Landing in Calais quite early in the day Edna and I set out in our tiny rented 1 Litre Toyota Aygo for Belgium and Mesen (Messines). We saw a road sign pointing out Westhoff Farm Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, and remembering that Dad's diary showed he spent from the 2nd to the 13th July 1917 there, we drove down to the tiny cemetery - the first of many we visited. Here we quickly discovered the box inside the gate which contained the list of all in the cemetery, with information as to their age, their next of kin, any gallantry medals, and the date of their deaths. The first grave I saw was a NZ artillery driver so knew it was not a safe job. We filled in the visitors book with an appropriate comment, the first of many over the next ten days. There were many other NZers there too. A brief stop then on over rolling and peaceful countryside towards Mesen.
An hour and a half after landing I was walking up New Zealand Street in Mesen (Messines is the French version), which runs up the middle of the New Zealand attack on 7 June, 1917. I positioned myself as near as possible on the New Zealand Start line and imagined what it must have been like at 3.10 am when the largest blast the world had ever heard went up. Nineteen mines to which the tunnelers had been striving for up to 700 yards and many months of work went up. There should have been 23, but one in front of the NZers had been found by the Germans and they alone went up the hill without that advantage. To their right were the Australians, and on their left the English and then the Irish.
I tried to imagine the hillside as the first of the 18 pounder barrage began. A hundred and fourteen 18 pounders were firing along a line of less than 2000 yards - probably a shell landing every 17 yards or so. Several shots later came the first of 19 following "lifts" which allowed the troops to advance 2,000 yards up and through the town and beyond it to the new front line. I estimate that the "tech acks" would have spent days working out well over 2000 complicated calculations for the individual gun corrections to put in that barrage. I also imagined how many of the shells were delivered to the gunlines back on Hill 63 and in nearby Ploegsteert Wood where the 18 pounders were concealed just over the hill and were virtually wheel to wheel, by Driver Frazer, by now an experienced 21 year old a veteran of Armentiers and the Somme behind him.
This was said to be the most successful and carefully planned and executed attack of the war. It was said that 10,000 German troops died in the first explosion and thousands more in the barrage which followed. We won the day but suffered enormous casualties, but denied the Germans the use of the ridge which had dominated our front since 1915. They had powerful defense lines with tremendously strong pillboxes and underground bunkers both on the hill and throughout the ruined town. I began to realise what "going up the hill at Messines" meant to a generation of New Zealand men. I also thought of my friend Bob Wilson (a fellow NZer and lecturer at University of Melbourne), whose father, upon being told by his daughter (who had "got religion") that if he continued to drink alcohol he would go to hell, replied "I went up the hill at Messines twice. I've been to hell!." Capturing the hill faced by the New Zealanders entailed a climb of a little over 40 metres (about 130 feet), but very significant in defensive terms for the Germans.
We then visited the New Zealand memorial which stands alongside New Zealand street and incorporates two pill boxes. A brief stop in the middle of the tiny town (proudly claiming to be the smallest town in Belgium), and deciding it was too late to visit the tiny museum we followed a very muddy road through highly cultivated farmland to a tiny Australian CWGC cemetery where all the graves were from the 8th and 9th of June 1917 - doubtless the result of German attempts to reclaim lost land after the initial Messines retreat. The cemetery with a low stone wall was beautifully kept as are all the CWGC cemeteries, but the graves were not in neat rows - later I was to realise that this was a "battlefield" cemetery, where men had been hastilly interred close to where they fell and often under fire, which compared with the large and very orderly "concentration" cemeteries, to which bodies were taken by special units, sometimes years later. In concentration cemeteries it is normal to find that perhaps two thirds of the graves had no names, but the CWGC did their best to put on the gravestone whatever information they found with a body. Thus the statements might vary from "An unknown soldier of the great war" to "An unknown 2nd Lieutenant of the Royal New Zealand Artillery".
