Shells and shell holes.
Trenches.
Even shattered tree stumps, now a shrine for tourists or pilgrims.
These trenches appear to be part of the British front line system as it wound its way through the southern part of Sanctuary Wood towards Hill 62 in 1916 and 1917.
When we were younger, so much younger than today…
Early German gravestones…
…and another surviving, if that’s the right word, tree stump.
I have read that these shattered tree trunks are evidence of the preparatory bombardment unleashed by the Germans on the Canadian positions hereabouts on 2nd June 1916 before their successful assault on Hills 61 & 62 and Mount Sorrel.
My great-uncle, Pte. Farquhar McLennan was killed in action on June 13, 1916 – battle of Mt Sorrel. He shall not grow old – we shall remember them.
And buried in Bedford House Cemetery, if I am correct Rick. You’ll find a load of photos of Bedford House elsewhere on my site. Either use the search box, or check out the Zillebeke category (A Tour of Zillebeke (South) Part One).
Yes, buried at Bedford House Cemetery. I hope to be the first of his family to visit the site in the near future.
Good for you. Hope you have a good trip.
Hi again a year later. I have a question that you might be able to answer about the battle in Sanctuary Wood in June 1916. After doing some research about the 58th Battalion, COR, I found that my great uncle was indeed killed in action in the counter-attack on June 13th, 1916 in Sanctuary Wood not Mt. Sorrel. I have seen his battalion war diary and a hand drawn battle map from our national archives. I know from the diary the names of some of the trenches that his company occupied during that battle. Warrington Ave and Gourock Rd. were two of the trenches and can be seen on the map very close to where the Museum now stands. Did you see in your visit to Sanctuary Wood Museum and the trenches nearby if any of those remaining trenches are identified by name? I would like to send you a photo of the battalion map if possible.
Hi Rick. If you don’t mind me emailing you off-post then you could send me the map, which, you can be assured, I would very much like to see. Lmk if that’s ok.
And as and when John reads this comment, and I suspect he certainly will, then he might have some ideas. I don’t remember seeing any names, but I do remember, a year or two back, finding something on the web where the names of the Sanctuary Wood trenches were discussed. Or at least potential names. I wonder if it was on the Great War Forum? I shall look into it next week when I get home.
Hi again. I am sorry, I just realized that you already have the map in your site. I was doing a side by side comparison of the map and a Google Earth photo from above. It is not difficult to trace back from Maple Copse along Durham Lane and down Canadalaan to where the Museum now resides. The trenches can be seen in the Google photo. Those trenches are very close to Warrington Ave. and Gourock Rd. were located according to the map. my 94 yr. old Aunt was telling me last summer about the circumstances of Pte. McLennan’s death on June 13th, 1916( as told by her mother). I have photo-copies of his attestation papers and burial report from the 58th Battalion plus copies of the battalion War Diaries for those few horrible days. I could send those if you wish.
cheers
Rick
Hey, you know me, I’d be more than interested to see them! I shall mail you.
Yes, please do, and i will send you the info.
cheers,
Rick
I with some research ordered a CD from Archives Canada with both of my great uncles Service records burned onto it in PDF. I’ve found the Archives reference # for Private Farquhar McLennan’s records :
LAC Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 7067-12
And, a link to a book on the 58th Battalion if you have not already found same :
http://www.dundurn.com/books/second_none
Sorry if the link triggers Baldricks spam alarm. I’ll just owe him another beer.
Rick if you have been through the South of Zillibeke section of our host’s site you might have noticed some of my references to my great uncle James Howard Allan killed in action close by in front of Hill 60 on the 13th June as well. He and his brother Arthur enlisted in the 34th Battalion at Sarnia, and were seconded in the field to the 7th Battalion (BC Regt.) Arthur was lost NWest of Courcellette, Somme Sept 27th 1916.
The Law surname triggers a query. Any relation to a gentleman named Law who taught at Queen’s Univ. ?
No relation, I am afraid. Law is a Scottish name – Clan MacLaren – the name is actually a contraction of the name Lawrence. I retired last June after 34 yrs. of teaching math & statistics at Humber College in Toronto.
John, if you contact the Sargent-At-Arms at Parliament Hill you can order (free of charge) a copy of the page from the Book of Remembrance that has your great-uncle’s name. Each day the page is turned revealing another set of names to be seen by the public.