Belgium Flanders

[Cliff. Hobson]

Thanks in the past to Jacky Plateeuw who identified a place for me from the entry in a diary I have " Went over the top at Canal Bank got 46 prisoners" (and the

D. C. M.) the thought occurred to me after visiting Essex Farm and the adjacent canal, quite wide, recently. What was the state of the canals in Flanders during the war, was there water in them, and how much of an obstacle were they?

When the 46th Division ( Staffords) crossed the St. Quentin Canal 1918 with water in it, previously it was considered to be a major obstacle.

[Annette Burgoyne]

I read some where that men went swimming in the canal near Essex Farm but can't remember where I read this ?

Annette

[Aurel Sercu]

Annette,

You are right. Swimming near Essex Farm. However, I have just gone through my photocopies of the regimental histories referring to that period (I'm sure it is summer 1915) and I can't find back the page.

It was idyllic indeed : "swimming in the canal among the water lilies ... the tall poplars reflecting in the water ...". And then, a few days later, 6 July 1915, hell broke loose...

I don't think you can say that the Yser Canal was a real recreational area throughout the war, however. The lock on the canal (Het Sas), between Boezinge and Steenstrate having been shelled heavily, the canal was almost drained, and became a small muddy river. But with the French, later British lines being on the west bank, the German on the east bank, from Boezinge up north to Steenstrate, it remained a serious barrier.

Yet, on 31 July 1917, the Battle of Pilkem Ridge, the Allied troops crossed the Canal more easily than they had anticipated, also because the Germans had abandoned their first line.

Aurel

[CROONAERT]

Cliff.

You'll be able to see, from the below trench map extract, the width of and how full the canal near Essex Farm was in the spring of 1917...

Dave

[Aurel Sercu]

Dave,

Yes, this is a spring 1917 map, but I don't think you can draw conclusions as to the width of the canal. These maps date from before the war, with afterwards trenches etc. added. So it does not necessarily mean that the Canal was that wide at the time.

however, it seems to me (based on photos) that indeed the beginning of the Yser Canal has always contained more water than the lower parts.

Aurel

[Cliff. Hobson]

Thanks to all of you for the very informative replies which I shall download,

I can only echo what has been said in the past,what marvelous people we have

on this forum,

Regards, Cliff.

[Greenwoodman]

Just an addendum to the above posts. While flicling through the 7th South Staffs history this morning I came across the following:-

"After two days on the canal bank, with headquarters at the " Pike and Eel "

(the Pike had apparently all been killed, but the eels made very good eating, in spite of a somewhat gassy flavour), we relieved the 6th Lincolns in the brigade left sub-sector, which included the well-known Lancashire, Fusilier and Turco Farms."

The canal was still useful in 1917!!