On the web there is a commentary about the Messines attack:
The Battle of Messines Ridge
During the 1914-18 Great War, the New Zealand Division was below the village from November 1916 until taking it as part of the Battle of Messines on June 7 to 9, 1917. Messines sits on the southern end of the Messines Ridge that runs southwards from Ypres. It had been taken by the German Army in 1914 and commanded excellent views of the British lines below. 
on Messines, Belgium
The Germans considered the village a key defence and were reinforcing it as a fortified strongpoint. It had become a fortress of deep trench systems and barbed wire entanglements surrounded the town. All cellars were turned into dugouts, while five reinforced concrete strong-points were constructed.
The New Zealand Division was sent to hold 1½ kilometres of frontline below Messines in November 1916, relieving the Canadian forces. The ‘Diggers' spent the winter and spring of 1917 here, periodically raiding German positions and repelling raids in return. Hundreds of casualties resulted, many from shell-.re. During this time Battalions were taken out of the line in turn for rest and training for the forthcoming Messines Offensive.
The Offensive
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New Zealand tank going into action near Messines |
The ‘bite and hold' attack had two phases, the capture of the ‘Black Line' just to the east of Messines, followed by the attack and capture of the Green or Oosttaverne Line. No ‘breakthrough'was intended.
For the first time artillery, mines and infantry were all coordinated to support the attack. In many ways it was an artillery battle - using artillery in the most coordinated and concentrated form yet seen in warfare, 2,300 guns and 300 heavy mortars - on average one gun to every 7 metres of German front. In the 2½ weeks before the attack, British artillery had bombarded enemy strong points and trenches and cleared their protective barbed wire entanglements to assist the advance. Artillery was also engaged in effective counter-battery work, eliminating German artillery to reduce possible counter fire on the attacking troops.
The synchronised detonation of mines dug under German strong-points marked the start of the attack. Just before dawn, at 3:10am on the 7th of June, 19 mines along the ridge exploded within one and a half minutes of each other, killing an estimated 10,000 Germans. No mines were exploded in the New Zealand sector, though a mine with 60,000 lbs (2.7 tonnes) of explosive under Ontario Farm on the left flank blew a crater 60 metres wide. A mine shaft under La Petite Douve, a suspected strong-point, on the Diggers' right flank had earlier been discovered and destroyed by German counter-miners in 1916.
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Members of the Pioneer Battalion laying a road in Messines |
This ‘creeping barrage' lifted eastwards 100 metres every 2 minutes (the calculated walking pace of a laden soldier) during a scheduled advance, while slowing for the hill section.
A ‘standing barrage' was also mounted to protect the attackers from counter-attack while regrouping at each of the Lines. Keeping to the timetable was critical for if the advancing troops lagged too far behind the barrage, the German defenders could return to their positions once the barrage had past but before the attackers could take them.
The ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) was responsible for the southern end of the attack, with the New Zealand Division on the left and the Australian 3rd Division on the right. The New Zealand Division was responsible for taking Messines and pushing through to the Black Line behind it. The 4th Australian Division was then to pass through them to carry on the second phase and take the Green Line some 2 km to the east of the front line.
The Germans were anticipating attack from the increasing bombardment over the previous weeks and the German Command was relieving with fresh troops just before the attack. The infantry exchange was completed at Messines and troops of the German Fourth Army's 40th Division (Saxons) and 3rd Bavarian Division held the line opposite the New Zealanders.
The Attack
The attack fell in three phases:
- Capture of the trenches on the west slope (Blue and Brown Lines), and of the village with the ring of trenches immediately surrounding it (Yellow line)
- Capture and consolidation of the Black Line;
- Establishment of strong points on the Black Dotted Line and capture of any guns.
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Gun captured by New Zealand soldiers at Messines |
The Division suffered 3,660 casualties in the attack, with 700 killed. Ironically, the success and unexpectedly relatively light New Zealand casualties on the first day led to high casualties from shell-fire on the 8th June when the ANZAC commander, General Godley, refused permission to retire the high concentration of troops.
