<![CDATA[BATTLEFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY

<![CDATA[BATTLEFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY - Blog]]>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 21:13:07 +0200Weebly<![CDATA[In remembrance of George Theodore Snelling, Hood Bn., RNVR (Photo Blog)]]>Mon, 12 Feb 2018 09:37:48 GMThttps://www.battlefieldphotography.be/blog/in-remembrance-of-george-theodore-snelling-hood-bn-rnvr-photo-blog

Authuille, France. A wooden cross marks the spot were George Theodore Snelling was killed by a hostile shell.

A journey in George's footsteps

George Theodore Snelling, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, R.N. Div., Hood Bn., R/4315

This blogpost is dedicated to George Theodore Snelling of the Hood Battalion, who served and fought in France in 1918.

On March 21, 1918, he was a first eye-witness of the German Spring Offensive or the Kaiserschlacht as they said in Germany. He must have seen it all: clouds with phosphene gas, heavy bombardments, combats in the trenches and in the open field. Only 2 months after his arrival in France he lost his live, during the defense of the British front line near Mesnil.

I followed his footsteps: from the place where he first joined his comrades of the Hood Battalion near Havrincourt Wood, crossing the old Somme battlefields of 1916, all the way to Mesnil (not far from Beaumont-Hamel and Thiepval). I visited some of the places where he lived behind the frontline and of course payed my respects at his grave and on the spot where he was killed by hostile shell fire.

As George didn’t keep a diary (for as far as we know), I based a lot of my research on the Hood Battalion’s war diary. A source of incredible information which contains a detailled description of the actions during the first days of the Spring Offensive.

And so I travelled to France, on a cold and grey January morning, with a copy of the war diary, a lot of trench maps and the Google maps overlays.

Badges of the Hood Battalion

I hope my photos give you an insight of George’s soldiers live. A huge thanks to his grandson, who kept searching over the years until he found the exact location of the place where George was killed. He provided me a lot of information which helped me to reconstruct George’s life on the Western Front.

The arrival at the Western Front

George Theodore Snelling was a gardener from Weston-super-Mare, a small seaside town in Somerset, England. He joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and started his training in Blandford Camp by the end of June 1917. George got the rank of Able Seaman, finished his training in January 1918 and was drafted to the Hood bn. in February of that same year. He joined his comrades in Eastwood camp near Havrincourt Wood (France) later that month.

View towards Havrincourt Wood. The actual wood is rather large and stretches out al the way to Trescault. Eastwood camp, marked in the diary as Eastwood camp P18d, was situated in these fields. It was here that the Hood Bn. was billeted on the 19th of February 1918.

Debris at Havrincourt Wood, Eastwood Camp, WW1

Unfired English bullet found in the fields near Havrincourt Wood.

Nowadays Havrincourt Wood is a very large wood surrounded by empty fields. During the war this place would have been crowded with thousands of men along with their tents and barracks. Traces of rusty nails, unfired bullets and other debris mark the presence of human activity.

Church of Neuville-Bourjonval, near Eastwood camp. Int his town were the bathing facilities for the soldiers.

Road leading up to Neuville-Bourjonval. On the right an old chapel.

The old chapel that was destroyed during the war and re-erected afterwards by a local family.
A spot George must have certainly seen during his stay here.

Short stay in Trescault

After spending some days in Eastwood Camp the Hood Bn. moved up to Trescault, a village just behind the frontline, where George and his comrades served, clearing duckboards and wiring trenches.

Street in Trescault, France. Screw pickets (or pigtails) are still being used today.

Trescault, France. Location of the Hood Bn. Headquarters.

Church and town centre of Trescault, France.

Church of Trescault, France.

View towards Ribécourt, France, taken from Trescault. Trenches were situated in these fields.

In the lines at Ribécourt

Just a few days later the Hood Battalion relieved the Hawke Bn. in the lines at Ribécourt, the British frontline. During these days Ribécourt and the surrounding back areas were heavily shelled with gas grenades, making several casualties. It was in this area that George entered the frontline for the first time, occupying the trenches opposite to the German frontline.

Old German bunker in the old frontline near Ribécourt. The Kaisertrench, occupied by the Hood Bn. in 1918 during their stay in the frontline, ran right trough it.

View towards Ribécourt. The Kaisertrench, occupied by the Hood Bn. in 1918 during their stay in the frontline, was situated in this field. George must also have witnessed the crash of a German airplane, as described in the Hood’s diary.

View from Ribécourt towards the Kaisertrench (in the far distance of the photo).

The church of Ribécourt.

Ribécourt itself was captured by the allies in 1917 during the battle of Cambrai and was occupied bij the British army since then. I had the oppurtunity to talk to the mayor of this village and he told me that in fact much of the living during the war was done underground. Right under the streets is a maze of tunnels and shelters, carved out by the local population in the centuries before the war/during the middle ages.

I wonder if George would have slept there during his stay in the lines. It was certainly used by the Germans so great chance that the allies did the same. Visiting was not possible at the moment of my passage due to the risk of accidents, but the mayor told me that acces is possible if accompanied by the Arras fire brigade. I will put that on the agenda.

Short movie about the underground tunnels in Ribécourt.
Source: https://youtu.be/Q-Ie1I5ZJLg

Ribécourt, France. Entrance to the underground tunnels.

Town hall of Ribécourt, France.

Ribécourt Britisch Cemetery lies within the city boundaries.
Some of the Hood Bn. soldiers who were killed during their stay at the frontline lie here.

Ribécourt Britisch Cemetery.

Road leading from Ribécourt to Trescault.

Start of the German Spring Offensive

After being relieved George returned to Havrincourt wood (Westwood Camp) until the 21th of March, the start of the German Spring Offensive. It was the Germans final attempt to push through the allied lines before the American army would be fully deployed.

