[jasmor58]

I am hoping to locate a bunker position of the First World War for personal research. The only details I have are from a book A History of 154 Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery, France 1916 -19 by M.C. walker.
The book describes to position as follows.
"A rough description of our position may give some idea of how we were situated. The guns were placed in enchelon alongside the road running from Shrapnel corner to Zillebeke Village, or rather the remains of it. Our exact location was at a point known as Manor Halt, where the Ypres-Comines railway crossed the road. To the east and south lay the chain of hills composing the Ypres Ridge, Stirling Castle, Mount Sorrel and Sanctuary Wood were the most prominent features. On the left flank was Zillebeke Lake, a a wide expanse of water nearly a square mile in area. A deep mined dugout under the road with two entrances formed theaccommodation for all the gunners. The remains of Manor Farm, strengthened with concrete and iron, served as a BC post and officers' quarters combined. This building was rather unique as it contained no less than nine dugouts, all of which were connected up with each other."

Question. Would this position be shown on trench maps? If so, which one?

Is it possible that anything remains of this position?

Would greatly appreciate any information or guidance on this subject.
Regards,
Jasmor58

ne?

[Jef]

I am hoping to locate a bunker position of the First World War for personal research. The only details I have are from a book A History of 154 Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery, France 1916 -19 by M.C. walker.
The book describes to position as follows.
"A rough description of our position may give some idea of how we were situated. The guns were placed in enchelon alongside the road running from Shrapnel corner to Zillebeke Village, or rather the remains of it. Our exact location was at a point known as Manor Halt, where the Ypres-Comines railway crossed the road. To the east and south lay the chain of hills composing the Ypres Ridge, Stirling Castle, Mount Sorrel and Sanctuary Wood were the most prominent features. On the left flank was Zillebeke Lake, a a wide expanse of water nearly a square mile in area. A deep mined dugout under the road with two entrances formed theaccommodation for all the gunners. The remains of Manor Farm, strengthened with concrete and iron, served as a BC post and officers' quarters combined. This building was rather unique as it contained no less than nine dugouts, all of which were connected up with each other."

Question. Would this position be shown on trench maps? If so, which one?

Is it possible that anything remains of this position?

Would greatly appreciate any information or guidance on this subject.
Regards,
Jasmor58

ne?

Hello Jasmor,
Attached you will find a scan of a copy of a trench map. It is taken from sheet 28 NW, Ordnance Survey April 1917. Maybe another map dated 1918 might give more information?
Next time i'm in the yper area i will visit the place to see if there still are remains of the bunkers you mentioned.
With kind regards from Flanders,
Jef
 Manor_Farm.jpg (13.03K)
Number of downloads: 2

[Jef]

 Manor_Farm2.jpg (11.92K)
Number of downloads: 1
Sorry Jasmore,
It seems my second attempt to post a clear pic failed again. I took the scan from an 7/10 scale reproduction of the original. I'm sure if you are able to find an original Sheet 28 NW or a CD with trench maps you would see more details.
Anyway hope this is helpful,
Jef

Attached File(s)

•  Manor_Farm2.jpg (17.19K)
  Number of downloads: 1

[jasmor58]

Thanks Jeff. That is better than I had hoped for. My interest i this is that my father -in-law was awarded a Military Medal for an action at Manor Farm. Hope to visit the area later this year or early next year.
Regards and thanks,
jasmor58

[Taz]

There is a sketch of a few gun positions in the Zillebeke village area in the link below, they are covering the Maple Copse and Sanctuary Wood area.


http://myweb.tiscali...pires/Diary.htm


"Thence, by field tracks, we crossed the Lille road a few yards north of Shrapnel Corner, and leaving on our left the long, low, red buildings of the "Ecole de Bienfaisance," reached Zillebeke Lake close to the white house at the N.W. corner. The lake is triangular and entirely artificial, being surrounded by a broad causeway, 6 feet high, with a pathway along the top. On the western edge the ground falls away, leaving a bank some twenty feet high, in which were built the "Lake Dug-outs,"?the home of one of the support battalions. From the corner house to the trenches there were two routes, one by the south side of the Lake, past Railway Dug-outs?cut into the embankment of the Comines Railway?and Manor Farm to Square Wood; the other, which we followed, along the North side of the Lake, where a trench cut into the causeway gave us cover from observation from "Hill 60." At Zillebeke we left the trench, and crossed the main road at the double, on account of a machine gun which the Boche kept at the "Hill 60" end of it, and kept moving until past the Church?another unpleasant locality. Thence a screened track led to Maple Copse, an isolated little wood with several dug-outs in it, and on to Sanctuary Wood, which we found 400 yards further East. Here in dug-outs lived the Supports, for whom at this time was no fighting accommodation except one or two absurdly miniature keeps. At the corner of the larger wood we passed the Ration Dump, and then, leaving this on our left, turned into Armagh Wood on our right.



Regards Eddie

This post has been edited by Taz: 20 April 2008 - 22:05

[jasmor58]

Eddie,
Thanks for the info - another brilliant response to my question.
Thanks,
Jasmor58