Polygon Wood- September 1917

I had the privilege of walking the ground that was covered by the attack of the 5th Australian Division in September of 1917. I started at the point known as Black Watch Corner and walked along a track that followed the path of the 5th Division's assault.

The capture of this wood by the Australians and the neaby by town of Zonnebeke by the 4th Australian Division enabled British and Canadian troops to then advance on Passchendaele. The battle of Polygon Wood was the I ANZAC component of a larger British and dominion operation staged as part of the third battle of Ypres. This operation was the second of the "Plumer battles", a serious of well-planned, limited advances supported by large volumes of artillery, masterminded by the British general Herbert Plumer. The name "Polygon Wood" derived from a young plantation forest that lay along I ANZAC's axis of advance.





The Forest Today......there was no undergrowth in 1917 and just a few shattered tree stumps.

Hill 60- Outskirts of the Ypres Salient 1917

The Crater at Hill 60

As part of the opening moves of the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917 miners detonated a massive explosion under the German position on Hill 60 ( as depicted in the recent movie). Now this hole has to be seen to be believed!

The Crater

Pointe du Hoc....not in scale but for real!

Now I know that I have dedicated this Blog to the Brothers and our gaming but I thought many of you might be interested in a place I recently visited- and it's why I haven't blogged for a while. I was lucky enough to get to Europe recently and visit the Normandy beaches...and my first stop was Pointe du Hoc. So I hope you'll all forgive my departure from the regular stuff!

This is Point Du Hoc, just near Omaha Beach in Normandy...captured on the 6th of June 1944 by the 2nd Ranger Battalion under Colonel James Earl Rudder. Of the 225 men, 90 were still on their feet when they were finally relieved 2 days later.

The remains of an Ack Ack mounting