Early in the morning on march the 21th 1918 the lines were heavily shelled. The Hood Bn. was ordered to stand to, short for 'Stand-to-Arms'. Bayonets were fixed, guns were loaded and they were ready to counter an enemy attack. Shortly after 7 AM two clouds of phosphene gas were blown over their positions.

They were ordered to move up to Trescault to hold the second line. The area was still being shelled as described in the Hood Bn. diary: Battalion moved up by wooden road to Trescault. St Hubert’s X was being shelled in passing.

Road leading from Havrincourt Wood to Trescault.

I assume that there would have been quit some chaos at the moment.
Eventually George and his comrades were forced to retreat from the lines at Trescault and took positions near Ytres. When the Germans finally attacked their trenches they had to fall back and were finally ordered to march 14 km, crossing the old Somme battlefields of 1916, to the neighborhood of Martinpuich near the Albert - Baupaume road.

The Official Historian, Brigadier-General Sir James E. Edmonds wrote

After three days of battle, with each night spent on the march or occupied in the sorting out and reorganization of units, the troops – Germans as well as British – were tired almost to the limits of endurance. The physical and mental strain of the struggle against overwhelming odds, the heavy losses, the sinister rumours which were rife, all contributed to depress morale.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Michael#cite_note-FOOTNOTEEdmonds1935400-59

Martinpuich, France. Screw pickets (or pigtails) are still being used today.

The 189th Brigade, were the Hood was part of, held the ground just north of High wood, not far from the Albert - Baupaume road. George ‘s battalion was in support in Martinpuich. Waiting for orders.

On March the 25th the Germans attacked and the Brigade had to fall back. The Hood battalion, already in close support, covered the retreat. They finally fell back towards the road itself near the old Sugar factory and held the line for a while until the orders were received to take positions at Thiepval just east of the river Ancre.

View from Martinpuich towards High Wood. In these fields the Hood Bn. covered the retreat of the 189th Brigade.

The road between Albert and Baupaume. The old sugar factory is situated in the far left.

Location of the old sugar factory.

Behind the lines

On the 26th, after spending the night at Thiepval, they received orders to evacuate and occupy the lines west of the Ancre near the railway, just outside the village of Mesnil. After being relieved , George spent some time in the area behind the frontline in villages like Englebelmer, Forceville and Hédauville.

An impression of Englebelmer.

An impression of Forceville.

Old farm in Hédauville, France.

Back in the frontline at Mesnil

On the 7th of April he returned to the front near Mesnil again and occupied the trenches there.

Mesnil lies on the higher ground not far from the railroad track. The Chateau, mentioned in the dairy, was used in the first days of their arrival as the Bn. HQ., before it moved to the town centre, out of sight of the Germans. Old gates still stand in the field before the Chateau. I wonder if they were the pre-war entrance gates. From the spot of the Chateau you have a great view over the valley and the old frontline, with the Thiepval memorial standing guard on the horizon. A view that George would have witnessed himself.

View taken from Mesnil towards Thiepval.

Mesnil, France. The old chateau, former HQ of the Hood Bn.

A crusifix, Mesnil, France.

Remembrance wreath, Mesnil, France.

Town centre of Mesnil, France.

Church of Mesnil, France.

The final stand

George and the other members of his Lewis gun crew occupied the lines near the railway. A place without much shelter and in clear sight of the enemy. On the 11th of april a direct hit of an enemy shell took George’s live and that of his comrades.

The railway near Mesnil, France.

It was George’s grandson who started looking for George’s military history and kept searching until he found the actual spot where he was killed. Eventually a small memorial was erected in the form of a wooden cross, right on the spot where he and his comrades lost their lives on that tragic April morning back in 1918. Behind the cross the leaves cover what’s left of the old trenches. Nature took over here and peace found his way towards the old battleground.

Memorial Cross beside the railway, on the spot where George lost his life.

View from Authuille towards the memorial cross (between the 2 trees in the far distance).

The wooden cross is a lonely reminder of a terrible loss, in the memory of George.
I wonder how the landscape along the front would look like if there was a cross on each spot where a soldier lost his live. Would be a moving but also a very confronting sight.

Memorial Cross beside the railway, on the spot where George lost his life.

Road leading to the memorial cross.

Lonsdale cemetery at Authuille

They buried George not far from the spot were he fell on the other side of the railroad. He was reburied in 1920 in Lonsdale cemetery at Authuille. Engraved in his gravestone are the simple but powerful, all saying words: “At Rest”.

Lonsdale cemetery at Authuille

Always kind of touching when you are standing before the grave of a soldier you learned to know better in the past months. It is that moment when it all comes real. Right beside him was his comrade Able Seaman T. Wallace, who got killed on that very same day.

May they all rest in peace.

Lonsdale cemetery at Authuille

Join us in remembering George Theodore Snelling

My interest in the great war was always driven by the stories itself: stories of soldiers, the places where they fought, slept, walked and suffered under the hard circumstances so typically for the first world war.

Walking into the footsteps of these men connects me with history and makes me understand their stories better. One of these men was Able Seaman George Theodore Snelling of the Hood Battalion.

Please join us in remembering him and all his fellow soldiers who fought and died at the Western Front. If you are in the neighborhood, please put some flowers on his grave or his memorial.

“Nooit meer oorlog” we say in Flanders. “No more war, ever again”. Keep these words in mind during your battlefield visits.

Thanks again to his grandson, who gave me the idea for this post, for all the effort he made and the documentation he shared with us.

Tom and Sarah

Battlefield Photography

Sources
The Hood Battalion, Leonard Sellers
the Hood Battalion’s war diary
https://youtu.be/Q-Ie1I5ZJLg
Quote of the Official Historian, Brigadier-General Sir James E. Edmonds

ABOUT OUR BLOG

We take you along our photographic journey through the World War battlefields in Belgium and France. With our black and white photographs and self written poetry, we share our impression of these historic, heroic and tragic events.

