Ypres Salient map highlighting the sector of front line held by the British Second Army on 22 April 1915.Order of Battle of the British Second Army: 22 April 1915

22 April 1915

General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, Commander of the Second British Army in the Ypres Salient in April 1915.
General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, Commander of the Second British Army in the Ypres Salient in April 1915.

Army Commander: General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien (1858-1930)

Brigadier-General, General Staff: Brigadier-General G T Forestier-Walker

Headquarters: Hazebrouck, France

V. Corps

Commander: Lieutenant-General Sir Herbert C O Plumer (1857-1932)

Brigadier-General, General Staff: Brigadier-General H S Jeudwine

Headquarters: Poperinghe

Lieutenant-General Sir Herbert C O Plumer, Commander of the V Corps in the Ypres Salient in April 1915. (GWPDA)
Lieutenant-General Sir Herbert C O Plumer, Commander of the V Corps in the Ypres Salient in April 1915.

The British front line on the Ypres Salient held by the V. Corps was nearly 18 kilometres in length. From north to south it ran from a point on the Ypres-Poelcappelle road, about a kilometre south of Poelcappelle village, through the western end of Broodseinde village, Polygon Wood, Herenthage Woods, through Shrewsbury Forest, and ended on the left of the British II. Corps, a few hundred metres north of Hill 60.

On the morning of 22 April there were three British divisions in the front line on the north-east and east of the Ypres Salient. From west to east and north to south around the Ypres Salient they were:

1st Canadian Division

Commander: Lieutenant-General E A H Alderson

Headquarters: Chateau des Trois Tours near Brielen

Front Line Position

The front line was held by four Canadian battalions:

3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General R E W Turner, V.C., HQ at Mouse Trap Farm)

2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General A W Currie, HQ at Pond Farm south-east of St. Julien)

Second and Third Positions

Brigade Reserves:

Divisional Reserves:

28th Division

Commander: Major-General E S Bulfin

Headquarters: Vlamertinghe chateau (moved there on 20 April after Ypres was shelled)

Front Line Position

The front line was held by eight battalions:

83rd Brigade (Brigadier-General R C Boyle, near railway line south-east of Frezenberg)

84th Brigade (Brigadier-General L J Bols, HQ east of Frezenberg village)

85th Brigade (Brigadier-General A J Chapman, HQ at Verlorenhoek)

Second and Third Positions

Brigade Reserves:

Divisional Reserves:

27th Division

Commander: Major-General T D'O Snow

Headquarters: Potijze Chateau

Front Line Position

The front line was held by three battalions in each of the three brigades:

80th Brigade (Brigadier-General W E B Smith, HQ at Verlorenhoek)

81st Brigade (Brigadier-General H L Croker, HQ north of the Menin Road at Hooge)

82nd Brigade (Brigadier-General J R Longley, HQ south of the Menin Road at Hooge)

Second and Third Positions

Brigade Reserves:

Divisional Reserves:

Army Reserve

As Second Army Reserves two brigades were located in the Vlamertinghe area:

Canadian Field Artillery

Commander: Brigadier-General H E Burstall, CB (to 7.7.1915)

Two brigades of Canadian Field Artillery (C.F.A.) were situated in the second and third positions to support the Canadian Infantry Division.

One brigade was in reserve at Vlamertinghe:

Two 4.5 inch howitzer batteries of the Royal Field Artillery (R.F.A.) were supporting the 1st Canadian Division in positions east and south-east of St. Julien:

28th Division Field Artillery

18 pounder guns of the Royal Field Artillery (R.F.A.) supporting the 28th Division were:

27th Division Field Artillery

18 pounder guns of the Royal Field Artillery (R.F.A.) supporting the 27th Division were:

Heavy Artillery

4.5 inch Howitzers supporting the 27th and 28th Divisions were:

Heavy guns (4.7 inch batteries) supporting the V. Corps were :

Royal Flying Corps

Of the three Wings serving with the British Army on the Western Front in early 1915 the 2nd Wing, Royal Flying Corps, was allotted to the Second British Army with Squadrons 1, 5 and 6.

Defensive air patrols flew between 09.00 and 13.00 hours, and 17.00 to 18.00 hours.

Next>> German soldiers wait for the order to attack

Acknowledgements

British Military Operations: France and Belgium 1915

Official History of the Canadian Forces in The Great War 1914-1919, Volume I, Chronology, Appendices and Maps, Map 1

St. Julien (Battleground Europe Series)

GWPDA Photograph with grateful thanks to the Great War Primary Document Archive: Photos of the Great War.