damiangt Posted 8 August , 2006 Share Posted 8 August , 2006 I have been looking for some time for information about the camps in the woods between Ypres and Poperinghe where the men rested, trained and played sport. Dirty Bucket is the one I am most interested but there were several adjoining camps in the woods. I understand that men rested in huts, bivouacs and even in hammocks, and boxed, played football and even visited a cinema in one of the huts. Can anyone add to the history of these camps? I enclose a photo I took several years ago of the entrance to Dirty Bucket camp: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 8 August , 2006 Share Posted 8 August , 2006 Damian, Can't say much right now, though I have read about these camps. (Can't remember where though.) As far as I know there is a sign there now, for visitors, telling about the place. Next time I'm there (only 6 km / almost 4 miles from where I live) I'll have a look.) Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 8 August , 2006 Share Posted 8 August , 2006 Aurel - I remember reading here that Dirty Bucket Camp was near a village whose names means "Dirty Bucket". I hope this was correct. Can you remind us of the Flemish name of that village? Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damiangt Posted 9 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 9 August , 2006 Thanks Aurel and Tom! I think that there might also have been Border camp and Tunneller's camp nearby... Do those names ring any bells? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Shropshires Posted 9 August , 2006 Share Posted 9 August , 2006 Hi Damian There was a thread about Dirty Bucket Camp some years ago, put Dirty Bucket in search and see what comes up. Annette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damiangt Posted 9 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 9 August , 2006 Many thanks Annette! A great help. Sorry to duplicate the thread, but if any new information is out there it would be great to keep it running, especially if anyone knows anything further about the other camps... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 9 August , 2006 Share Posted 9 August , 2006 Hello, Dirty Bucket Camp was named after the nearby cabaret 'De Vuile Seule'. Regards, Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 9 August , 2006 Share Posted 9 August , 2006 Dirty Bucket Camp was named after the nearby cabaret 'De Vuile Seule'. Strange that it wasn't called 'Mucky Bucket' - as with pubs called the Black Swan being known as the 'Mucky Duck'. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 9 August , 2006 Share Posted 9 August , 2006 Hello, Dirty Bucket Camp was named after the nearby cabaret 'De Vuile Seule'. Regards, Cnock Thanks, Cnock. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 9 August , 2006 Share Posted 9 August , 2006 Tom, Sorry, I had forgotten to subscribe to that Topic, and only re-discovered it right now. Cnock is right. (Thanks Cnock for helping Tom sooner than I would have done.) (And "Seule" is our dialect word for standard language "emmer" (bucket) The name is still marked on modern IGN maps. By the way, Tom, not really something to drink Duvel out of. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 9 August , 2006 Share Posted 9 August , 2006 I think that there might also have been Border camp and Tunneller's camp nearby... Do those names ring any bells? Sorry, Damian, I don't know. And I don't have a trench map of the area at hand. If I don't forget ... Next Wednesday (a week !), in the Documentation Centre in Ypres. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizM Posted 11 August , 2006 Share Posted 11 August , 2006 Living so close to this camp and taking my dog around it most days I decided to find out more about Dirty Bucket and have brought the book "Walking the Salient" by our own Paul Reed, which gives you quite alot of detail on this area and where you can walk. It is lovely countyside and very often see Eagles and Woodpeckers. The London Regiment were there at the camp in 1917. Just nearby is the cemetery "Hagle Dump" obviously named after ammunition dump which was fired upon and several men of Royal West Kents buried together in the the cemetery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 11 August , 2006 Share Posted 11 August , 2006 But you didn't think it would make an attractive name for a guest house then Liz? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizM Posted 11 August , 2006 Share Posted 11 August , 2006 But you didn't think it would make an attractive name for a guest house then Liz? No Kate, thought it might turn some people off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizM Posted 12 August , 2006 Share Posted 12 August , 2006 Just been reading an article on the London Rifle brigade and how on May 4th until May 8th 1915 they spent time at various places in the woods behind Vlamertinge resting, re-organising and dealing with accumulations of mail. On May 9th 1915 they moved early in the morning to the grounds of the Chateau at Vlamertinge (which although you cannot go into, it still stands and is an impressive site and you can see from the gate - worth a visit is passing through). Amazing to think they were in these grounds all those years ago. LizM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hal90000 Posted 15 April , 2014 Share Posted 15 April , 2014 (edited) The 1st Batt. South Wales Borderers trained at Dirty Bucket Camp for the offensive at Goudberg on 10th November 1917. Al. Commanding officer's diary rewritten & simplified for posting to forum by Al.pdf Edited 10 November , 2017 by hal90000 Additional Information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britalks Posted 5 June , 2015 Share Posted 5 June , 2015 Here is an entry from my grandfather's WWI diary. He was a Private First Class in the 30th Division, 105th Field Signal Battalion. Entry dated September 7, 1918. "We were relieved Sept. 4; we were driven in trucks in a heavy downpour – to a camp on the reserve lines. We were put in the so called Dirty Bucket Camp, which lived up to its name perfectly. The next day all we did was to take a bath and put on clean underwear. The bath was cold and the underwear wasn’t very clean, but both together made us feel pretty good. The following day we marched to Proven and left Belgium by railroad." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pagius Posted 16 August , 2017 Share Posted 16 August , 2017 2/3rd Londons arrived there on 25th August 1917. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 10 December , 2019 Share Posted 10 December , 2019 My Grandfather served in the Royal Engineers 10th Railway company from 1917 until 1919. I have copies of the war dairies for the 10th Railway company. They were at hell fire corner, and spent time at Dirty bucket camp. They spent time at Poperinge too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1418 Posted 10 December , 2019 Share Posted 10 December , 2019 Hi if you’re over that way try the restaurant called the dirty bucket which is next to where the camp used to be. Not bad at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talesofaseadog Posted 10 December , 2019 Share Posted 10 December , 2019 59 minutes ago, Edward Foreman said: My Grandfather served in the Royal Engineers 10th Railway company from 1917 until 1919. I have copies of the war dairies for the 10th Railway company. They were at hell fire corner, and spent time at Dirty bucket camp. They spent time at Poperinge too. My grandfather Charles Babb was with the 10th Railway company as a Sapper from 31 July 1917 to 26 March 1919. I could not find a reference to Bucket Camp in the war diaries I have, perhaps you have more detailed ones, just wondering when they were there? Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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