]]><![CDATA[In our thoughts today: William Edward Hipkiss, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (Photo Blog)]]>Wed, 25 Oct 2017 22:00:00 GMThttps://www.battlefieldphotography.be/blog/in-our-thoughts-today-william-edward-hipkiss-royal-naval-volunteer-reserve-photo-blog

Bray Farm at Poelkapelle, Belgium. View towards Varlet Farm.

An able seaman on land

Able Seaman William Edward Hipkiss from Birmingham was a brave member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

He enlisted on the 24th of April 1917, age 19. After his training in England, he joined the Howe Battalion on the 27th of September in France.

He was killed only a month later on October the 26th 1917, during the start of the 2nd battle of Passchendaele. His battalion attacked the German frontline near Varlet farm, a German strongpoint on the left of a forgotten village called Wallemolen, Belgium.

Royal Naval Division WWI Propaganda (1915). Source: www.ww1propaganda.com

RNVR. The badge of the Howe Battalion. Source: © IWM (Q 68448) (photo edited)

Wallemolen (Passchendaele) before the Great War, Belgium.
Source: http://gabolem.canalblog.com/archives/2014/12/19/31168018.html

Wallemolen, Passchendaele today (2017).

The attack on October 26

October the 26th, 1917. It was a cold, grey and rainy morning. The front line was reduced to a scene from Dante Inferno: a dark landscape covered with a sea of mud and many craters, all filled with water and rotting corpses. Although both sides suffered hard under this cruel circumstances, the Germans had a slight advantage since they were defending their heavily fortified farms and pillboxes.

Young William Edward Hipkiss already spent a night in the frontline, trying to get some rest in the cold Flanders mud. He was waiting to attack the fortified ruined farms near the village Wallemolen, on the left of Passchendaele.

Poelkapelle, Belgium today. View over the attacking ground. In the far distance the starting position of the 63rd Division.

The Howe battalion, part of the 63rd Royal Naval Division, was in the second wave of the attack. The division gave support to the Canadians who were attacking on their right flank. William's Battalion was ordered to push through the consolidated lines of Anson battalion in order to capture the next objective near Source Trench.

Heavy shelling and machine gun fire however made that impossible and the assault was stopped in the center of the front, between Bray and Varlet Farm. We can only guess what happened with William that day but one thing is for sure, he would never return to his home in Birmingham.

Poelkapelle. Photo taken on the road between Bray Farm and Varlet Farm. View towards Bray Farm.

Poelkapelle. Photo taken on the road between Bray Farm and Varlet Farm. View towards Varlet Farm.

Poelkapelle. Map of the area around Varlet Farm. Source: http://poelcapelle14-18.be/Varlet%20Farm

Bray and Varlet Farm after the war

Today it is hard to imagine that such a peaceful place was once hell on earth. Nothing here reminds us of the region’s tragic history except for the war debris, which is still spread out over the fields. After the war the region recovered from his wounds and many houses and farms were rebuild.

Bray Farm at Poelkapelle can be visited an has an impressive collection of found relics.

Bray Farm at Poelkapelle, Belgium.

Bray Farm at Poelkapelle. View towards Varlet Farm.

In the far distance Banff House (left) and Bray Farm (right).

Banff House at Poelkapelle, Belgium.

Varlet Farm at Poelkapelle, Belgium.

Varlet farm is now a Bed&Breakfast with a great collection of relics, all found in the surrounding fields during the past years.

Varlet Farm at Poelkapelle, Belgium.

Varlet Farm, Poelkapelle, Belgium. 63rd Division Memorial Plaque.

Tyne Cot Cemetery

William’s body was never found and he has no known grave.
He is commemorated on the memorial wall at Tyne Cot Cemetery, panel 2.

Panel 1&2 of the Tyne Cot Memorial Wall, Zonnebeke, Belgium.

Cross of sacrifice at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke.

William Edward Hipkiss, Tyne Cot Cemetery

William Edward Hipkiss is commemorated on panel 2.

Cross of sacrifice at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, Belgium.

Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, Belgium.

Join us in remembering William Edward Hipkiss

Many thanks to the family of William for the information they gave to us. It is thanks to their reaction on our blogpost on the first day of the battle of Passchendaele (the Boezinge sector) that we came across his story.

100 years ago today, brave William Edward Hipkiss fought and died far from home. Please join us in remembering him and all the other men who fought and died during the Battle of Passchendaele.

Let us know if you have any relatives who fought during WWI. Reply to our blog or send us your stories or subject suggestions. We’ll be happy to integrate them into our blog whenever possible.

Thank you for sharing our blogpost!

Tom and Sarah

Battlefield Photography

Sources
www.wartimememoriesproject.com
http://poelcapelle14-18.be
http://gabolem.canalblog.com/archives/2014/12/19/31168018.html
www.iwm.org.uk
www.ww1propaganda.com
https://brayfarmcollection.weebly.com
www.varletfarm.com

ABOUT OUR BLOG

]]><![CDATA[In memory of Private Sydney Edmund Ellis, Australian Imperial Forces (Lest we forget)]]>Sat, 21 Oct 2017 22:00:00 GMThttps://www.battlefieldphotography.be/blog/in-memory-of-private-sydney-edmund-ellis-australian-imperial-force-lest-we-forget

Hooge Crater Cemetery. The emblem of the Australian Imperial Forces on private Sydney Edmund Ellis' gravestone.

Sydney Edmund Ellis' short time in the line

Australian Imperial Forces, Private Sydney Edmund Ellis, 4825

Private Sydney Edmund Ellis, with his sons. Source portrait (photo edited): https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10326068

100 years ago today, October 22 1917, private Sydney Edmund Ellis was killed in action near Anzac Ridge, Zonnebeke during the battle of Passchendaele. He was 28 years old.

Sydney Edmund Ellis, son of John and Jane, was a young man from West End, Brisbane, Queensland.

He was a father of two sons, Sydney Reginald and Arthur Irwin Ellis. His widow, Zilla Ellis, gave birth to his daughter Irene May Ellis following his embarkation in February 1917.

