Misplaced Pages

#959040

22-711: The name Flanders Fields is particularly associated with battles that took place in the Ypres Salient , including the Second Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Passchendaele . For most of the war, the front line ran continuously from south of Nieuwpoort on the Belgian coast, across Flanders Fields into the centre of Northern France before moving eastwards and it was known as the Western Front . The phrase

44-400: A borough of the city of Ypres . The village center of Vlamertinge lies just outside the city center of Ypres , along the main road N38 to the nearby town of Poperinge . In addition to the city center of Ypres itself, Vlamertinge is the largest borough of Ypres. In the west of Vlamertinge, along the road to Poperinge, is the hamlet of Brandhoek. The earliest data about Vlamertinge date from

66-587: A ditch on the east and south sides. Possession of the higher ground to the south and east of the city gives ample scope for ground observation, enfilade fire and converging artillery fire. An occupier of the ridges also has the advantage that artillery positions and the movement of reinforcements and supplies can be screened from view. The ridge had woods from Wytschaete to Zonnebeke, giving good cover, some of notable size such as Polygon Wood and those later named Battle Wood, Shrewsbury Forest and Sanctuary Wood . The woods usually had undergrowth but fields in gaps between

88-530: A key location in the First Battle of Ypres and now a well-studied historical reserve at which artefacts were found. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS), remote sensing and aerial photographs, more recent research and archaeological work have provided insight into the landscape, battle zones and tactics employed in the Ypres Salient. Analysis of craters at

110-679: A tenth located in Elverdinge and also a tenth located in Vlamertinge - "In territorio Furnensi, in villa Elverzenges, decinam unam ; Flambertenges decinam similiter unam". In the Ancien Régime Vlamertinge was a " Heerlijkheid " of Veurne-Ambacht with 22 backlendings and suffered a lot from the sieges of nearby Ypres. During the First World War, the whole village was destroyed by bombing. In 1944, during

132-860: Is 17 meters above sea level. The municipality also borders Ypres in the East, Voormezele in the Southeast, Kemmel and Dikkebus in the South, Reningelst in the Southwest, Poperinge in the West, Elverdinge in the North and Brielen in the Northeast. From 1487 to 1697 we see a large decline in the population of Vlamertinge. The most plausible explanation for this would have been the Eighty Years' War in

154-468: The Allied units were forced to draw back from Zonnebeke and St Julien to a line of trenches closer to Ypres as German troops held the village of Hooge on Bellewaerde Ridge. This line defined the Ypres Salient for over two years, during which Hooge lay in one of the easternmost sectors of the salient and was much contested. This situation changed little, despite extensive British tunnelling prior to

176-694: The Battle of Messines in June 1917 and the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) from July to November. During these battles, tactics shifted from offensive tunnelling to maintaining shelters and constructing dugouts. After the Third Battle of Ypres , the Ypres Salient was left relatively quiet until the Fourth Battle of Ypres ( Battle of the Lys ), when the German spring offensive threatened to overwhelm

198-547: The Middle Ages . In 857 a chapel was built in Vlamertinge. In 970 Ypres was destroyed and the chapel of Vlamertinge burned down. The oldest document, known to date, which includes the name Flambertenges, is a deed of the year 1066. Baldwin V, Count of Flanders , his wife Adela and their son Baldwin , in this deed gave goods to the church and the Chapter (religion) from Sint-Pieters by Lille . These goods were, among others,

220-620: The Seventeen Provinces . There are 70 to 80 stores in Vlamertinge. In Vlamertinge there is a large company Valcke that makes concrete constructions and therefore also offers employment for many people in the village. Vlamertinge had its own municipal council and mayor until the mergers of 1977. Mayors were: Vlamertinge has many associations. The largest association is Chiro Vlamertinge . This youth movement has activities every two weeks at their premises. People speak of "Vlamertingse Pottebrekers"(Vlamertingisch pot crushers), and

242-507: The British and French defending Ypres and the corner of Belgium around Veurne from German occupation but escalating trench warfare in the salient. Both sides vied for control of tactically important areas along the line. Obtaining control of the few hills and ridges became the objective of this battle in which poisonous gas as a weapon was first deployed and the widespread destruction and evacuation of Ypres came about. During this battle,

SECTION 10

#1732772393960

264-615: The Douve river, Ploegsteert Wood ("Plugstreet" to the British) and Hill 63. West of Messines Ridge is the parallel Wulverghem ( Spanbroekmolen ) Spur; the Oosttaverne Spur, also parallel, is to the east. The general aspect south of Ypres is of low ridges and dips, gradually flattening to the north into a featureless plain. In 1914, Ypres had 2,354 houses and 16,700 inhabitants inside medieval earth ramparts faced with brick and

