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From the Channel to the Ypres Salient - The Belgian Sector 1914 -1918 (Paperback)
Loot Price: R417
Discovery Miles 4 170
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From the Channel to the Ypres Salient - The Belgian Sector 1914 -1918 (Paperback)
Series: Battleground Books: WWI
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List price R508
Loot Price R417
Discovery Miles 4 170
You Save R91 (18%)
Expected to ship within 9 - 15 working days
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The sector north of Ypres is best known for the inundation of much
of the ground to the east of the Yser that acted as a block to the
German advance in the autumn of 1914\. From that time on military
activities were extremely limited. Much of this line was manned by
Belgian troops, with some assistance from the French army at its
southern end and of the British army on the Channel coast. The role
of the Belgian army in the Great War is little known, apart from
the opening months, when 'brave little Belgium' held on to its
important fortified cities, notably Liege and Antwerp, for longer
than German planning had anticipated. It was not until mid October
1914 that the Belgian army was forced back to the area of the Yser,
when its defences were bolstered by French troops whilst Haig's I
Corps came up on its southern flank. At this crucial phase of the
campaign, the harsh decision was taken to open the dykes at the end
of October 1914 and thereby flooding much of the low lying ground
east of the Yser and so effectively halting major German offensive
operations. For almost four years the Belgian army rested
reasonably secure behind this sodden landscape, although certain
key points were the scene of frequent, if limited, tussles. 'Free'
Belgium was reduced to two significant towns that could be regarded
as secure and out of the range of most German artillery - the
coastal resort of La Panne (De Panne) and the much bigger
settlement of Furnes (Veurne), Over these years the Belgian army
was rebuilt under the dynamic leadership of the king, Albert I, and
by the time of the general allied advance in September 1918, the
Belgian army was able to take its place in the Advance to Victory,
in an allied Army that was commanded by King Albert. Although this
phase of the war is outside the scope of the book, it is important
to realise that the Belgian army was a very active player in these
last few months. Amongst the achievements of Belgian troops at this
stage of the war was the final capture of Passchendaele. This book
concerns itself with the years of defence and the reconstruction of
the army behind the Yser. Relatively little of Belgium's efforts in
the Great War remained, but recent years have seen action to
preserve what does. Most significant of these, perhaps, is the so
called Trench of Death near Diksmuide. Although always preserved,
it has recently been very successfully refurbished and is now most
effectively and informatively presented. Other remains from the war
have also been developed so as to be more informative and the
result is that touring this area provides a fascinating insight
into one of the most unusual sectors of the Western Front and which
is conveniently close to the much visited Ypres Salient. In this
book Chris Baker brings his extensive knowledge of the Belgian army
(helped by his ability to read French and Dutch) and of the
Flanders region to produce a much needed insight into Belgium's
army role for most of the war as the protector of the northern
flank of the whole of the Allied line.
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