Comments on: Battle of Messines http://www.awm.gov.au/blog/2007/04/11/battle-of-messines/ Blog Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:01:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Carol Sutherland http://www.awm.gov.au/blog/2007/04/11/battle-of-messines/comment-page-1/#comment-6484 Carol Sutherland Sun, 24 Apr 2011 08:31:41 +0000 http://blogdev.awm.gov.au/1917/?p=37#comment-6484 My Great Grandfather, Victor Reginald Shalders, was awarded a Military Medal during this battle for 'conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty'. He was a runner attached to company headquarters, conveying messages under heavy shell fire, and apparently he did this always with cheerfulness and later severley blistered feet. He also assisted in evacuating casualties by warning stretcher beareres in the area. Tomorrow is Anzac Day and I feel so proud of my great grandfather for having such admiral qualities in what sounds like a terrifying, yet important battle. My Great Grandfather, Victor Reginald Shalders, was awarded a Military Medal during this battle for ‘conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty’. He was a runner attached to company headquarters, conveying messages under heavy shell fire, and apparently he did this always with cheerfulness and later severley blistered feet. He also assisted in evacuating casualties by warning stretcher beareres in the area. Tomorrow is Anzac Day and I feel so proud of my great grandfather for having such admiral qualities in what sounds like a terrifying, yet important battle.

]]> By: Michael Freudenberg http://www.awm.gov.au/blog/2007/04/11/battle-of-messines/comment-page-1/#comment-1928 Michael Freudenberg Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:09:00 +0000 http://blogdev.awm.gov.au/1917/?p=37#comment-1928 My Great Grandfathers brother Berthold Christian Freudenberg was kill in this battle on the 07/06/1917. He was under 4th Division, 13th Brigade, 49th Battalion (Queensland) 7th Reinforcments. My Great Grandfathers brother Berthold Christian Freudenberg was kill in this battle on the 07/06/1917.
He was under 4th Division, 13th Brigade, 49th Battalion (Queensland) 7th Reinforcments.

]]> By: Aaron Pegram http://www.awm.gov.au/blog/2007/04/11/battle-of-messines/comment-page-1/#comment-1593 Aaron Pegram Mon, 03 Sep 2007 03:42:39 +0000 http://blogdev.awm.gov.au/1917/?p=37#comment-1593 I was at Messines Ridge in April and was fortunate enough to have a local take me around the battlefield. She was telling me that in the 1950s, a farmer had been plowing his field when he came across some wires. A good hard yank and one of the unexploded mines went up. Most of the craters have been filled in now, but on one farm we saw two being put to good use as drinking points for dairy. She was also telling me this whilst we were looking at a paddock which was overgrown with blackberry bushes in an otherwise well manicured landscape near Bayernwald. I asked her why that one little section was not farmed, and apparently there are too many gas shells in this one area and is extremely dangerous to farm. Rather than risk uncovering them, the paddock is fenced off and nobody is allowed to enter. I was at Messines Ridge in April and was fortunate enough to have a local take me around the battlefield. She was telling me that in the 1950s, a farmer had been plowing his field when he came across some wires. A good hard yank and one of the unexploded mines went up. Most of the craters have been filled in now, but on one farm we saw two being put to good use as drinking points for dairy.

She was also telling me this whilst we were looking at a paddock which was overgrown with blackberry bushes in an otherwise well manicured landscape near Bayernwald. I asked her why that one little section was not farmed, and apparently there are too many gas shells in this one area and is extremely dangerous to farm. Rather than risk uncovering them, the paddock is fenced off and nobody is allowed to enter.

]]>