Canadian Memorial at Vancouver Corner
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The memorial commemorates the Canadian 1st Division in action on 22nd to 24th April 1915. The Canadian division held its position on the left flank of the British Army after the German Army launched the first ever large-scale gas attack against two French divisions on the left of the Canadians. From the start of the battle at 17.00 hours on 22nd April and for the next few days the Canadians were involved in heavy fighting, losing some 2,000 casualties - killed, wounded or missing - from the division. Many of these soldiers were never recovered and remain as missing in action in the fields or unidentified graves in the area of Keerselare around the memorial. The names of the missing Canadians for that period of fighting are recorded on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Ypres / Ieper.
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The memorial is several metres high and depicts a Canadian soldier with his head bowed and hands resting on the butt of his rifle in the position of “reversed arms”, that is, with the rifle barrel pointing down. The ceremonial custom of reversing the order of things occurs at military funerals and is believed to have been done for the first time at the funeral of the Duke of Marlborough in 1722.
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The photograph of the tree-lined road is taken with the memorial behind the camera, looking in a north-westerly direction towards the village of Langemark. Langemark church spire can be seen on the horizon (to the right of the second tree from the left). Langemark was a little way behind the French Front Line on the day of the German gas attack, 22nd April 1915. On this photograph the Front Line ran from just north of (to the right of) Langemark and across the horizon to a position about 1.5 kms further along the tree lined road from where this photograph has been taken. Following the gas attack on 22nd April the British Front Line was pushed south towards Ypres over the next two weeks past this position at Vancouver Corner. By mid May 1915 the line reached by the German Army was about 1.5 kms to the left along this road where the photograph has been taken.
The map section is taken from British Army trench map 28 N.W.2. (Edition 6A) 1:10,000. This 1917 edition of the map is dated July 1917 and at this time Vancouver Corner was behind the German Front Line. The red markings are German trenches or narrow gauge railway lines corrected to 30.6.17. On 22nd April 1915 the British Front Line was about 1.5 kms north of Vancouver Corner, which was, therefore, in the British Army area behind the British Front Line.
The black crosses on the map have been added to indicate Triangle Farm (left) and Vancouver Farm (right). Triangle Farm was named presumably because of the shape created by the surrounding roads. This triangular area was also formally named as “The Triangle” on maps from late 1917. Vancouver Farm was likely named by the Canadian 1st Division when they took over this part of the battle front from the French Army in mid April 1915.
For more information about the German gas attack and the part played by the Canadian defence on 22nd April 1915 go to our detailed Battle Study: Second Battle of Ypres >>
Location of Vancouver Corner
Leave Ypres / Ieper on the N313 in the direction of Sint-Jan and St. Julien. About 1.5 kms after Sint-Jan village you come to a T junction where the N313 meets the N38 from the left. Turn right to continue on the N313. In about 2.5 kms you will arrive in St. Julien village. Continue through the village on the N313 for another 600 metres when you will come to crossroads. Continue straight on past this junction and within another 100 metres you will see a right turn (Zonnebekestraat) and the sign for the Canadian Memorial at Vancouver Corner. You will see the tall memorial to your front right. As you turn right into Zonnebekestraat the car park for the memorial is immediately on your left.
Access to Canadian Memorial Vancouver Corner
This is a site open to the public at all times. There is a parking area next to the memorial with easy parking for cars and coaches.
Further Reading