He enlisted on October 24, 1916, at the age of 27. He was finally assigned to 4th Australian Machine Gun Company. He arrived at the front near Ypres, Belgium, on the 17th of October 1917, only a few days before his death.

On the 22th of October, private Sydney Edmund Ellis was resting in a dug out near Anzac Ridge, Zonnebeke, when a direct hit from a shell killed him and two other soldiers.

Source: http://maps.nls.uk (http://maps.nls.uk/view/101464912)

Their fellow comrades dug them out but they were blown almost beyond recognition, as declared by several eye witnesses and written down by the Australian Red Cross.

Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Files. Source: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10094019

Soon after their death, these 3 soldiers were buried right on the spot where they were killed. The grave was marked with a wooden cross.

Anzac Ridge, Zonnebeke, Private Sydney Edmund Ellis 1st grave

Anzac Ridge, Zonnebeke. I found the coordinates of his original burial place on the website of the CWGC (J.3.C.1.6.on map 28 N.E.). The exact location was not accessible due to private ground. The position of the original grave would have been right behind the houses in the far distance of this picture.

Anzac Ridge today

This part of Anzac Ridge is situated near the crossing of the Grote Molenstraat en the Lotegatstraat in Zonnebeke. Once a fortified German strongpoint with trenches and bunkers, now a peaceful place with farms and fields.

These days the barbwire is not used for wounding or strangling attacking soldiers but to keep the cows from escaping. Only the shrapnel that is mingled with the earth is a small reminder of what happened here one hundred years ago.

View from Anzac Ridge towards the church of Zonnebeke.

Anzac House. A German observation bunker.
Source: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1015609

Anzac House today. The German observation bunker was situated here.

Anzac Ridge, Zonnebeke, Lotegatstraat.

View from Anzac Ridge towards the village of Zonnebeke. On the right is the location of Garter Point.

Anzac Ridge.
Garter Point is in the far distance of this picture.

Hooge Crater Cemetery, his final resting place

The remains of private Sydney Edmund Ellis were found after the war and reburied at Hooge Crater Cemetery in Zillebeke, Belgium. His grave is situated in Plot XVIII C.3.

Hooge Crater Cemetery. Gravestone private Sydney Edmund Ellis, Australian Imperial Forces.

Lest we forget

Sydney Edmund's older brother, Arthur Edward Ellis, used his name to enlist in 1914 and was therefore registered as Private Sydney Ellis #501 of the 8th Battalion, AIF. Private Sydney Ellis #501 was a survivor of the battle of Pozières but was badly wounded on the 25th of July 1916, during the battle itself. We would like to give a special thanks to the daughter of Arthur Edward Ellis (a.k.a. Private Sydney Ellis #501). If it wasn't for her reaction to our blogpost on the battle of Pozières, we would have never known the stories of Sydney Edmund Ellis and his brother.

Join us in remembering private Sydney Edmund Ellis and all the other Australians who fought or were killed far from home. Lest we forget!

Thank you for sharing our blogpost.

Tom and Sarah

Battlefield Photography

Sources
https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au
https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au
https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com
https://www.awm.gov.au
https://www.cwgc.org

ABOUT OUR BLOG

]]><![CDATA[In the footsteps of Private George Phillips, Newfoundland Regiment (Photo Blog)]]>Wed, 11 Oct 2017 22:00:00 GMThttps://www.battlefieldphotography.be/blog/in-the-footsteps-of-private-george-phillips-newfoundland-regiment-photo-blog

The Newfoundland Memorial at Gueudecourt.

Why this journey?

Private Georges Phillips,
Royal Nfld Regt., #1164

The very first Battlefield blogpost that we wrote a few months ago, covered the tragic story of the Newfoundlanders at Beaumont-Hamel on the 1st of July 1916.

One of the people who reacted to this post was a relative of a Newfoundland soldier, named George Phillips. She was kind enough to share all the research she had done and that was the start of my journey into his footsteps. Literally!

I did not want to reconstruct the actions of the Newfoundlanders or write some historical essay on the battles of the Somme. On the contrary.

I just wanted to visit and photograph the places where this man -George- past his last months among the living, before he went missing on the 12th of October 1916.

Timeline, Private Georges Phillips, Royal Nfld Regt., #1164

Battlefield Photography

I focussed on his story in France and visited the small village of Englebelmer, where he was billeted before the battle of the Somme and practised for the upcoming battle and trench raids. I followed his footsteps in the Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont-Hamel and finally visited the village of Gueudecourt and the fields around it, the place where George went missing during the raid on Hilt trench.

George Phillips' arrival in Englebelmer

Main road of Englebelmer, where the church is situated.

Closer view on the church of Englebelmer.

The town hall of Englebelmer, further on the Main Road.

Englebelmert, Main road to the village Vitermont

Main road to the village Vitermont, which is situated right beside Englebelmert.

Englebelmer. View towards the Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont-Hamel

View towards the Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont-Hamel, taken from the outskirts of Englebelmer.

The battle of Beaumont-Hamel

These are the grounds where George did the trench raids (he was posthumously awarded for his actions) and where he got wounded on 1st of July 1916.

Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel, rainy day, Caribou

Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel, on a rainy day.
The great Caribou watches over the fallen Newfoundlanders.

Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel, Bronze tablet

One of the 3 bronze tablets beneath the Caribou. These bronze tablets carry the names of 820 members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, the Newfoundland Royal Navy Reserve and the Mercantile Marines who gave their lives in the first World War and have no known grave. Private George Phillips was one of them.

Private Georges Phillips,
Royal Nfld Regt., #1164

Source picture (edited): Photo album courtesy of The Rooms Provincial Archives Division (VA-40), St. John's, NL. http://www.heritage.nf.ca/first-world-war/gallery/virtual-scrapbook/index.php

One of the 3 bronze tablets beneath the Caribou, where George Phillips is commemorated.

