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Remembered Today:

Hill 60 or The Bluff? Photograph.


David_Blanchard

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I recently acquired this photograph of Hohe 60. (Hill 60) Other folk seem to think this is mid-attributed and think it’s of the The Bluff. I am open minded about this. Any thoughts?

 

David 

 

B512C9C6-0096-4E22-8D0E-0785DD844C57.jpeg

Edited by David_Blanchard
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Hello,

I know it's the "Große Bastion", which is German for the Bluff. It's an often encountered German photo.

Jan

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This particular picture was made into a photocard, which can be very easily found. I have it 2 or 3 times still myself.

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Ok, as I said I am open minded. This is a photograph of the railway at Hill 60 from the from the British side- is it not conceivable that German shelters could be lodged in the embankment? 

68A814EC-AEEE-4BD0-A2DA-6333E800D26D.jpeg

Edited by David_Blanchard
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Hello David, there is a thread which may interest you here, as Jan says quite easily found, thank you Jan.

 

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Very odd, but if you do a reverse image search on Google, the place is claimed to be Hooge Crater. Who knows who copies or quotes who.

Tineye gives similar results.

Howard

Edited by Howard
Added Tineye
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Just now, Howard said:

Very odd, but if you do a reverse image search on Google, the place is claimed to be Hooge Crater. Who knows who copies or quotes who.

Howard

Odd? Well, if one believes google is a trustworthy source...

The picture has been said to be all kinds of craters, but it really is the Bluff. It is all the more clear when one knows the series this picture is from. The series (made in the first half of 1916) has been published by the 27. Infanterie-Division, this pic as number 96a. Numbers 90 to 93 show British POWs from the fighting at the Bluff in february/March 1916...

I have been digging in the Württemberg archives but unfortunately I couldn't find exact descriptions of the different pics, but they were published on a rather large scale, with sometimes correct and sometimes incorrect writing. It wasn't that abnormal for German photocards to have incorrect descriptions on the back as I would assume they were only for sale after some time and memory often played tricks as well.

Jan

 

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It is not that Google is trustworthy, it merely points to web sources. It is those web sources that may not be trustworthy if the author simply copied from other websites- a very common practice. However, it is always worth looking as they just might provide some clues for further research even if wrong.

Howard

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On 09/11/2022 at 09:30, David_Blanchard said:

Ok, as I said I am open minded. This is a photograph of the railway at Hill 60 from the from the British side- is it not conceivable that German shelters could be lodged in the embankment? 

68A814EC-AEEE-4BD0-A2DA-6333E800D26D.jpeg

Fascinating image. Is this close to the location of 'Immovable Drive' trench? - recently captured German Communication line.

A pretty hot place to be in June 1917 (!!) and where 12th Bn (Pioneers) Sherwood Foresters Suffered their most costly day(s) of the war. 

On 21st June 1917 A Coy managed to dig 300yds of trench on this line. This whole area must of been a complete devastation after the mines detonated.

 

Screenshot 2022-11-10 at 16.21.09.png

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No, I am afraid it’s further north, it’s the bridge over the railway just to the east of Hill 60 near to the Caterpillar crater. It’s from Hugh Shipman’s book ‘Palingbeek 1915’

 

 

David 

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David

The August 1915 WD of 17 Div HQ GS has this 1:5 000 map of The Bluff. The map is dated March 1915. Might be of interest.

Courtesy TNA WO 95/1980.

Brian

1980.jpg

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Interesting photo of the bridge; been to Hill 60 but dont remember that, and theres no stretch of water near to Hill 60 as I recall-it looks an old bridge too-is that not further back into Ypres by the gates? Im inclined to think Hohe 60 was written at the time so why argue with it? 

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28 minutes ago, toofatfortakeoff said:

Interesting photo of the bridge; been to Hill 60 but dont remember that, and theres no stretch of water near to Hill 60 as I recall-it looks an old bridge too-is that not further back into Ypres by the gates? Im inclined to think Hohe 60 was written at the time so why argue with it? 

Because IT IS NOT Höhe 60 and I AM SURE it's the Bluff. I can show you plenty of German photocards with all kinds of writing of the time that are way off. BTW: I can show you 2x the same pic attributed as the Bluff (once in the photographic history of the 27. Infanterie-Division and I have the same card with period handwriting saying it is the Bastion).

The bridge picture is not directly related to the first picture (but it is from the neighbourhood). I have seen similar pics with the bridge. I'll have to look whether I can find some.

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If you follow Bob Davies link above you will find this photograph which confirms you are right about the The Bluff. From the history of the German IR 124. 
 

David 

84319EC2-6807-4992-8E40-6422BFD95E09.jpeg

Edited by David_Blanchard
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13 hours ago, AOK4 said:

Because IT IS NOT Höhe 60 and I AM SURE it's the Bluff. I can show you plenty of German photocards with all kinds of writing of the time that are way off. BTW: I can show you 2x the same pic attributed as the Bluff (once in the photographic history of the 27. Infanterie-Division and I have the same card with period handwriting saying it is the Bastion).

The bridge picture is not directly related to the first picture (but it is from the neighbourhood). I have seen similar pics with the bridge. I'll have to look whether I can find some.

Cool, no offense intended obviously just like to explore every angle, thanks for setting that straight. I've had similar issue with Spanbroekmoelen to be fair. 

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