The Gas Attack - The Prelude

Well chums the build up to the gas attack really started on the way up to the front trenches on the 30th. As we marched up from Vlamertinge towards the front lines we passed quite a few wild eyed and panicked stricken French native troops. I thought they had just lost their nerve and were destrought with fear. It now turns out they were running scared of being gassed. We didn't know at this point that any gas had been used, it never even crossed our mind.

As we moved up further we stopped to have tea. At this point we were told that the place we were going was quite hot and that Fritz may decide to use poisonous gas. All the men were issued with some flannelette. We were shown how to make a gas mask by rolling up the flanallete, securing it and then use a piece of elastic to hold it over our nose and mouth. We laughed at this, the thought of being gassed was unthinkable, it wouldn't happen. We packed the flannelette away and then after a brew and some bread and bully beef we marched off.

When we arrived in the reserve trenches near to the front we came across some Indian troops cowering in the bottom of the trench. They were Gurkha's. They were terrified and trembled as the shells burst nearby. I thought my God, the poor sods, what must they think of us? The first time they come to Europe and instead of it being the height if civilisation its the most abominable place on earth.

We still never had an inkling that were were less than 48 hours from being gassed.

We had sustained quite a few deaths and injuries moving up, it was a hot place alright. I wrote in my blog on the 1st of May (called The Jaws of Hell) about the move up . I now have some snaps of the places. The first I have is of Hell Fire Corner, the most dangerous place on earth.

Hell Fire Corner

This is the view up to the front. The horses you can see are returning from the front. This is the Menin Road. On the right is the road to Zellebeke and on the left in the gap in the screen is the road to Potijze. The screen is to stop the Hun from seeing movement of troops up and down this road. He is on the left hand side a few miles away. He has his guns well sighted on this crossroads. Whenever he sees something or fancies his luck he just fires off a few shells.

Have a guess which direction we went in?

Well chums we went left. Yes the road to Potijze! As if Hell Fire Corner wasn't enough we were going straight into the jaws of hell!

On we went till we crossed the pontoon bridge over the canal. This is a snap of a bridge.

A Pontoon Bridge

We had a rum old do on that, I can tell you. Read my previous account.

well chums we finally ended up at Shell Trap Farm. We still didnt have an inkling of what was to come. We arrived in the evening so we couldn't see our surrounds until the morning of the 1st.

So chums from the safety of the field hospital I'll bid you goodbye for today. I'll post you the next part of the gas saga tomorrow. I'll leave you today with a snap of the Cloth Hall at Ypres. My God its taken a beating.

Ypres Cloth Hall

Cheerio for now

Albert x