Danger Tree, Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel

The remains of the Danger Tree, still standing there after al these years. It marks the furthest point of advance of the Newfoundlanders on the July the 1st 1916. View from the Danger Tree, across no man’s land. The Newfoundlanders had to cross this terrain during their attack on the German frontline.

Trenches of the German frontline at Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel.

Trenches of the German frontline.

Closer view of the German trenches.

Trenches at Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel.

View towards the British frontline, taken from the German trenches.

Memoirs of Howard Leopold Morry

Another of our chaps, Philips by name (George Phillips) jumped down among a whole trench full of Germans. All that our chaps could hear were screeches and groans from the trench. They had to leave him there, but he turned up the next evening all rags and blood and wounds. Seems he must have cleared the whole trench and got out and hid in a shell hole till next evening.

Source: http://ngb.chebucto.org/NFREG/WWI/ww1-add-morry726-memoirs.shtml

Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel, View towards Y-Ravine, shell holes

Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel. View towards Y-Ravine. This terrain is covered with shell holes.

Y-ravine, Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel

This is the location of Y-ravine: the home of the German 119 Reserve Infantry Regiment, who were defending Beaumont-Hamel. The infantry, with soldiers having a mining background, made deep dugouts and fortifications into the side of the deep Y-shaped ravine. They sheltered and protected the German soldiers during the bombardments before the attack.

Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel

Terrain over which George Phillips attacked the German frontline.
The danger tree is situated on the right side (outside of this picture).

View towards Hawthorn mine, Sunken Lane, Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel

View towards the location of the Hawthorn mine, which went of on the 1st of July 1916. The explosion of this mine is something that George Phillips must have seen and heard, as he waited in the trenches. The famous Sunken Lane is on the left side of the picture.

View on the Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont Hamel, distance

View on the Newfoundland Memorial Park, taken from the old British Frontline.

Hawthorn Ridge Cemetery nr 1. at Beaumont-Hamel.

The fighting at Gueudecourt

Gueudecourt, Rue de Miraumont. Leading to the center of this small village.

Gueudecourt, town center.

Gueudecourt, town hall.

Site of the old church of Gueudecourt.

Gueudecourt. This main road leads to the Newfoundland Memorial.

The old cemetery of Gueudecourt. The starting positions of the Newfoundland Regiment in the far distance on the right.

Gueudecourt. The starting positions of the Newfoundland Regiment in the far distance on the left. Hilt trench ran across this road.

Gueudecourt. A few shells I found during my short walk in the surrounding fields. Dead is still very present.

Gueudecourt. View from the starting positions of the Newfoundlanders towards Hilt Trench.

Gueudecourt, distance, trees surroundingCaribou Newfoundland Memorial.

Gueudecourt. In the far distance you can see the trees surrounding the Caribou Newfoundland Memorial.

Gueudecourt, Attacking grounds, Newfoundlanders.

Gueudecourt. Attacking grounds of the Newfoundlanders.

Gueudecourt, far distance, sun, Caribou Newfoundland Memorial

Gueudecourt. In the far distance you can see the sun standing above the Caribou Newfoundland Memorial.

Caribou Newfoundland Memorial, old trench line

The Caribou Newfoundland Memorial, with the old trench line behind it.

Its sometimes hard to imagine or understand that so much horror went on here. That these - now so peaceful - fields were filled with the morbid sound of dying or wounded men.

We all see these remains of trenches but we can’t feel the fear they all must have felt, when they waited for the awful sound of the whistle to go over the top. I can imagine that George felt the same fear.

One thing is for sure. We can or may never forget what went on here. Something we owe to them.

After the assault

During the 55 hours between entering the trenches on October 10 1916 and the end of the battle, the Newfoundland Regiment suffered 239 casualties. 120 of these men were killed.

George Phillips was one of them. He would never return to Whitbourne, Newfoundland. His remains are still resting in the French soil near Gueudecourt. He was posthumously awarded with the Military Medal and the Russian Medal of St. George, Third Class, for the bravery he showed at Beaumont-Hamel.

London Gazette, 21 Dec 1916

He displayed conspicuous gallantry in the raid on 27/28 June 1916, south of Beaumont-Hamel. He entered the enemy trench and accounted for several of the enemy single handed. After getting out of the trench he went back again to try and obtain some identification. He remained out all night and had to cut his way back through the enemy's wire. This man also took part in the attack on July 1st and showed great gallantry. He was wounded on this date.

Source: http://www.rnfldr.ca/history.aspx?item=144#Newfoundlanders%20at%20BH

This visit and my whole journey was kind of an emotional and personal thing. A sort of pilgrimage I think. Strange to feel connected with someone you never knew or met.

As I walked down the old trench line, the lyrics of the song The green fields of France kept repeating in my head.

The trenches have vanished long under the plow,
No gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now

Please reply to this post and join us in remembering private George Phillips and all the other soldiers who where killed during the battlefield of the Somme or elsewhere on the front.

Thank you for sharing our blogpost.

Tom and Sarah

Battlefield Photography

Sources
Many thanks to a relative of Newfoundland soldier George Phillips. She was kind enough to share all the research she had done!
https://www.therooms.ca/sites/default/files/phillips_george_1164.pdf
http://www.rnfldr.ca/history.aspx?item=144#Newfoundlanders%20at%20BH
http://ngb.chebucto.org/NFREG/WWI/ww1-add-morry726-memoirs.shtml
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/first-world-war/gallery/virtual-scrapbook/index.php

Want to learn more?

Read more about Private George Phillips' story:
https://www.therooms.ca/sites/default/files/phillips_george_1164.pdf

Check out our blogpost on Beaumont-Hamel:
The tragedy of the Newfoundland Regiment (Photo Blog)

Watch these short movies on The Newfoundland Regiment and its battles

ABOUT OUR BLOG

]]><![CDATA[In memory of Corporal John Edwin Greenwood (Lest we forget)]]>Tue, 15 Aug 2017 22:00:00 GMThttps://www.battlefieldphotography.be/blog/in-memory-of-corporal-john-edwin-greenwood-lest-we-forget

Bridge House at Langemarck-Poelkapelle, WW1

Bridge House today at Langemarck-Poelkapelle, right beside Bridge House Cemetery. It was rebuilt after the war.
It is most likely that Corporal John Edwin Greenwood past time here as it was used as an advanced dressing station
by many units after its capture on July the 31st.