Overall, the Messines Offensive was successful; the objectives were secured within three hours of the battle commencing, giving the British forces strategic high ground and a significant morale boost. British losses were 17,000 men killed or wounded, while German losses were 25,000 men, including 7,500 prisoners.
Another website adds to the earlier description:
On 7 June 1917, at 3.10am, 19 of the 21 mines exploded in a roar that it was claimed could be heard in London . Simultaneously, the artillery began its fire plan that would provide covering fire for the assaulting infantry and suppress the German artillery. Stan Stanfield described going over the top.
“We started off, 'hopped the bags' we called it, out of the trench into the open and it was just light enough to see. You could see the flash of shell as well as the smoke. You'd just blunder along and hope you don't get shot, and if you came up against something and you get shot at and get close enough, you'd shoot back. That's about all there is to it. … And if you came under heavy fire, you'd immediately take shelter in a shell hole or any bit of broken ground to size up the situation. Groups of you in twos and threes. It was basic, not to bunch …”
Percy Miller evaded the usual military censorship by asking a comrade going on leave in England to post a letter to his family. Instead of the cheery, self-censored tone of his usual letters, this communication provides us with a more detailed narrative of his experiences at Messines.
“When the mines went up we didn't wait for no command, over the top we went. The continual roar, the smoke and the flames from the bursting shells in front, the red & green SOS rockets, was what I first saw. As soon as we first went over a man a yard or two in front of me fell. My turn next I wondered & felt like taking over in a shell hole. The ground was just a mass of shell holes, with broken wire sticking out here and there. Two or 3 more fell, some groaning pitifully. We were up to the barrage now, I were entitled to take shelter in shell holes till it lifted. We were not in any sort of order, no officers leading us like you read about in the books. Officers, NCOs & men were all hopelessly mixed, but that did not matter at all, we all knew our jobs & it was a case of colonial initiative instead of imperial discipline.”
For once, everything seemed to go much as planned for the New Zealand Division. The initial assault on Messines was successful, with battalions of the Rifle Brigade moving through and beyond the village to establish defensive positions for the anticipated counter-attack while companies allocated the role of mopping up defenders completed this. The Australians on the right flank found the going more difficult due to the German gas shells, but were able to achieve their objectives. Jim Blakemore commented in 1988 on the relative ease with which the village of Messines was captured. “Mighty big guns, wheel to wheel, more than 150 Vickers machine guns – the din was something tremendous. I reckon we could have taken Messines with a wet sack … not that much opposition.”
Russell was hamstrung by the Corps' plan which required all the infantry brigades that had seized the ridge to dig in to resist the German counter-attack. It was during one of these counter-attacks that Benjamin Claridge was killed. Russell wanted to withdraw one of his brigades behind the ridge to minimise casualties from German artillery, but was overruled by Plumer and Godley. Miller commented on the consequences of this decision. “ It took us a fortnight to consolidate, & it was a very severe time. Many casualties every day, & at the end of the fortnight our nerves were completely on edge. … Every night we were deluged with gas shells, as well as HE (high explosive) & shrapnel.”
In Russell's view, this decision increased the casualty rate unnecessarily. Russell's comment when writing to James Allen, quoted by Pugsley, shows his frustration at not being able to do what he wanted to protect his men.
“I do sometimes think that a non-professional mind takes a more detached view of operations than those who have given their whole lives to the study of these problems. I suppose one ought to be content with success, but the price that one pays, though cheerfully accepted when necessary, is always a matter of careful thought, and I think we want to study economy. To have to sit down for hour after hour under heavy shelling is a severe tax on the stoutest and must mean an expenditure of nerve power. The longer men are exposed to it, the longer it takes them to recover.”
