Former Patricia here - as was my father and my brother. The Battle of Frezenberg is significant in our history and is marked every year on 8 May - usually with a mess dinner. I served in the 2nd Bn in Germany for a bit and we conducted some educational battlefield tours in the late 80s. We walked the ground of the battle, took compass bearings etc. A few comments. A. Hamilton Gault (the founder) was at the battle and severely wounded. He was not the CO, however, although he took command when the CO (H. Buller)was incapacitated. The overall battle, I believe, was the Battle of Frezenberg (a town) and involved UK soldiers as well. The PPCLI being the first Canadian unit into the war was serving in a UK bde (80th) in a UK div (27th?) at the time. Although much of the CEF was in theatre by then, the Patricias had not yet been absorbed into a Canadian div. The PPCLI portion of the battle was on Bellewaarde (pronounced bellavardie) Ridge. There is some confusion over the Battles of Frezenberg and, later, Bellewaarde. As stated, we taught in our history that these were named for the towns and that the actual ridge the Patricias fought on was Bellewaarde. This may be inaccurate but it is how we teach it.

Excellent, as usual.

I‘m a student from Germany and very interested in ww1, as my own Great-great-grandfathers fought in the Great War. Your content is really amazing and I hope there‘s more to come👍🏻

My father was PPCLI and I had never heard of this battle and we are both war history buffs... thanks for this

Steven, Thanks for commemorating this brave action by Canadian troops-very expert analysis.

Steven your films have gotten me more interested in WWI. I like seeing the difference 100 years has made.

Thank you again Steven, from Canada.

In the words of The Exhortation, by Laurence Binyon "They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old". I've only recently discovered your channel but I am really enjoying these tours around such familiar places during Covid-19 lockdown, and learning about new places to visit. Thanks to you and the Drone!

Thanks!

Thank you Steven, it was great to get some context to a battle where my grandfather was injured on May 8, 1915. He was an "original" of the PPCLI, having been a soldier in Scotland before WW1 (they wanted veterans for the PPCLI to reduce the training needed and get them to the front quicker) I have a lot of records of my grandfather's service, including a scan of a poster from the Canadian Military Museums where there's an excellent display and diorama of the Battle of Frezenburg... If you're ever in Calgary the museum is worth a visit.

Another so informative video steven, fantastic and so well produced. To be able to sit in my house and see the effort and sacrifice all those men made for our freedom and your videos take us along as if we are with them. Very well done.

Thank you for this and your other wonderful videos of these battlefields. My first cousin twice removed (i.e., my grandfather's first cousin) is buried at the R. E. Farm cemetery just south of Ypres. I hope to tour the area and visit the cemetery one day.

Steven, thanks so much for your passion and your videos. As a student of military history, particularly focusing on ww1 at the moment, I have read and seen so many docs etc. All good info but it wasn't until I found your videos that I could really visualize. Especially since being Australian I cannot visit these sites easily. I am really grateful to you and I hope in time you can do more. I love how you end each with a dedication too x

Thank you for making this, and your other videos. It's great being able to see the actual landscape of the battle, it does a lot to help connect me with the experience of the battle. Do you mind sharing with me where you get access to the situation maps? I am trying to do my own research with WW2 German situation maps from the Eastern Front and I'm having a hell of a time finding them.

excellent as usual, ain't been there for a couple of years, nice to see memorial upgrade

Thank you Stephen... my Grandfather was in the PPCLI during this time...

Enjoy your videos very much

Another great film and narration. I love your work.

As a Canadian, I thank you.

Thank you

Great video and interesting commentary. My grandfather was a CEF member and, while not PPCLI, this story reflects the spirit and sense of duty which characterized the corps and indeed that generation. Thanks Steven.

Great video, good to hear from you again.

Thank you Steven another great film. Best wishes to you and yours during lockdown. Any more content you have to put up is greatly appreciated, maybe a q&a video?

Well Done !!!

I had 5 people related to me fight in ww1 or ww2 and 4 of them fought in ww2 for the Canadian forces and one was even a tank driver the other man was a infantry man in ww1 for the British but sadly he didn’t make it and died on the first day of the battle of the Somme I just felt to say that great video also.

I’m an ex Patricia and I found this very informative thank you

Thank you for sharing this video. If you wanted a job done you sent in the Canadians.

Hello Steven when are you going to do your next ww1 video

''Once a Patricia''

Do you know how many soldiers are still lying under the fields around Ypres, without being burried on a cemetery? I heard that they estimate 200,000, is this true?

Nice to see older memorials renovated, I think? A little sad to see them change too..