Death and mud

During the battle of Passchendaele, the continuous rain and shelling had changed the battlefield into a deadly pool of mud. It was one big swamp of craters, filled with decomposing bodies. Soldiers who survived the horrors of the great war recalled afterwards that the mud could be as deadly as the bullet from a German gun itself. It could suck you in, deeper and deeper.

When wounded on the battlefield, sometimes the only option was to take cover in such a mud filled crater hoping to be rescued in time. If you didn’t had the luck to be pulled out, you literally drowned.

Collecting the wounded

For a soldier it was strictly forbidden to stop during an attack to save a wounded comrade. Helping and collecting the wounded was a task for the stretcher bearers, who worked in the same conditions as the attacking soldiers. They kept on going back into the fields, unarmed and unprotected, searching for the wounded, with the constant risk of being killed.

In normal circumstances, 2 men were assigned to a stretcher. However, on a muddy battlefield 4 men were required to evacuate the wounded, and in the worst circumstances a total of 6 men was needed.

Stretcher bearers August 1917, Passchendaele

Stretcher bearers in the mud, a daily routine. This famous picture was taken near Boezinge on the 1st of August 1917.
It gives a good view on the daily conditions these men had to work in.
Source: http://media.iwm.org.uk/ciim5/36/333/large_000000.jpg?action=d&cat=photographs

Corporal John Edwin Greenwood

One of these men was Corporal John Edwin Greenwood, killed at age 22 in a Pill Box near Bank Farm, on the 16th of August 1917 - the first day of the battle of Langemarck.

Corporal John Edwin Greenwood, stretcher bearer with the 109th Field Ambulance RAMC. Killed in action on the 16th of August 1917.

He was a Stretcher Bearer with the 109th Field Ambulance RAMC (although the CWGC mentions the 9th FA) and attached to the 36th Ulster division.

He was rewarded with the Military Medal for his heroic actions in 1917 during a fire of an ammunition truck. He is now remembered on the Tyne Cot memorial of the missing, panel 160.

His family has not forgotten John and travelled all the way from Australia to Flanders in order to pay their respect to him today, on the spot where he died 100 years ago. Thanks to Christopher for sending me the picture of his Great uncle.

View from Frezenberg towards Fortuinhoek. Bank farm in the far distance in the middle of the picture. It were in these fields that the 109 FA stretcher bearers searched for wounded soldiers after the attack on the 16th of August.

Bridge House Cemetery at Langemarck-Poelkapelle. The cemetery itself was started by the 59th (North Midland) Division at the end of September 1917. It now contains the graves of 45 soldiers most who felt during the battle of Polygon wood. Right beside Bridge House Cemetery lies Bridge House itself. It was rebuilt after the war. It is most likely that Corporal John Edwin Greenwood past time here as it was used as an advanced dressing station.

Words from the battlefield

Sergeant Robert McKay, who was serving in the same unit as Corporal John Edwin Greenwood, kept a diary. His words give an insight on the daily conditions these men had to work in and and mentions the death of Cpl. Greenwood in his writing.

Diary of Sergeant Robert McKay

6 August
Today awful: was obliged to carry some of the wounded into the graveyard and look on helpless till they died.
Sometimes you could not even obtain a drink of water for them.

7 August
Bringing the wounded down from the front line today. Conditions terrible. The ground is a quagmire. It requires six men to every stretcher. The mud in some cases is up to our waists.

8 August
Ground dried up a little today, noticed the dead lying in every imaginable position in surrounding shell holes.

14 August
One party of stretcher bearers was bringing down a wounded man when an airman swooped down and dropped a bomb deliberately on them. The enemy shells the stretcher-bearers all the time.

15 August - 16 August
The 109 Field ambulance has suffered many casualties. Today the enemy put a shell in through the door of a pill box called Bank fram. Killing practically all inside. Cpl. Greenwood, private Barrett and private Mc Cormick were all killed

The infantry took a few pill-boxes and a line or two of trenches from the enemy in this attack but at a fearful cost. It is only murder attempting to advance against these pill-boxes over such ground. Any number of men fall down wounded and are either smothered in the mud or drowned in the holes of water before we can reach them. We have been working continuously now since the 13th.
The stretcher bearers are done up completely.

19 August
I have had no sleep since I went on the 13th. The 109th Field Ambulance alone had over thirty casualties, killed, wounded and gassed - and this out of one hundred men who were doing the line.

Source: Passchendaele (Philip Warner)

Many battles to come

The Battle of Langemarck itself which started on the day John died was just a small phase in the 105 days of the battle of Passchendaele. Again, many men found their dead in Flanders mud for just little gained ground. Although the fighting kept on going all along the Ypres salient, the next great battle was to happen in September when the push was made towards Polygon wood.

Please reply and let us know if you have any relatives who fought during the battle of Passchendaele.

Thank you for sharing our blogpost!

Sources
Passchendaele (Philip Warner)
Before endeavours fade (Rose E.B.Coombs)
They called it Passchendaele (Lyn Macdonald)
http://www.ramc-ww1.com/profile.php?profile_id=11704
http://guysboroughgreatwarveterans.blogspot.nl/2013/07/stretcher-bearers.html

About our blog

We take you along our photographic journey through the World War battlefields in Belgium and France.

In remembrance of these World Wars, we highlight every month a specific battle, region or regiment.

With our black and white photographs and self written poetry, we share our impression of these historic, heroic and tragic events.

August 2017

From the 31st of July until November the 10th we remember the Battle of Passchendaele and the soldiers who fought and died in Flander’s mud during these 105 days of slaughter.