This comment reveals Russell's ongoing concern for his men's welfare. As he visited the front line in succeeding days, Russell had two close calls, when officers accompanying him were killed and wounded by a shell-burst, and Russell himself was nearly killed by a sniper, with the bullet piercing his steel helmet. Meanwhile, he and his staff analysed the battle to identify mistakes made and to improve procedures for forthcoming battles. The New Zealand Division handed over control of the areas captured on 9 June to the Australians and apart from the New Zealand Field Artillery which remained in support of the Australians, moved back into Divisional Reserve areas.
The New Zealanders' attack on Messines had been an outstanding success. The benefits of Plumer's thorough preparation and sound battle plan had enabled the British to seize an important foothold from which to support a wider attack on the Ypres Salient. Russell's tactical planning and detailed training had paid dividends, and the evolution of New Zealand soldiers from enthusiastic amateurs of 1915 to competent professionals was increasingly evident. Although suffering almost 3000 casualties in this assault, the New Zealand Division had demonstrated why it was coming to be seen as one of the most successful divisions within the British Army. The New Zealand soldiers clearly understood their role in the overall battle plan, and had the men and materiel to accomplish it. From divisional to platoon level, the value of rehearsals, clear instructions and good leadership was evident.
After that a few miles North to Ieper (Ypres) where we managed to thread our way through a maze of narrow one-way streets to find our modern and rather expensive hotel. We settled in and looked at the beautiful Cloth Hall on the nearby main square which was a total ruin when Dad went through there on 3rd June 1916 on his way to their first experience of battle at Armentiers. Inside was the Information office, and we went in to get the feel of the place. Hundreds of WW1 books in many languages for sale - almost the first I picked up was a thin looking volume with a NZ soldier on the cover*. The very first page showed the Troopship Tahiti leaving Wellington in on 8 January 1916 with thousands of soldiers on it - I knew instantly that it was the 9th Reinforcements and that I had probably struck gold. It was in French and English on facing pages and was based on a young shepherd from Hawkes Bay who marched in on the same day as Dad and did the same training. It has given me a great deal of information about conditions and training and the voyage to Egypt.
* Adam Cutforth, A Sovereign in My Pocket - The story of Bombardier Archibald K. Greves MBE, for L'Association France Nouvelle-Zelande, 2005.l
Then it got even better. The soldier was like Dad young and light and that was why they (and also Uncle Vic Wise who married Dad's sister Jean just before he sailed in the same group) became drivers instead of gunners. Shortly after Archie Greves went from driving the gun team horses for the 18 pounder guns to the ammunition column so he would have known Dad for sure and that was how I learned just what a terrible job it was. The descriptions of what they went through were hair raising and I could not stop reading till it was finished.
Later that night we had a nice meal and as we were finishing off a brass band of British policemen marched down the street heading for the Menengate ceremony a hundred yards on, so Edna and I dashed after them. Menengate is enormous and this great arch which covers the street for about 70 metres is covered in thousands of names of Commonwealth troops who have no known graves (but no NZers - our names are on other monuments - more of this later). The Menengate buglers who performed in Hamilton in front of a replica on Anzac day in 2007, performed and also a piper. The West Yorkshire Police also performed and then they and others laid wreaths. The buglers played the Last Post and the police band marched off to the Z Cars theme. An enormously emotional occasion with many of the hundred packed in wearing decorations of relatives.
The 11th of September dawned very bright and we drove about 8 km east to Zonnebeke where we called briefly at the Passchendaele museum, before having coffee in a little bar and driving a few km North to Dochy (pronounced Doo chee) Farm CWGC cemetery. We saw many NZ graves in this "small" cemetery, including one from Waharoa near Hamilton. We filled in the Visitor's book and started a walk through the battlefield where the NZ troops went on the first of the two Passchendaele attacks. This circular walk took us past the NZ memorial at Gravenstafel where they ended the first attack known as the Battle of Broodseinde. It was very emotional to look at the memorial with its fernleaf and and statement "from the uttermost ends of the earth". Then the weather began to fail and we drove through gathering gloom south to Polygon Wood. By the time we found the Buttes New British Cemetery the rain came down and we had to rush for the car and drove home through some of the most blinding rain I have ever seen.
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