Parade early morning at 6:30 to 9:15, for walking exercise again at 9:30 am till 11 am.
A large contingent of 4,000 men and officers (160) left our camp for the front to fill up gap caused by the engagement at Langemarck and Ypres. We lost 80 Canadian Officers and 2,000 men in casualties.
*The Second Battle of Ypres – The Second Battle of Ypres began on April 22nd of 1915. It is most notable for being the first successful mass gas attack by German troops on the Western Front. Though the Germans had previously used gas on the eastern front at the battle of Bolimow, the cold air caused it to freeze and become ineffective. On the western front at Ypres however the Germans released 171t of chlorine gas that was carried by the wind towards allied troops and settled in their trenches. The allied troops, including Canadians, were forced to retreat due to the gas. However at Kitchener’s Wood the 10th Battalion of the 2nd Canadian Brigade counter-attacked pushing back the German troops. Though the Canadians suffered 75% casualties during the attack, it was the first time that a former colonial force had defeated a European power on European soil.
