110th anniversary of the first gas attack

Commemorating the Fallen of the Commonwealth and the 110th Anniversary of the First Gas Attack

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Each evening, we gather here in this sacred place to honour the fallen of the Commonwealth – those who gave their lives in the First World War , here in Flanders Fields.

We pause, we reflect and we remember.

But tonight, this daily act of remembrance carries a deeper echo. Today, the 22nd of April, marks exactly 110 years since the first gas attack was launched on these very fields, during the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915.

It was here that a new and terrifying weapon was introduced – silent, invisible, and indiscriminate. A greenish cloud drifted across the lines, changing the face of warfare forever.

Many soldiers had no warning, no protection, and no understanding of what they were facing.

Yet, amidst chaos and fear, they stood their ground.

They were young men from across the Commonwealth , all far from home, bound together by duty and sacrifice.

The horrors they endured are beyond what words can fully hold.

And yet, from that darkness rose acts of bravery, of resilience, of profound humanity.

Tonight, we do not only remember their suffering, but we honour their strength. We acknowledge the cost they bore, and the legacy they left behind – a legacy that lives on in our freedom, in our commitment to peace, and in ceremonies like this one.