SIR – Sunday, October 19, sees the hundredth anniversary of the start of the series of battles (which lasted until mid November) which we call the First Battle of Ypres.

After the stalemate of the Battle of the Aisne in late September, Sir John French moved the British Army to Flanders in an attempt to out-manoeuvre the Germans. Unfortunately, the new German commander, Falkenhayn, was planning a massive attack through Flanders to capture the Channel ports and isolate the British at the same time.

The two armies met head on (with the Belgium and French Armies). In the Ypres sector, despite receiving extra men (the British Army now comprised four Corps along with Indian troops who had landed in France in late September), the British were outnumbered four to one.

This is an example of the gulf between expectation and reality.

The German Army never saw Calais and the British Army ended up in a trench system, not out-flanking the Germans.

Lt-General Haig (GOC I Corps) devised a mobile reserve, a “fire-brigade” to be rushed to crisis points on the front line for “puttying-up”.

The Germans gave up first, there were no further major attacks after Nonnenbushen on November 11.

Peter J Palmer, Buttermere Road, Bradford