CANADA IN FLANDERS
BY LORD BEAVERBROOK
THE OFFICIAL STORY OF THE
CANADIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
VOLUME II
By Lord Beaverbrook
VOLUME II
WITH MAPS AND APPENDIX
HODDER AND STOUGHTONLONDON TORONTO NEW YORKMCMXVII
PREFACE
The narrative of the Second Battle of Ypres waswritten on the spot and immediately after the action.It was not until long afterwards that it was possibleto collect and collate the whole of the battaliondiaries. The story, therefore, could only be compiledfrom the personal reports of the officers commandingunits, and in some cases these were notavailable, and certain regiments did not thereforereceive the prominence which was their due.These regiments will, I am sure, readilyunderstand that the omission was not intentional, butdue to the impossibility of making sure of allthe details of a great and confused action untilmonths after the event. Although the materialhas become available, I have decided not to attemptto rewrite the story. It is, in its main features,absolutely accurate, and has the advantage whichmust belong to any narrative written within sound ofthe guns, and while the impressions of the battlefieldare still vivid to the mind. I am, in fact, afraidthat any attempt on my part to reconstruct thenarrative would spoil whatever merit it may possess.
In the first place, it is necessary, however, tomake good some mistakes in the first volume whichhave been pointed out by persons who were engagedin various actions.
The majority of errors occur in the matter ofnames, which, in about a dozen cases, have beengiven inexactly. In some cases it has been possibleto make the requisite corrections of initials, rank, orspelling in succeeding editions. I particularly regretthe confusion between the two brothers, Sergt. L. G. Newelland Sergt. F. C. C. Newell, both of whomtook part in the charge at Langemarke. Thefirst-named, the older brother, died of his wounds afterthat attack, while the second and younger recovered,returned to the trenches, and won the D.C.M. atGivenchy. With reference to the names ofregiments concerned in the Second Battle of Ypres,the King's Own Royal Leinsters have been namedby a misprint instead of the King's Own RoyalLancashires, as part of Colonel Geddes' command,on page 56. King Edward's Horse should have theprefix 2nd throughout. I offer my very sincereapologies to both regiments.
As to the position of various units, it is statedon page 74 of Vol. I. that Lieut.-Col. Watson, of the2nd, was employed with his regiment on a dangerousdigging operation to connect a weak point in theline on the night of April 28th, 1915. It shouldhave been added that the entire 1st Brigade tookpart in this, the 2nd Battalion being on the left, the3rd in the centre, and the 1st on the right, the 4thBattalion digging in the meanwhile a support trenchclose in rear. The omission of the description ofthe part played by the 5th Battalion (ColonelTuxford) in the Second Battle of Ypres was aserious one, but this is dealt with in the course ofthe next few pages.
The only serious accusation of inaccuracy in thetactical survey of any situation is preferred by thosewho maintain that the sketch of the action atFestubert is wrong or misleading. I have communicatedwith Colonel J. E. Leckie, of the 16th Battalion,who, as a major, took a prominent part in the assaultand succeeded to the command of the regiment,when his brother, Brigadier-General R. G. E. Leckie,was promote