Discover how we tell the stories behind our black and white pictures from the battle of Pilkem Ridge to the battle of the Menin Road.

Source: http://media.worldbookonline.com/image/upload/f_jpg,w_630,c_limit/content/lr012174.jpg (map edited)

]]><![CDATA[Today we remember gunners MacCulloch and Edwards (Lest we forget)]]>Wed, 02 Aug 2017 13:19:47 GMThttps://www.battlefieldphotography.be/blog/today-we-remember-gunners-macculloch-and-edwards-lest-we-forget

Artillery Wood Cemetery at Boezinge, near Ypres.
In Remembrance of Gunners D. MacCulloch (age 32) and C.W. Edwards (age 28), killed on the 2nd of August 1917.

Today we remember Gunners D. MacCulloch (77524) and C.W. Edwards( 70026) of the 21th Cy, "G" Bn, Tank Corps.

They both died on the 2nd of August at the end of the battle of Pilkem Ridge and are buried side by side at Artillery Wood Cemetery (Boezinge).

D. McCulloch's name is recorded on his family gravestone in Kilbride Churchyard, Lerags, near Oban. His brother, Sergeant Iain Hugh of the Cameron Highlanders, was killed in action on the 29th of september 1915. He is buried at Loos British cemetery. He is also recorded on the same family gravestone.

Many thanks to Liam Griffin for sharing this information.

Please join us in remembering them.

Thank you!

Tom and Sarah

About our blog

We take you along our photographic journey through the World War battlefields in Belgium and France.

In remembrance of these World Wars, we highlight every month a specific battle, region or regiment.

With our black and white photographs and self written poetry, we share our impression of these historic, heroic and tragic events.

August 2017

From the 31st of July until November the 10th we remember the Battle of Passchendaele and the soldiers who fought and died in Flander’s mud during these 105 days of slaughter.

Discover how we tell the stories behind our black and white pictures from the battle of Pilkem Ridge to the battle of the Menin Road.

]]><![CDATA[First day of the battle of Passchendaele: the Boezinge sector (Photo Blog)]]>Sun, 30 Jul 2017 22:00:00 GMThttps://www.battlefieldphotography.be/blog/first-day-of-the-battle-of-passchendaele-the-boezinge-sector-photo-blog

Welsh Cemetery "Caesar's Nose" at Boezinge.

Today, 100 years ago, the battle of Passchendaele began

Break through the German defences. Cut of their supplies.
Push forward towards Zeebrugge and capture the U-boats harbors.
It was as simple as that. Just break through.

A German minelaying submarine at Zeebrugge.
Source: http://media.iwm.org.uk/ciim5/323/41/large_000000.jpg?action=d&cat=photographs

The 3th battle of Ypres began on the 31st of July 1917 after an opening bombardement of ten days. More than 3000 canons fired their deadly spawn upon the German defences.

These same Germans had been expecting an assault and started months before with the building of their famous defense system: all separate lines of bunkers and other strongholds.

The "breakthrough" came 105 days later and the ground gained was only 8 km. The U-boats harbors were never reached. Victory became slaughter instead. A disaster that destroyed a generation, that divided so many dead from the living.

From Boezinge to Pilkem

Boezinge (near Ypres, on the other side of the canal), view on the old railway towards the canal. This railway was the line that separated the Guards division and the 38th division.

A while ago we travelled to the village Boezinge to visit the start positions of the Guards and the 38th Welsh divisions on that 31st of july 1917.

It was a cloudy misty morning and the summer feeling was far away.

Welsh Cemetery "Caesar's Nose"

We started at Welsh Cemetery, Caesar’s Nose. The Cemetery is named after the spot Caesar’s Nose which was part of the German trenches facing the village of Boezinge. It’s one of those small hidden cemeteries, with nothing but the sound of the wind.

Welsh Cemetery "Caesar's Nose" at Boezinge.

Welsh Cemetery "Caesar's Nose" at Boezinge.
The graves of 6 Welsh soldiers.

We were confronted with the graves of 6 Welsh soldiers, buried next to each other. All were killed on the first day of the battle or during the trenchraids in the days before. These raids went on during the night and were essential for getting a clear view on the situation of the German frontline.

We took our time to walk around and my wife Sarah discovered a small stone in the corner of the cemetery . “From South Wales, a little bit of home” was written on it. A very symbolic thing which touched us both that morning.

Welsh Cemetery "Caesar's Nose" at Boezinge.
We discovered a small stone in the corner of the cemetery: “From South Wales, a little bit of home”

Artillery Wood Cemetery

We left the 68 men behind us and travelled towards Artillery wood, a cemetery started by the Guards division after the battle. Artillery wood was right behind the cemetery. German artillery shelled the attackers from these positions.

Artillery Wood Cemetery at Boezinge.

One of the soldiers buried here is the famous poet known as Hed Wyn (private Ellis Humprey Evans).

Artillery Wood Cemetery at Boezinge.

At the end of the war 141 soldiers were buried here. Today, 1307 souls find their last resting place at Artillery Wood Cemetery.

After reading the moving inscriptions and names on the graves, we left Artillery Wood Cemetery and drove of to Goumier Farm.

The capture of Goumier Farm

Now overgrown and hidden behind the cornfield, Goumier Farm is one of the few concrete reminders of the fighting that took place here.

The machine-guns inside the bunker gave hard resistance on the attacking soldiers of the Black Watch. This stronghold was taken on the 31st of July and 20 German soldiers were captured along with their machine-guns.

Goumier Farm at Boezinge.

From the spot of Goumier Farm you have a clear view on the spires of the church of Langemark. The attack would strand in the fields in the far distance, right before the Steenbeek.

Boezinge, view from Goumier Farm towards Langemark.
In the far distance on the right you can see the church of Langemark.

The Ziegler bunker, an impressive stronghold

Another concrete stronghold is the Ziegler bunker, named after the engineer who designed it. Now in open field, but back in 1917 it was hidden between the trees of “wood 16” .

