The Second Battle of Ypres National Historic Event
Langemark-Poelkapelle
Painting by Richard Jack, ca. 1920
(© Library and Archives Canada | Bibliothèque et Archives Canada / C-014145)
Address :
St Julien Canadian War Memorial, Langemark-Poelkapelle
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2014-07-07
Dates:
-
1915 to 1915
(Significant)
Other Name(s):
-
The Second Battle of Ypres
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2013-05, 2013-05-A
Importance:
Canada’s first major engagement in the First World War
Plaque(s)
In their first major engagement of the Great War, Canadian soldiers gained international recognition for their courageous and determined defence of Allied positions in the Ypres Salient. They faced overwhelming odds, including the first large-scale chlorine gas attacks of the war. In the initial four days of battle, the 1st Canadian Division sustained approximately 6,000 casualties; many lie buried nearby. At home, Canadians took pride in their countrymen while mourning the fallen. This tragedy moved Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae of Guelph, Ontario to write In Flanders Fields, an internationally celebrated poem that continues to symbolize loss and remembrance.