Comments by "51WCDodge" (@51WCDodge) on "Canada, the Great War, and Flanders Fields" video.

  1. Essex Farm ADS (Advanced Dressing Station ) where Mc Crae served is on the west side of the canal that runs north from Ipere (Modern Spelling) . Alongside Essex Farm Cemetery. The town is also the site of the Menin Gate.Canadian troops often participate in the Last Post Ceremony there. Mc Crae's brother was surgeoun in charge at the 16th Ontario Military Hospital Orpington Kent. The hospital is still active. The People of Canada donated for the Maple Leaf block, which still serves the local area. There is also a CWWG cemetry at All Saints Church Orpington,and St Mary Cray Cemetery, about one and halfmiles away. One group not mentioned here , as they were not Canadian at the time, is the Newfoundland Regiment. There maginifecnt memorial is at Beaumont Hamel, on the Somme near Thiepval. For those whose intrest has ben piqued.Try the Western Front Assocoation Youtube channel.
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  2. His brother was chief surgeoun at the 16th Ontario Military Hospital Orpington , Kent.Where Ilive. The people of Canada raised funds to build the Maple Leaf Block on the site , which still serves the localcommunity.
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  3. I've visted the Essex Farm ADS where he was posted. Think of a slightly oversized Concrete coal shed, about fifteen feet deep , seven or eight high and about four wide. Three of them side by side dug into a bank . On once side the Yeser canal, the other is now the road.In front about another four to six feet a bank about ten feet high. Behind you what is now Essex Farm CWWG cemetery. Now add darknes cold, and enemy shells .
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  4. Don't discount the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont Hamel. I've been priviliged to work with Archeologists on the Western Front, and to have many friends there. It is a very special place.
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  5. In Franc ethe flower is the Forget Me Not. Blue is the French National Colour , and the colour of the French Armies coats at the time.
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  6. There is a memeorial to the Canadians in Passchendale. Still you can stand in the square and look over to the 'Green Feilds Beyond'.
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  7.  @sirmeowthelibrarycat  It was extremes , on a good day you could be wounded on the Western Front at 8 am and be back in a UK base hospital by 6 pm. The Royal Army Medical Corp have the majority of VC and Bar holders. There was a very organised evacuation system, One odd fact: In The Commonwealth forces the Stretcher Beares were often the Regimental bandsman, not RAMC personnel so had arm bands marked SB. The German's however the stretcher beares had Red Cross arm bands. According to the Usage Of War, the Red Cross was only dispalyed by Medical Personnel. There was also Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corp, who were posted to feild and base hospitals in France along with the FANY First Aid Nursing Yeomanary.
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  8. That is definitley the Irish part coming out :-)
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  9.  @accidentaltourist7101  You should add Ipere and the Essex Farm ADS to your bucket list.
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  10.  @dlevoy  But! Don't get stuck on ticking off cemteries and memorials!. Do research into any thing your intrested before going. There are some odd out of the way places that have fascinating stories. The local food and drink is good as well. If you have family problems, go to Belgium, drop wife and kids off in choclate shops, I garuntee you will have a free day :-)
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  11. Try the /Western Front Asscoation Youtube channel.
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  12. The Corn Poppy is a weed. It grows on brocken disturbed land. It was about the only thing that could grow.
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  13. Try the Western Front Assocoation Youtube channel.
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  14.  @stuartmcpherson1921  Wondefully sited , next door to a stinking canal. But hey! Easy acess over the top to the cemetery. A place to give you the shivvers.
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  15. I can assure you that the cemetries and memeorials are revered by those who live there.
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  16.  @sirmeowthelibrarycat  That's the problem! I got started on the Great War by a certain AR. Don't know wether to thank him or curse him :-) I'm from the Channel Island's so grew up around the results of the WW2 Occupation and the people who taught and influenced me ,a lot experinced it first hand.
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  17. This year will be the Centenary of the Poppy used as a symbol of Rememberance.In France and Belgium the Blue Forget Me Not is the symbol. Bluebeing the French National Colour. You will often find clumps of both planted together . There are also a lot of Maple trees in the area of Ipere (The modern Spelling)
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  18. Note: Themost VC and Bar holders have been Royal Army Medical Corp.
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  19. Mc Crae's brother was chief surgeon when the hospital was the 16th Ontario Military Hospital ,Hence the Canada wing. A lot of Canadians were billited on what is now the Go Ahead garage, formely the brewery at Green St Green.
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  20.  @michaelmanning5379  I come from Jersey in the Channel Island's so the lineage is more Norman French than 'English' yet in the Great War the Island's detachment wa sattached to the 7th Royal Irish Rifles. This has led to a lot conections.
