No place to run : the Canadian Corps and gas warfare in the First World War

Historians of the First World War have often dismissed the important role of poison gas in the battles of the Western Front. In __No Place to Run__, however, Tim Cook shows that the serious threat of gas did not disappear with the introduction of gas masks. By 1918, gas shells were used by all armies to deluge the battlefield, and many soldiers were exposed to this new chemical plague.Cook uses fascinating primary sources ― diaries, letters, reminiscences, published memoirs, and the official archival record ― to illustrate the horror of gas warfare for the average trench soldier. As the first chlorine clouds rolled across the fields during the second Battle at Ypres, soldiers were forced to stuff urine-soaked handkerchiefs in their mouths in order to survive. As the gas war evolved, mustard gas plagued the soldiers at the front as it lay active in mud and snow for weeks on end.There was no escape from the pervasive nature of poison gas. Entering the dug-outs where they slept, gas attacked men when they were least ready. __No Place to Run__ poses a challenging re-examination of the function of gas warfare in the First World War, including its important role in delivering victory in the campaigns of 1918 and its curious postwar legacy, and will be of interest both to historians and military buffs. Historians Of The First World War Have Often Dismissed The Importance Of Poison Gas In The Battles Of The Western Front. No Place To Run Shows That This Chemical Plague Was A Serious Threat Even After Gas Masks Were Introduced. Tim Cook Uses Diaries, Letters, Reminiscences, Published Memoirs, And The Official Archival Record To Illustrate Vividly The Grim Reality Of Gas Warfare For The Average Trench Soldier. In Response, The Canadian Corps Had To Develop A Disciplined Anti-gas Doctrine, A Process That Cook Describes In Full. No Place To Run Provides A Challenging Re-examination Of The Function Of Gas Warfare In The First World War, Including Not Only Its Important Role In Delivering Victory In The Campaigns Of 1918 But Also Its Postwar Legacy.--jacket. Introduction: The Gas War Unearthed -- Trial By Gas: 2nd Battle Of Ypress -- Rabbits In A Warren: April 1915- December 1915 -- A Higher Form Of Killing: December 1915 -- December 1916 -- Tough Guys: January 1917 -- June 1917 -- Mustard, King Of The War Gases: July 1917 -- December 1917 -- Combatting The Chemical Plague: The Canadian Medical Army Corps And Gas Warfare -- It's Got Your Number: January 1918 -- August 1918 -- The Gas Environment: The Last Hundred Days -- Conclusion: It Takes More Than Gas To Stop A Canadian. Tim Cook. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 284-289) And Index. Historians of the First World War have often dismissed the important role of poison gas in the battles of the Western Front. In No Place to Run , however, Tim Cook shows that the serious threat of gas did not disappear with the introduction of gas masks. By 1918, gas shells were used by all armies to deluge the battlefield, and many soldiers were exposed to this new chemical plague. Cook uses fascinating primary sources ― diaries, letters, reminiscences, published memoirs, and the official archival record ― to illustrate the horror of gas warfare for the average trench soldier. As the first chlorine clouds rolled across the fields during the second Battle at Ypres, soldiers were forced to stuff urine-soaked handkerchiefs in their mouths in order to survive. As the gas war evolved, mustard gas plagued the soldiers at the front as it lay active in mud and snow for weeks on end. There was no escape from the pervasive nature of poison gas. Entering the dug-outs where they slept, gas attacked men when they were least ready. No Place to Run poses a challenging re-examination of the function of gas warfare in the First World War, including its important role in delivering victory in the campaigns of 1918 and its curious postwar legacy, and will be of interest both to historians and military buffs. This book is a reevaluation of the Canadian Corps and poison gas in WWI. It examines how the Canadian Corps organized and protected its soldiers from poison gas.