Ypres 1914-1915

Ypres was a medieval town known for its textiles; however, it became infamous during the Great War with trench warfare, poison gas and many thousands of casualties.

Ypres was a medieval town known for its textiles; however, fierce trench warfare, poison gas and the deadly engagements of the First World War would transform the area beyond recognition.

As the German Army advanced through Belgium in the early stages of the war, its troops entered Ypres, looting the city before retreating as the British Expeditionary Force advanced. The First Battle of Ypres began on 19 October 1914, causing massive casualties on all sides and drawing to a halt the Race to the Sea, as trench warfare set in. Yet, despite a huge German artillery barrage a month later, on 22 November, the Allies maintained control of Ypres. Less than six months later, on 22 April 1915, the Second Battle of Ypres erupted – a battle that would change the face of warfare forever with the introduction of poison gas.

Today the battlefields of Ypres contain the resting places of thousands of German and Allied soldiers, and the legacy of the fighting lines the streets of a once-more peaceful city. In Ypres 1914–1915, discover the stories of these battles and the men who fought them.