WW1 The Panorma Of The Battle Of Yser 1914 by Mr. Alfred Bastein

For sale is a WW1 The Panorma Of The Battle Of Yser 1914 by Mr. Alfred Bastein Complete Set and original Envelope envelope. The writing is in Dutch followed by English below.

    This set includes 8 large postcards of paintings of the battlefield from Yser, with a brief description on the back of each in Dutch and English. These were sold by the Dutch to raise money for the Yser area.     The leaflet states the following;     “THE PANORAMA OF THE BATTLE ON THE YSER 1914 by Mr. Alfred BASTIEN     Under the immense animated sky of the Flemish coast, the artist has painted the most striking exploits of the resistance of the Belgian and Allied armies on the Yser. Nieuport Dixmude, Ypres, are the immortar names of the Flan- ders' cities which suffered martyrdom. It is there, the most powerful army in the world received the most humiliating blow. Turning to the left, as you enter the Panorama, you catch sight of the sea, and of the villages of La Panne, Coxyde, Oostduinkerke and Nieuport-Bath. Our wounded men look at the prisoners who pass through the downs. Then comes the estuary of the Yser.     The Yser! It is with his artist's soul and his soldier's heart that Bastien who has passed two years in the trenches of the spot and became afterwards a lieutenant in the Canadian army - has painted the glorious river, with its sluices, famous from this time forward, where the Belgian soldiers, harassed by the grape-shot, did wonders to submerge the whole Polder which run farther than the eye can reach.     Now you are before the ring of Tervaete. It was the center of the drama. During the night 21st 22nd October, it happened there a serious event under favour of the darkness, the enemy threw an improvised bridge and passed over on the left bank! Numerous counter- attacks, made in the afternoon by the 2nd and 4th regiments of the line, by the 8th of the line, by the grenadiers and the carabineers did not succeed in throwing back the enemy on the right bank! On the 23rd the position is a critical one in the ring where the enemy was concentrating its efforts. The retreat of our troops, exhausted by eight days of uninterrupted and furious fights, is accentuated !.... And the nightmare continues in that way during several days. until the interference of the sluices of Nieuport ! The preliminary works have been pushed on with fewer, in an atmosphere of anguish : from the 28th, the waters begin to rise on the front of the 2nd division, and are spreading to the South. Saved! There are still engagements round Ramscapelle, which houses can be seen there; but the German must yield up and counter- attacks of our troops, with the help of two French battalions, hustle him on the other bank. Mad with rage, the enemy rushes upon Dixmude. But there is a hero on the watch: Colonel Jacques! Supported by the glorious sea-fusileers of admiral Ronarch, our 11th and 12th regiments of the line resist stoically fifteen assaults in improvised trenches, where those brave « piots » remain 72 hours without being released!     The tragical mill, every soldier knows, rises above the smoking ruins of the town. Here is now Ypres' agony. The painter gives us a touching picture of it. Halls, churches and houses constitute bright fire, whereas the English columns cross the market-place, impassible under the bom- bardment, as if they were at the review in Hyde-Park. During that gigantic struggle Belgian, French and English sol- diers were so much united under the terrible fire of the Germans and in a similar idea of resistance, that they really constituted but one army. Our part was chiefly a glorious and decisive one, but a tragical too.     Exhausted by two months of fighting, pain and lassitude, in want of everything, for they were cut off, our soldiers exposed to the severe assaults, unceasingly renewed, by choice troops, freshly constituted, well equipped, specially trained up, provided with a dreadful artillery. And ours were only 80,000 men supported at the beginning by the 6,000 French sea-fusileers, who were renforced by a new division from the 23rd of October, whereas the Germans formed a line opposite, of seven divisions, or 140,000 men. The allied command had asked us not to yield during 48 hours only: we did it fifteen days. This long and heroic resistance, which costed us 14,000 men killed or dangerously wounded and destroyed more than the half of our pieces of ordnance, excited the admiration not only of the allied countries but of the whole world.     The benefit of intrance is intended to pay the cost of the Panorama and its building which will be given to the town of Ostend.”     This will be sent via Royal Mail 1st class signed for and dispatched within two working days.