Narrow Gauge in the Ypres Sector

Before, During and After the First World War

Martin J B Farebrother,Joan S Farebrother

• Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport
• Year: 2024
• ISBN:
  9781526788825
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: World War I
• Index: History

The Ypres sector of the Western Front was held predominantly by the British and Dominions Armies from 1914 to 1918. The Ypres Salient, at the centre of this sector, was one of the most intensively fought over single locations of the First World War. By the end of 1917 the sector was full of railways, dumps, camps, and other facilities. Much was lost in the German advance in April 1918, but from September 1918 the German Army was driven eastwards until the Armistice. Although Ypres and most of the forward areas are in Belgium, much of the support area is in northern France. In this book the meter gauge networks of both countries established before the First World War are examined, with their uses and extensions during the War. The build up of light (60cm gauge) railways from 1916 to 1918 is described, with an assessment of the contribution of both narrow gauges to the war effort. After the war the light railways in this sector were generally used only for short term clearing up and salvage. The meter gauge railways in Belgium were rebuilt or repaired. Those in France had been less affected. The story is followed to the closure of the last of these railways. This book is a companion volume to those on the Arras Sector (2015), and the Somme Sector (2018). It refers to other previous works on British, French and Belgian railways, especially during the First World War, but contains sufficient information to stand alone.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Acknowledgements
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Chapter One Introducing the Ypres sector and its railways
• Chapter Two The metre gauge railways of French Flanders and related lines and tramways 1894 to 1914
• Chapter Three Some metre gauge tramways of Belgian West Flanders and related lines 1885 to 1914
• Chapter Four Railways and light railways (60cm gauge) 1914 to 1918
• Chapter Five Railways of the Ypres battlefields 3 August 1914 to 25 May 1915 (end of the Second Battle of Ypres)
• Chapter Six Railways of the Ypres battlefields 26 May 1915 to 6 June 1917
• Chapter Seven Railways of the Ypres battlefields 7 June 1917 to 8 April 1918 Messines and the Third Battle of Ypres, to the final German offensive in the north
• Chapter Eight Railways of the Ypres battlefields 9 April 1918 to 11 November 1918
• Chapter Nine Light railways and some standard gauge railways after 11 November 1918
• Chapter Ten The metre gauge railways of French Flanders and related lines and tramways 1919 to 1954
• Chapter Eleven Metre gauge tramways of Belgian West Flanders 1919 to 2022
• Chapter Twelve Things to see and do now
• Bibliography