286-607: The Second World War, Vlamertinge was liberated by a Polish armored division. Vlamertinge would come from Flambert (a name) + inga (son, descendant of (genitive)) + heim (domicile). The oldest known spellings of the current Vlamertinge are: Flembertenges (1066), Flamertingha (1123), Flambertinghes (1142), Flamertinge (1154), Flamertinga (1185), Flamertinghe (1200), Flambertengues (1202), Flamertinghes (1238), Flamertinges (1269), Vlamertinghe (1272), Vlamertinghes (1275), Flamertenghe (1275), Vlamertincghe (1280), etc. Vlamertinge

308-639: The Yperlee about 36 ft (11 m); the main road to Ypres between Poperinge and Vlamertinge is in a defile, easily observed from the ridge. A salient in military terms is a battlefield feature that projects into an opponent's territory and is surrounded on three sides, making the occupying troops vulnerable. Throughout World War I along the Western Front , troops engaged in mine warfare, using tunnelling and trench strategies without coordinating their attacks with one another. Soldiers used tunnels and dugouts to shelter themselves, make their way safely to

330-780: The area. This offensive was stopped at the point the Allies were closest to being forced to abandon the salient. By August 1918, the Fifth Battle of Ypres (part of the Hundred Days Offensive ) pushed the German forces out of the salient entirely and they did not return. In the aftermath of trench warfare, mine explosions, extensive tunnelling, craters and archaeological landmarks remain. Although many craters have been covered, built over, destroyed, or remodelled, some are still visible and can be preserved, such as The Bluff,

352-399: The east, the slope is 1:60 and near Hollebeke, it is 1:75; the heights are subtle but have the character of a saucer lip around Ypres. The main ridge has spurs sloping east and one is particularly noticeable at Wytschaete, which runs 2 mi (3.2 km) south-east to Messines ( Mesen ), with a gentle slope to the east and a 1:10 decline to the west. Further south is the muddy valley of

374-800: The front lines, relay messages, and launch offensive attacks on their enemies. By 29 December 1914, German troops dug in on higher ground to the east of Ypres and consequently, the Ypres Salient was formed by British , French , Canadian and Belgian defensive efforts against German incursion during the 1914 Race to the Sea . This culminated in the Battle of the Yser and the First Battle of Ypres , which lasted until 22 November. German and British units conducted operations, made advancements, captured territory and attacked using mines and underground warfare at locations like Broodseinde and Sint Elooi . The Second Battle of Ypres occurred from 22 April to 25 May 1915,

396-551: The junction of the Ypres–Comines Canal and the Ieperlee . The city is overlooked by Kemmel Hill in the south-west and from the east by low hills running south-west to north-east with Wytschaete ( Wijtschate ), Hill 60 to the east of Verbrandenmolen, Hooge , Polygon Wood and Passchendaele ( Passendale ). The high point of the ridge is at Wytschaete, 7,000 yd (4.0 mi; 6.4 km) from Ypres, while at Hollebeke

418-484: The ridge is 4,000 yd (2.3 mi; 3.7 km) distant and recedes to 7,000 yd (4.0 mi; 6.4 km) at Polygon Wood. Wytschaete is about 150 ft (46 m) above the plain; on the Ypres–Menin road at Hooge, the elevation is about 100 ft (30 m) and 70 ft (21 m) at Passchendaele. The rises are slight, apart from the vicinity of Zonnebeke , which has a 1:33 gradient. From Hooge and to

440-453: The site yielded information, confirming various historical accounts of counter-mines and hot spots and specifying when mining weapons were used in the Second Battle of Ypres as well as how the Battle of Messines was important in changing the geography of the frontlines main conflicts occurred. Vlamertinge Vlamertinge is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders and

462-415: The woods were 800–1,000 yd (730–910 m) wide and devoid of cover. Roads in this area were usually unpaved, except for the main ones from Ypres, with occasional villages and houses. The lowlands west of the ridge were a mixture of meadow and fields with high hedgerows dotted with trees, cut by streams and ditches emptying into the canals. The Ypres–Comines Canal is about 18 ft (5.5 m) wide and

SECTION 20

#1732772393960

484-499: Was popularized by a poem, " In Flanders Fields ", by Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae which was inspired by his service during the Second Battle of Ypres . This World War I article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ypres Salient The Ypres Salient , around Ypres , in Belgium , was the scene of several battles and a major part of the Western Front during World War I . Ypres lies at

#959040