Christopher Jack Posted 24 January , 2020 Share Posted 24 January , 2020 I visited the Bank Farm area in 2017 commemorating the 100yr of the death of my Great Uncle. Diary extracts from a Sgt in 109th FA RAMC said he was killed when an enemy shell hit the Pillbox they were sheltering in. The Pillbox was supposedly called Bank Farm. Could I correctly guess that the Pillbox would have been named after the Farm it was captured on? John Edwin Greenwood MM (109 FA RAMC) was KIA on 16 Aug 1917 (Battle of Langmark) He is remembered at panel 160 Tyne Cot. Other sources have told me that on the 16 Aug 1917 the 109th FA RAMC lost only 3 men and that the 3 men are now buried at New Irish Farm Cemetery. One Officer (named) and two RAMC men 'Known only unto God' I would love to search some more to see if one of these men could in fact be JE Greenwood. Any info on Pillbox Bank Farm would be most appreciated. Kind regards Chris Wright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteStarLine Posted 24 January , 2020 Share Posted 24 January , 2020 Hi Chris, it might be a question of semantics but a farm would have room for several pillboxes and it looks as though there were at least 3 farm buildings, so I would class Bank Farm as the defended military locality and the pillbox at Bank Farm (if there was only 1) could also have been termed "Bank Farm Pillbox". I assume that is your details quoted on http://www.battlefieldphotography.be/blog/in-memory-of-corporal-john-edwin-greenwood-lest-we-forget - what a great site! If you got to Bank Farm to pay your respects, then you would have been so close to the exact site he was killed, so well done. The WW1 site of Bank Farm was ~ 150 metres SW of the modern farm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Jack Posted 27 January , 2020 Author Share Posted 27 January , 2020 Many thanks for detail regarding the WW1 location of the farm. I guess the driveway to the farm was as close as I would likely get! I am heading back this year and next, so all being well I can dig a little deeper for more clues between now and then. Looking at the detail on the trench map you attached, could I confirm what the x represents? I suspect Trench maps/books of the battlefields would be hard to access. Would you know if the Aust War Memorial would hold them for viewing? In any case the detail you have given will definitely help me piece the puzzle. Who knows, maybe one day I might get the pillbox (if it still stands). Thanks again. Kind regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteStarLine Posted 27 January , 2020 Share Posted 27 January , 2020 Chris, the series of red Xes mark barbed wire entanglements. It is a pattern of wire entanglements so each x does not represent an exact location. However, if you scout around you will usually find little bits of left over remnants even after 100 years. Here are some of the main symbols - sing out for any more help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Jack Posted 27 January , 2020 Author Share Posted 27 January , 2020 Many thanks, that is most appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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