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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Private Dancox VC


Glenn

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As part of a Battlefield tour for Army Recruits I need to explain the actions of Private Dancox VC. Apart from his citation and regiment, the information I have is rather patchy. Could anybody please furnish me with any additional information about his life, etc?

Many thanks,

Glenn

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Try this book :- VCs of the First World War - Passchendaele 1917 (Stephen Snelling, 1998) Detailed biography and action account.

Terry

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Also very well represented in Stacke's Worcestershire Regiment in the Great War.

As I remember, the regimental museum in Worcester holds the VC?? It certainly has a diorama of the action.

Perhaps someone will give the web address of the VC website which also has plenty of info.

Simon

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From memory this action took place near Langemarck, and not at Boesinghe as stated in the citation. I once took a family back to Ypres who had lost a relative in this action with 4/Worc; am pretty sure it was along the Ypres-Roulers railway line (which is now a cycle) path NE of Langemarck.

I will see if I can find my notes on this, but my main source would have been the Worcesters history which covered it well.

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Paul,

I seem to remember that you helped identify the exact scene of the Dancox VC along that railway line/cycle track during the planning of my battlefields tour last year. I shall consult my notes-unfortunately we never got round to walking to the scene owing to heavy rain on the first evening of the tour. The Holts in one of their books describe his exploit taking place in what is now the German cemetery at Langemark which is certainly wrong but has confused a lot of people.

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McCarthy 'Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account' identifies the action as taking place at Namur Crossing, which is indeed on the line of the old railway line (now a cycle track/bridleway) north east of Langemarck. The spot should be fairly easily identifiable as the first major intersection of tracks along the cycle route after turning right onto the bed of the old railway line in the northern outskirts of Langemarck.

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From personal experience can I recommend a cycle tour of that part of the Salient, a fantastic way of appreciating the ground. The Korenbloom in Langemarck does excellent Croques Monsieurs and beers (naturally!) including the marvellous 'Passendale'.

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