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Remembered Today:

Woodcote farm/House origins


David_Blanchard

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Gathering information with regard to Woodcote Farm/House, south of Shrapnel Corner, Ypres Salient. Any help with origins of the farm would be appreciated. Additionally any images of the house either before or during the war would be appreciated. 
 

It would appear the farm or house was used as an Advanced Dressing Station in preparation for the Messines Offensive. It took 3 months to build in early 1917 (thanks to @mebu for information). The War Diary of the 520 Field Company RE has two plans of the new dressing station.  The main Advanced Dressing Station at Bedford House became the HQ for brigades of the 47 Division before the Messines attack and was no longer used as a dressing station. 

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78571A73-89C8-43CC-991A-451317ACC6BD.jpeg

Edited by David_Blanchard
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The only images I can find of Woodcote House are by Corporal A R Watt of the 69 Field Ambulance. 

439837E6-850E-4F4B-89DA-9A216EC06572.jpeg

3EBD6522-1513-4A6A-8457-00DBE40A486C.jpeg

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Hi,

Attached is a fragment of a trench map of June 7, 1918.
At wood cote house you see the triangular (trench?).
I don't know if things are already known about that and if you also want to know more? If so, maybe put it on your subject name.
@WhiteStarLine can you maybe help further ?  He has already brought me many trench maps and aerial photographs and maybe he has some of this area too?

Arne

woodcote house.jpg

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10 hours ago, Arne Vandendriessche said:

aerial photographs and maybe he has some of this area too?

Here is an aerial showing Woodcote House and a grainy enlargement that reveals a little more detail.  Click to enlarge.  Courtesy WFA / IWM , tMapper and NLS.  Photo extract from 1-Jun-18 Zillebeke Lake to Voormezeele 10 Sqd. RAF

image.png.e44ddcc9f3002fb46b6d78b9a1657d91.png

image.png.1ef8ffd5435d0a8fcd5325e64e319e0c.png

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On 01/09/2021 at 19:41, David_Blanchard said:

Gathering information with regard to Woodcote Farm/House, south of Shrapnel Corner, Ypres Salient. Any help with origins of the farm would be appreciated. Additionally any images of the house either before or during the war would be appreciated.

Hi David and all, I have been having a search and a think on this one. Not a lot to go on via the internet, also someone has erroneously assumed that Woodcote House is the same place as Bedford House and other nearby locations. This has been copied by others so it is quite misleading. We know that Woodcote house is marked on trench maps along with Bedford House and other named houses/farms as separate places in the Ypres Salient. My thoughts are, who or what is Woodcote House named after. Is it someones home in Blighty or a school. Perhaps the surname of an Officer or a town? I suppose finding the regiments that were here early on in the war may give us an answer, lots of searching in war diaries! Regards, Bob.

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On 01/09/2021 at 19:41, David_Blanchard said:

Gathering information with regard to Woodcote Farm/House,

After a bit more searching, Woodcote park in Surrey came to my notice. It seems as it was turned into a large Barracks/training ground in 1914 and subsequently a convalescent hospital. So from that Woodcote park, Epson, Surrey may hold a clue? Here is a link to what I found; https://eehe.org.uk/?p=25040

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  • 2 months later...
On 01/09/2021 at 19:41, David_Blanchard said:

Gathering information with regard to Woodcote Farm/House,

While looking for other things I came across two mentions to Woodcote House with grid references, in the War Diary of the 139th Infantry Brigade 1915. Brigade HQ at Woodcote House grid (sheet 28NW) I 20 c 5.2. August 21st 1915 and September 30th 1915.  War Diary WO 95 2692-1    Regards, Bob.   Link; https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14055310

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  • 1 year later...
On 02/09/2021 at 16:48, Arne Vandendriessche said:

Hi,

Attached is a fragment of a trench map of June 7, 1918.
At wood cote house you see the triangular (trench?).
I don't know if things are already known about that and if you also want to know more? If so, maybe put it on your subject name.
@WhiteStarLine can you maybe help further ?  He has already brought me many trench maps and aerial photographs and maybe he has some of this area too?

Arne

woodcote house.jpg

@Arne Vandendriessche I know this post is from last year, but I wonder if you have a link to the whole of this trench map?

 

David 

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