Most Canadians are familiar with D-Day, Normandy and Vimy Ridge as historically significant.
One battle that many haven't heard of, especially younger generations, is the Battle of Ypres which took place 100 years ago.
Memorial Chairman and First Vice Ross Libby of Branch 287 of the Royal Canadian Legion informed a large crowd gathered indoors for an additional Remembrance Day ceremony about the battle's significance.
“Its been said that since the beginning of recorded history, no area of the world has seen more battles than the tiny country of Belgium, in Northwest Europe,” said Libby.
The first World War began in the summer of 1914. Battle lines were drawn in western Europe across northern France and Belgium, which culminated in a desperate struggle by the Allies to hold the town of Ypres.
In October of 1914, what would later be known as the First Battle of Ypres took place involving Belgian, French, British and German forces.
It was a key Allied defensive hold, but it merely foreshadowed what was to come the following year.
Ron Drouin, the Deputy District Commander of the Legion, whom Libby also called their resident Algonquin Regiment historian told the audience about the experience of Canadians in that battle.
“A lot of people don't realize that April 22, 1915 is a very important day in Canada's military history,” said Drouin.
It was that day the Second Battle of Ypres began. It was the first major battle of World War I involving Canadian troops.
It was also the first mass use of poison gas by the German army on the Western Front.
The Allies job, including Canada, was to protect a feature called the Ypres salient.
“A 'salient' in military terms is a piece of ground that extends from friendly territory into enemy territory, like a giant bubble. It creates a precarious position for the occupants, because you are now surrounded on three sides,” said Drouin.
On the morning of April 22, the German army released 160 tonnes of chlorine gas in front of the French-Algerian division, which was to the left of the Canadians.
“No one had ever seen anything like this. All they saw was this big green cloud coming towards them. They couldn't see the German soldiers following it. As the cloud got closer, they took refuge in the bottom of shell holes and trenches,” said Drouin.
Little did they know, Chlorine gas is one and a half times heavier than air, so it settled in every nook and cranny to be found, causing many casualties.
“Those who weren't disabled or killed, bolted, creating a 6 kilometre gap in the front line. The First Canadian division, over the next 24 hours scrambled, fighting off German soldiers to close this gap,” he said.
On the morning of April 24, Germans once again released 160 tonnes of Chlorine gas, this time directly in front of the First Canadian Division.
“By this time, they had learned a little bit about this threat and how to protect themselves against it. One way was to take a wet handkerchief or a cloth and put it over your nose and mouth. Water was at a premium on the front lines, so I'll leave it up to your imagination on how they wet these cloths.”
The combination of gas and shelling devastated the Canadians, and they fell back to a secondary position. The Germans had broken through the front line.
A secondary reserve brigade, also Canadian, came forward to engage German troops.
“For the very first time ever a former colonial force, the First Canadian Division, defeated a European force, the German Empire, on European soil,” said Drouin.
The victory played a big part in the overall success of the Allied forces.
The Second Battle of Ypres last until the 25th of May, however in the first four days of the conflict, the First Canadian Division suffered 6,035 casualties. Over 2,000 killed in action.
“By the end of the Second Battle of Ypres, the German army had not reached their objective, which was the town of Ypres. It was truly a trial-by-fire for Canadian soldiers,” said Drouin.
Not far from the front lines there was a medical dressing station. Working there was a young Canadian medical officer named John McCrae.
Drouin said there are many version of McCrae's story, but they all ultimately lead to a legendary moment in Canadian writing.
“During a very rare lull in the action, he sat down and took a break. He looked at the scene in front of him, picked up a pencil and paper, and in 17 minutes wrote the famous poem we know today, In Flanders Fields” he said.
Libby has been a member of Branch 287 since 1983, although he says he wouldn't consider himself an 'active member' until around 2008.
His father Basil, was a Naval veteran, and a very active member of the Legion.
“He did the ceremony from 1985 until 2008, when he passed away at Christmas. What he started to do in the early 2000's, the sneaky guy, was he'd say 'would you mind coming to say a little poem?' The next thing you know, you're doing stuff. Which is okay, I didn't mind,” said Libby.
After Basil's passing, the Branch needed to find a new emcee for the annual event.
“Then the branch said, well the logical person to keep this up would be you.”
Libby said his father spent time on several different boats in the convoy lanes of the North Atlantic Ocean during World War II, from eastern Canada to the west coast of England.
“His major job was destroying mines and looking for subs. There's danger in any war, it doesn't matter what you're doing, and of course there was torpedoes being shot at them.”
Having lost 2 in the past year, Libby says only 4 veteran members of Branch 287 are still alive today.
An avid military historian in his own right, Libby has visited Ypres twice on historical tours.
“There wasn't much left to defend in Belgium, except for the city of Ypres,” he said.
The Belgian government actually flooded large portions of the country during World War I to avoid German occupation, and during the battle the city was essentially obliterated of its infrastructure.
“Today, its a town of about 35,000 people. There wasn't much left. It was shelled. There wasn't a house left standing,” he said.
Libby says the Second Battle of Ypres was the most significant battle involving Canadians in 1915.
Next year will mark the 100 year anniversary of The Battle of the Somme in 1916.