places and battles from when the Germans invaded Belgium in 1914. The Germans invaded Belgium to get to France using an invasion plan they had previously devised. But they decided to change the route to miss Holland as it would be useful to retain that country as neutral.
The importance of Ypres was its proximity to the heavily defended Belgium and French channel ports. The Germans held Ostend and Zeebrugge in Belgium and the Allies Calais and Dieppe in France. It was vital for the Germans to hold all these ports to stage their planned invasion of Britain.
The first battle of Ypres took place on 19th October until 22nd November 1914, followed by the Battles of Langemarck and Gheluvelt. Many generals were killed during these battles as in those times they were very close to the field of battle. Later Generals were kept back specifically to direct and plan the war.
The 2nd Battle started from 22nd April until 25th May, the 3rd on 30th July until 10th November 1915 and the 4th took place in 1918. Peter said that it is hard to think of them as separate battles as fighting was practically continuous throughout the war. Peter also told us that the battles in Passchendaele were in sight of Ypres, and showed images of before and after the devastation of the town and surrounding countryside.
In the final year of the war the German’s deployed ‘Storm troopers’ elite soldiers who infiltrated the Allies Lines to carry out assaults on the trenches. The death rate of storm troopers were high and Germany were fast losing their elite troops quicker than more could be trained. By August 1918 they were having to rely on men who had received little or no training and Germany began to loose the war.
Although the talk was background information for those going on the Flanders outing in June it was also of extreme interest to members who are unable to go on the outing.
Report on the Outing to Flanders
Sandra Marvin
Next Meeting
Friday May 2018 'Tithe Rebellions in Modern Times' by John Bulaitis