The Gas Attack - The Build Up

We woke on the morning of the 1st of May to what seemed a peaceful day. The sun was out and there was a slight breeze. We could see our surrounds for the first time. Me and my chums were in a shallow trench behind a hedge line. The hedgerow was still intact. There were a few breaks in it here and there but on the whole it afforded us good cover. We could watch the Hun lines in comfort without fear of being seen.

We were just to the east of Shell Trap Farm. This Farm is about 850 yards north of Wieltje village and this in turn is one and half miles north east of Ypres. The battalion had occupied the front line trench around this farm. The trenche was an L shape with the farm in the corner of the L. My Company, B Company, was on the foot of the L with our A and D Companies on the upright. C company was just behind these in the reserve trenches.

This is a picture of the farm as it was before the war. Its now knocked about a bit with th main house a shell. You can see the main house and a barn in this photo. There were three buildings around a courtyard and then some other ruined buildings further back. The whole thing was surrounded by a moat.

This map shows the farm location, its between the grid numbers 16 and 22.

Shell Trap Farm

It was a moated farm and on some maps it was marked as a château. It didn't look any thing like though. The Hun had given it a right bashing but some of the buildings, the barn for instance, still stood.

This sketch is from a Canadian. The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry occupied the trenches before us and this is a sketch of the farm made by them.

Shell Trap Farm

This following sketch shows our positions and the roughtline of the trench as it ran around this farm.

Shell Trap Farm Trench Line and Disposition

This sketch shows the lines of the trenches and the disposition of our men. The sketch runs roughly north south from left to right and east west from top to bottom. I was between the middle of our line and the road at the top. My Company and trench line were disconnected from the other Companies due to the most around the farm. We had to send runners to communicate between us and the other line.

The morning started out like any other morning. We brewed up and made some scoff and then went about sentry duties. We cleared up the trenches, there was lots of items left lying about bythe previous tenants. There had been fracas early in the week and the occupants had left in a hurry.

During the morning we could see to our left an attack by the Gurkha's on Mauser Ridge. They were attacking the Hun lines and attempting to take a farm and trenches that had been lost to the Hun a week earlier.

Our artillery covered their attack but we could see that the brave Gurkha's were getting mown down by the Hun. They came under withering fire from machine guns and rifles. They fell like wheat being scythed. What a bloody pity. Poor chaps from the other side of the world, from a different culture and way of life, to be brought here and cut down in the prime.

I thought my God what if we were going to be asked to go over the top and attack. A shiver went down my spine and I blocked the image from my thoughts. Get busy I said to myself, don't think on.

The Hun decided to send some shells our way in answer to the attack that took place. They whistled over and hit the farm. This had previously been a HQ but now was more of a mortuary. There were many bodies placed within the barn and in the yard behind the farm. The Hun shells landed right amongst these. He sent a good few incendiaries amongst them and the barn duly caught fire. The resulting stench of burning and rotting flesh wafted over our trenches. It was abominable. The stench fair made me wrench.

We had 3 men killed and 28 injured in this shelling. Not a lot but little did we know what was coming the following day.

For the rest of the evening of the 1st of May everything was quiet. We got a good nights sleep and awoke to a beautiful morning on the 2nd. The sky was clear and it was sunny. We went about our usual chores and with the absence of any Hun shelling the day was most enjoyable.

This wasn't to last and soon we would be subjected to the most inhumane form of warfare. We didn't know it was coming and to everyone this was a jolly fine day. That wouldn't last.

Well chums tomorrow I'll give you the next installment in all its detail. A bloody abomination.

Until then its goodbye for now,

Albert x