Tag Archives: Wipers

Diary entries which mention the Belgian municipality of Ypres (Dutch: Ieper; Ypres is the French name), Ypres/Ieper was often referred to as “Wipers” by soldiers during WW1.

29 April 1915; Thursday

April 1915, , ,

At work as usual. Busy all day. Finished late.

Germans using poisonous gases1  2 & made an advance near Ypres at this time.

  1. The first successful, large scale use of gas was in the German attack at Langemarck in the NW. angle of the Ypres Salient, on 22 April; initially against French African troops, but Canadian and British troops were soon involved. German prisoners had given detailed accounts of the preparations, but the French Corps commander, Balfourier, would neither believe the warnings nor transmit them to the British. ↩

  2. See also: Wikipedia: Chemical weapons in World War I and Wikipedia: Second Battle of Ypres ↩

15 November 1914; Sunday

November 1914, , ,

Missed chapel in the morning through sleeping in too late. Wild stormy day and night. At Sunday School and chapel at night. Mr Chadwick asked me to arrange for the missionary men’s anniversary†. I had a bit trouble and finally arranged with Mr Fred to try Jack Robinson. Stayed to prayer meeting. Read a good bit and played a bit. Received news that Lord Roberts had died in France1. He had gone over to inspect the Indian troops and contracted a chill and died there through pneumonia. Mr Chadwick preached in the morning but Mr Kettle preached at night.

Terrific attack on Ypres abortive.

  1. Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, died of pneumonia at St Omer, France, on 14 November 1914 while visiting Indian troops. ↩