Ed Church

The Second Battle of Ypres was fought from 21 April–25 May 1915 for control of the strategic Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium, following the First Battle of Ypres the previous autumn. It marked the first mass use by Germany of poison gas on the Western Front. For the first time a former colonial force (the 1st Canadian Division defeated a European power (the German Empire) on European soil, in the Battles of St. Julien and Kitcheners' Wood. In the now established BHTV style, the BHTV Team join a selection of historians on the ground to explore the actions of Second Ypres and analyse the significance of what was the first former colonial victory on European soil, the first major use of a terror weapon and the knock on effects of the virtual destruction of the BEF. The team explain the bravery shown by the troops on the ground and the horrors they faced from the advancing German gas clouds.

While the Allies were nearing panic as the Germans approached Paris, Marshal Foch quickly realised the German intent and that the Schlieffen plan was unravelling. In a master piece of military diplomacy he persuaded Filed Marshal French to join the Attack on the exposed flank of the Germans as it wheeled to the east of Paris. The battle was indeed a miracle, with the British playing a key part alongside the French in halting the German advance and driving them back behind the next river – The Aisne, where the Allied attack crossed the river and up onto the open ridges of the Chemin des Dames. The Germans held firm and Field Marshal French ordered the BEF to dig-in as a temporary measure but the line moved but little here in the next four years.With neither army able to make headway against modern small arms, the machine gun and quick firing artillery in a conventional frontal battle, the armies raced to redeploy into the uncontested ground north to the sea.

Following the Battles of Mons and Le Cateau the already near exhausted British Expeditionary Force, who had been marching and fighting for six days without a break , embarked on a nine day epic march across France. They headed back to the safety of the far side River Marne south of Paris rather than to the traditional haven of British Armies – the Channel Ports.The BHTV team of historians and battlefield guides take us to the scene of some sharp rear guard actions fought during the Retreat from Mons including the great cavalry actions at Cerizy and Nery, where the mounted British soldier established domination of his German counterpart. As they travel the highways and byways of France they analyze the decisions made by the commanders in that fog of war that together spelt the end of the Schlieffen Plan and set conditions for the 'miracle of the Marne'.

As Gen Smith-Dorrien’s II Corps retreated from Mons, along with rest of the BEF, they were closely pursued by Von Kluck’s Army. On reaching Le Cateau on 25th Aug Smith- Dorrien realized he would have to stand and fight if his Corps was not going to be picked of piecemeal by the Germans. This film follows the fortunes of II Corps on the 26th Aug as they faced the 12 Divisions of the 1st German Army. Once again the skill, bravery and training of the officers and men off II Corps were able to delay the Germans for long enough to allow them to withdraw as a formed force and live to fight another day. Not a victory but a success. The Old Contemptibles lived to fight another day.

On the 22nd of August 1914 the recently deployed BEF fought and delayed the German First Army of Von Kluck in around the industrial coal mining town of Mons. After 2 days of hard fighting the 3rd and 5th Division of II Corps, assisted by the Cavalry division, having borne the brunt of the battle withdrew South West in the direction of Paris. Whilst this battle was in reality a minor Corps action, when taken in the context of the Great War, it showed that the British regular soldier was more than a match for the German army when he was properly led and not vastly outnumbered by guns and men. This film shot on the battlefield tells the story of this 2 day battle bringing out the heroism and skill of the”Old Contemptible s “in delaying and escaping from Von Kluck’s attacking force of 6 Infantry and 5 Cavalry Divisions.