The wind shifted, carrying with it an insidious yellow-green haze. For the men of the 3rd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, dug in near St. Julien on the afternoon of April 22nd, 1915, the idyllic Flemish countryside transformed into a scene of unimaginable horror. The Second Battle of Ypres had begun, and the Canadians were about to face a weapon unlike any they had encountered before: chlorine gas.
Formed in Toronto, the 3rd Battalion, known affectionately as the “Toronto Regiment,” had arrived in the Ypres Salient with the rest of the 1st Canadian Division, eager to prove their mettle. Little did they know that their baptism of fire would be etched into the annals of Canadian military history for its sheer tenacity and sacrifice.
As the French Colonial troops on their left buckled and fled under the suffocating cloud, a gaping hole opened in the Allied line. The situation was critical. The German advance threatened to outflank the British and Canadian forces, potentially leading to a catastrophic breakthrough. It was in this desperate moment that the 3rd Battalion, alongside their comrades in the 1st Canadian Division, demonstrated extraordinary courage and resilience.
Facing the terrifying and disorienting effects of the gas – the burning eyes, the searing throat, the desperate struggle for breath – the Torontonians stood their ground. Armed with little more than their Ross rifles and unwavering determination, they poured a steady fire into the advancing German ranks. Their steadfast defence, though under relentless artillery and machine-gun fire, bought precious time for reinforcements to arrive and for the shattered Allied line to be partially reformed.
The fighting raged for days. The 3rd Battalion endured repeated gas attacks, each one a fresh wave of terror and suffering. They counter-attacked fiercely, often with bayonets fixed, pushing back the enemy inch by agonizing inch. The casualty lists mounted alarmingly, each name a testament to the brutal intensity of the battle.
On the morning of 23 April, “C” and “D” Companies under Major A. J. E. Kirkpatrick, a Queen’s Own officer, filled in the gap existing between Kitchener’s Wood and the village of St. Julien. Throughout the day and night, the flank held. There was no artillery support. By the morning, “C” and “D” Companies had practically ceased to exist. Meanwhile, the British were rushing up support. By 27 April, the line was stabilized, the 3rd Battalion being the last to be withdrawn. St. Julien or the Second Battle of Ypres was the unit’s first battle. The “green Colonial troops” – a description used by one writer- had played a major part in preventing a German breakthrough to the Channel ports. The term was not used again. The casualties were 19 officers and 460 other ranks. These included a large number becoming prisoners of war, including Kirkpatrick, then Major Peter Anderson (who may have been the only Canadian Officer to successfully escape from a German POW camp), then Captain John Streight (D Company), and then Captain Baptist Johnson.
The Second Battle of Ypres was a brutal introduction to modern industrial warfare. The use of poison gas shocked the world and left an indelible scar on the landscape and the minds of those who fought there. While the battle ultimately resulted in a strategic withdrawal for the Allies, the unwavering courage and sacrifice of the 3rd Battalion, and the entire 1st Canadian Division, were crucial in preventing a complete German victory.
Their actions in the face of unimaginable adversity demonstrated the tenacity and fighting spirit that would come to define the Canadian soldier throughout the First World War. The story of the 3rd Battalion at Ypres serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost of conflict and the extraordinary bravery that can emerge in the darkest of times. Their sacrifice on that gas-choked battlefield will forever be remembered as a pivotal moment in Canadian military history.
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum and Archive 