Sunday WW1 Remembered....

The Battle of Polygon Wood

26 September - 3rd October 1917

The Battle of Polygon Wood took place during the second phase of the Third Battle of Ypres in World War I and was fought near Ypres in Belgium 26 September – 3 October 1917, in the area from the Menin road to Polygon Wood and north towards the area beyond St Julien.

The name Polygon Wood was derived from the shape of a plantation forest that lay along the axis of the Australian advance on 26 September 1917. The wood was sometimes known as Racecourse Wood, as there was a track within it. Before the Great War, Polygon Wood was used by the Belgian Army and within it stands a large mound, known as the Butte, which was used as a rifle range; there was also a small airfield near the area.

Though smaller than in 1917, Polygon Wood is still large; the remains of three German pillboxes captured by the Australians lie deep among the trees but few trench lines remain. The Butte is still prominent and mounted on top of it is the 5th Australian Divisional memorial. There are two Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemeteries in the vicinity of Polygon Wood, the CWGC Polygon Wood Cemetery and the CWGC Buttes New British Cemetery. Within Buttes New British Cemetery is the CWGC Polygon Wood New Zealand Memorial to the Missing.

Source:Wikipedia

A wrecked German concrete observation post, 26 September 1917, seen during the Battle of Polygon Wood part of the Battle of Passchendaele.

Photograph : Brooks, Ernest ( Lieutenant)
Imperial War Museum
© IWM (Q 2908)

Motorised transport on the Ypres-Zonnebeck road, alongside which wrecked transport are seen with their split loads of shells, etc. 30 September 1917, during the Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. In the background men are filling in shell-holes.

Photograph : Brooks, Ernest ( Lieutenant)
Imperial War Museum
© IWM (Q 2917)

Battle of Polygon Wood 26 September - 3 October: Members of the 13th Australian Field Ambulance sheltering in funk holes along Anzac Ridge.

Photograph : Australian Official Photographer
Imperial War Museum
© IWM (E(AUS) 839)

As always, I am indebted to the Imperial War Museum for the opportunity to share these fascinating photographs taken at the time by WW1 photographers.

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