The Ziegler Bunker at Boezinge.

Early in the morning of the 31st of July 1917, it was taken by the French army who attacked on the left side of the British divisions. It’s a pretty unique type of bunker with his 20 meters length.

Even after more then 100 years of ploughing, deadly debris is still present in the fields around Ypres.

The Welsh National Memorial Park

Welsh National Memorial Park at Langemark-Poelkapelle, near Boezinge and Pilkem.

Raised in 2014, the red dragon commemorates the actions of all Welsh men and women involved in the great war and is the first and only national Welsh Great War Memorial outside Wales.

Welsh National Memorial Park at Langemark-Poelkapelle, near Boezinge and Pilkem.

It was near this spot that the poet Hedd Wyn lost his life.
He served in the 15th Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, part of the 38th division.

Private Simon Jones recalled years after the war:

"We started over Canal Bank at Ypres, and he was killed half way across Pilckem. I've heard many say that they were with Hedd Wyn and this and that, well I was with him...
I saw him fall and I can say that it was a nosecap shell in his stomach that killed him. You could tell that... He was going in front of me, and I saw him fall on his knees and grab two fistfuls of dirt... He was dying, of course...
There were stretcher bearers coming up behind us, you see. There was nothing – well, you'd be breaking the rules if you went to help someone who was injured when you were in an attack."

Source: https://museum.wales/articles/2007-04-25/Welsh-bard-falls-in-the-battle-fields-of-Flanders//

Join us in remembering the men who fought and died

The battle of Pilkem ridge was the start of the 3th battle of Ypres. The attack stranded right before the Steenbeek and it would take until the 16th of August before the attack on Langemark could start.

At the end of the Battle of Passchendaele the allied forces lost about 275.000 casualties during 105 days, the Germans about 220.000.

"Dead but not forgotten"
Another moving inscription on a grave at Artillery Wood Cemetery.

Please reply and let us know if you have any relatives who fought during the 3th battle of Ypres.

Thank you for sharing our blogpost!

Sources
Before endeavours fade (Rose E.B.Coombs)
They called it Passchendaele (Lyn Macdonald)
Zeebrugge and Ostend (James W. Stock)
https://museum.wales/articles/2007-04-25/Welsh-bard-falls-in-the-battle-fields-of-Flanders//
http://www.wo1.be/nl/geschiedenis/gastbijdragen/militaire-en-burgerlijke-geschiedenis/de-slag-van-pilkem-de-gebeurtenissen-van-31-juli-1917-op-het-grondgebied-boezin

About our blog

We take you along our photographic journey through the World War battlefields in Belgium and France.

In remembrance of these World Wars, we highlight every month a specific battle, region or regiment.

With our black and white photographs and self written poetry, we share our impression of these historic, heroic and tragic events.

August 2017

From the 31st of July until November the 10th we remember the Battle of Passchendaele and the soldiers who fought and died in Flander’s mud during these 105 days of slaughter.

Discover how we tell the stories behind our black and white pictures from the battle of Pilkem Ridge to the battle of the Menin Road.

Source: http://media.worldbookonline.com/image/upload/f_jpg,w_630,c_limit/content/lr012174.jpg (map edited)

]]><![CDATA[The hurling battles of the Somme (Poetry)]]>Sat, 29 Jul 2017 16:43:24 GMThttps://www.battlefieldphotography.be/blog/the-hurling-battles-of-the-somme-poetry

Hordes of storm and splitting steel

the morbid pools of bones and blood

the hallucinant sight of skin on the trees

like drying laundry of an absence god

In the smoke, mud and fire

plays the macabre scene of death

Bodies decorated with barbwire

parts of thousands that lay spread

Like pieces on a scattered chessboard

but no kings or queens to be seen

Justitia ripped from her scale and sword

the perfection of a war machine

Hear the dark unfinished symphony of death

the devil's orchestra has just begon

Machine gun crescendos and burning led

The hurling battles of the Somme

Tom Bruelemans - Battlefield Photography

About our blog

We take you along our photographic journey through the World War battlefields in Belgium and France.
In remembrance of these World Wars,
we will highlight every month a specific event, battle, region or regiment.

July 2017

In July, we honor the men who fought and died during the battle of the Somme. Follow our page on Facebook and discover how we tell the stories behind our pictures of Beaumont-Hamel, Mametz wood, Delville wood and Pozières.

]]>

A journey in George's footsteps

The arrival at the Western Front

Short stay in Trescault

In the lines at Ribécourt

Start of the German Spring Offensive

Behind the lines

Back in the frontline at Mesnil

The final stand

Lonsdale cemetery at Authuille

Join us in remembering George Theodore Snelling

ABOUT OUR BLOG

An able seaman on land

The attack on October 26

Bray and Varlet Farm after the war

Tyne Cot Cemetery

Join us in remembering William Edward Hipkiss

ABOUT OUR BLOG

Sydney Edmund Ellis' short time in the line

Anzac Ridge today

Hooge Crater Cemetery, his final resting place

Lest we forget

Never miss a blogpost!

ABOUT OUR BLOG

Why this journey?

George Phillips' arrival in Englebelmer

The battle of Beaumont-Hamel

The fighting at Gueudecourt

After the assault

Never miss a blogpost

Want to learn more?

ABOUT OUR BLOG

Death and mud

Collecting the wounded

Corporal John Edwin Greenwood

Words from the battlefield

Many battles to come

Never miss a blogpost!

About our blog

August 2017

About our blog

August 2017

Never miss a blogpost!

Today, 100 years ago, the battle of Passchendaele began

From Boezinge to Pilkem

Welsh Cemetery "Caesar's Nose"

Artillery Wood Cemetery

The capture of Goumier Farm

The Ziegler bunker, an impressive stronghold

The Welsh National Memorial Park

Join us in remembering the men who fought and died

Never miss a blogpost!

About our blog

August 2017

About our blog

July 2017