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  21. Loook up Essex Farm ADS, which is where he was based, The story of how the Poppy came to symbolise Remeberance is also a story worth telling. Started in US, went to Canada thgen back to England in 1921. In France the flower is the ForgetMe Not.Often on the Western Front you will find clumps of both planted together, and a lot of Maple Trees. Blue being the National Colour and the coats of the Poilu (Hairy) ones, as French soldiers were known at the time.
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  22.  @Dulcimertunes  Even here , there are now blue poppies and white poppies and all sorts of arguments that specific groups should have some distinction. Especially annoying as the original idea was that all would be Remebered the same.
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  23.  @erraticonteuse  Your explination make a lot of sense. Diffrent history and culture. Diffrent ways of remebering.
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  24. Normally known as the Credo. (A statement of belifis or aims which guide a person) They shall not grow old as we that remain grow old Age shall not weary them nor the years condem. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning. We will remember them.
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  25. Funny enough, it all started in the US. Didn't get to Britian till about 1921, so thise year is the Centenary.
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  26.  @sirmeowthelibrarycat  Umm, there was a bit more to it. The Entente actually put a lot of effort into trying to prop up the Wiemar Republic post the Great Wa, to keep Democracy, in what was a relitivley new Germany, that had no democratic history as the West thinks of it. The Great Deppresion' didn't help. The We were badly treated , and didn't loose the war but were tricked by poloticians , became a handy peg to hang the NAZI cap on. France went into similar mode post the Franco - Prussian war.Remeber Alsace Lorraine!
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  27. And the American's choose to forget that 75%of thier rifles were of British Design :-) The Enfiled P17.
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  28.  @timengineman2nd714  I shoot a Winchester P14 and a 1903 SMLE. The P14 was a target rifle taken to war, the SMLE was a war rifle you can take to the range. :-) So saying my P14 has the circle T on the stock, but no sign of an optical. It has ben Waldernised, but still has the front volley sight. Though many were issued as Iron Sight sniper rifles. In WW2 a lot of P17 came acros sfor Home Gaurd and Second line use. They were allmarked with a 2 inch wide red band on the stock to differentiate the .30/06 from .303 P14 The bayonets for P14 and P17 also have two veertical grovves on each grip , again as they won't fit SMLE. It also has an intresting brass disck inlaid on the stock CIA Rifle Club, took me a long time to work that one out . Chief Inspectorate of Armements. AKA Churchill's Idle Army.
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  29.  @timengineman2nd714  Ahh! there are some .....nasty....people out there.
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  30. Little detail Crosses are American Cemteries. Commonwealth War Graves Commison cemetries use a headstone, There are of uniform design and lettering. The idea wa sthat rich or poor , officer or private, the grave was marked the same. Though families could pay 7/6 (Seven Shillings and Sixpence) to have some approved text added. There are also some cemitires that contain Entente and German burials. The German War Cemetries are often mulitple burials. Frenakly , there was no love for them , and the locals whilist happy to give up land for Entente dead were not going to do so for the Germans.
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  31. You may find this intresting then https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu_VBDDcLFY
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  32. The Monument at Beaumont Hamel is inspiring. This may intrest you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQreny7MqmY
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  33. A well known British Historian and educator, often seen on TV , visibly winces every time someone presents him with a bit of metal and says I have this Shrapnel'. :-)
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  34.  @PaulRudd1941  It will take a long time. I have a two CWWG cemietries near me. One about a hundred yards across the rail tracks at St Mary Cray . The other at Orpington. The Orpington one was attached to N0 19 Base Hospital (Canadian) , Noe the Canada Wing of the Orpington wing. The Chief Surgeon at the time was another Mc Crae, brother of John. If you havent seen it , try the Western Front Assocoation Youtube channel. Lots of intresting talks and viewpoints.
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  35. In Britsh culture those who support the Britsh Legion campain each November are called 'Poppy Sellers'
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  36.  @phalynwilliams4119  In UK they used to be made by an orginisation called REMPLOY, that trained disabled vetrans in new skills.
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  37. Quick note :May 15th 2021 was the Centernary of the Royal Britsh Legion, they are the ones that organise the Poppy Appeal in uk , The volunteers who do the collection have always been known as 'Poppy Sellers'.
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  38.  @ernestbywater411  Diffrent name,same promise. The other one we often hear is John Edmunds 1916 line “When you go Home, tell them of us and say, For your Tomorrow, we gave our Today”
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  39. Didn't come to Britiain till 1921, so this is the centenary year.
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  40. You may find this intresting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu_VBDDcLFY
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  41. The Menin Gate Assocoation was formed to sound the Last Post for every name oon the gate. Apart from WW2, and the restart was the night the town was liberated by the Poles, it has bene every night. They expect to finish somewhere about 2041.
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  42. Though they are known in Britsh culture as 'Poppy Sellers' for the Royal British Legion.
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