On 19 October the German army attacked Ypres in dense formations. The aim was to break through via the town to the French channel ports. Fighting on the ridge of hills around the town went on for more than a month. The undulating landscape with its dense vegetation worked to the advantage of the defenders. Even with heavy losses, the German army made territorial gains, but thanks to French reinforcements the Allies managed to hold their ground, despite difficulties with logistics and communications. Take a good look at the colourful uniform of the French soldier, or the distinctive German spiked helmet, the Pickelhaube. Although such outfits might be impressive, they were far from practical. Here at Ypres, nineteenth-century splendour collided with twentieth-century machine guns and artillery. Medical services were not prepared for the massive number of casualties, so there were huge losses on both sides of the front. At Zonnebeke the front remained deadlocked. Property belonging to residents, rich or poor, was not spared…