The Plugstreet Archaeological Project 9th Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment

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9th Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment served with the 11th Division near the Peckham House, Spanbroekmolen and Kruisstraat mines, during the 1917 Battle of Messines.

Those who served with the 9th Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment at The Battle of Messines.

Massacre on the Marne: The Life and Death of the 2/5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment in the Great War Fraser Skirrow Reconstructs the experiences of a small closely knit group of fighting men - the 2/5th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment - in the Great War. These men were not elite regular troops or Kitcheners' Men - they were Territorials. In many ways, they were typical of the men who fought on the Western Front. Massacre on the Marne presents fascinating insights into the First World War. It gives a "warts and all" view of the often chaotic preparations and challenges of mobilising an army. It tells the personal stories of ordinary men caught up in this great conflict. The book is scholarly and detailed but also presents a gripping and engaging view of what the Great War would have been like for typical soldiers. This book is a timely reminder of the horrific conflict that is now disappearing from living memory. I thoroughly recommend it, not only for those with an existing interest in the period, but also for anyone who wants to understand the First World War from the viewpoint of the indi More information on: Massacre on the Marne: The Life and Death of the 2/5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment in the Great War

Beneath Hill 60 [DVD] BENEATH HILL 60 tells the extraordinary true story of Oliver Woodward, the legendary Australian metal scientist. In 1916, Woodward faced the most difficult decision, ultimately having to separate from his new young love for the deadly carnage of the Western Front. On treacherous territory, behind the German enemy lines, Woodward and his secret platoon of Australian tunnelers face a suicidal battle to defend a leaking, tunnel system. A tunnel packed with enough high explosives to change the course of the War. More information on: Beneath Hill 60 [DVD]

Hill 60: Ypres (Battleground Europe) Nigel Cave The shell-ravaged landscape of Hill 60, some three miles south east of Ypres, conceals a labyrinth of tu nnels and underground workings. This book offers a guide to the memorials, cemeteries and museums at the site ' More information on: Hill 60: Ypres (Battleground Europe)

Beneath Hill 60 [Paperback] Will Davies 'Ten seconds, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one - fire! Down goes the firing switch. At first, nothing. Then from deep down there comes a low rumble, and it as if the world is spliting apart...' On 7th June 1917, nineteen massive mines exploded beneath Messines Ridge near Ypres. The largest man-made explosion in history up until that point shattered the landscape and smashed open the German lines. Ten thousand German soldiers died. Two of the mines - at Hill 60 and the Caterpillar - were fired by men of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company, comprising miners and engineers rather than parade-ground soldiers. Drawing on the diaries of one of the key combatants, "Benealth Hill 60" tells the little-known, devastatingly brutal true story of this subterranean war waged beneath the Western Front - a stygian battle-ground where men drowned in viscous chalk, suffocated in the blue gray clay, choked on poisonous air or died in the darkness, caught up up in vicious hand-to-han More information on: Beneath Hill 60 [Paperback]

Twelve Days on the Somme: A Memoir of the Trenches, 1916 Sidney Rogerson Sidney Rogerson has put down, plainly and simply, the experiences of his battalion. There is no attempt to compass drama by any device of selection or exaggeration --The Observer A more genuine and unbiased account of trench warfare would be hard to find --The Sunday Times Memoirs of a British subaltern first published in 1933; vivid descriptions without embellishment of life on the front lines written by a survivor of the 1916 Somme offensive. Unabashedly intended as an antidote to the usual downbeat 1930's war memoir. --Western Front Association A joint operation between Britain and France in 1916, the Battle of the Somme was an attempt to gain territory and dent Germany s military strength. By the end of the action, very little ground had been won: the Allied Forces had made just 12km. For this slight gain, a more than a million lives were lost. There were more than 400,000 British, 200,000 French, and 500,000 German casualities during the fighting. Twelve Days on the Somme More information on: Twelve Days on the Somme: A Memoir of the Trenches, 1916

If you know of anyone who served with this unit at the Battle of Messines, please complete the form below so that they can be remembered. Required fields are marked *                      Surname:             * Of the veteran.. First Name:          Middle Name(s): Nick Name:        Rank:                  Galantry Awards: DSO, MID etc. Service Number: Service:               * British Army/AIF/NZ/RFC/Civilian. etc. Unit:                     Regiment/Squadron etc. Sub unit:              Battalion/Section/Flight/etc. Home:                 prewar address/town/village Date of Death,     if during the war. Web Link,           If you have a webpage about your relative please provide the address. Please tell us about your relative: name of submitter:* Your name. email:                   @ Please type in the code shown here:   If you are unable to read the code please click here. If you have any photographs please scan or digitally photograph your orginials and send a copy by email attachment. NB. All entries are checked manually before appearing online to prevent spam and inappropriate content. There will be a delay before your submission appears on the website.