Category Archives: Australia

Polygon Wood: October 1914

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16c Polygon Wood: October 1914
Province: West Flanders
Country: Belgium

A ‘Virtual Battlefield Tour’ from Fields of War: Fifty Key Battlefields in France and Belgium

Summary: The first fight in Polygon Wood was in October 1914, when the Germans held the northern half and the British held the southern. Attacks by British Guards regiments were beaten back with heavy casualties. The wood was completely occupied by the Germans during their advances of 1915. It received its name from British soldiers due to the shape of the wooded area’s boundary.

Before the war, a long, narrow butte on the northern end of the wood was the site of a Belgian army rifle range. From its summit, German riflemen and artillery observers held commanding views of the countryside in all directions. As part of the German defenses, the butte was interlaced with tunnels and dugouts.

Advancing behind a creeping barrage, the 5th Australian Division captured Polygon Wood on 26 September 1917, during the segment of the Third Battle of Ypres known as the Battle of Menin Road. The bombardment reduced the wood to shattered stumps.


View Polygon Wood: October 1914 ‘- A Virtual Battlefield Tour by French Battlefields (www.frenchbattlefields.com)’ in a larger map

Battle of Geluveld: 29 to 31 October 1914

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Although the German Fourth and Sixth Armies had thus far failed to penetrate the allied line, the German Supreme Command believed that a fresh push would bring victory. Gathering together units released from other fronts, Falkenhayn created Army Group Fabeck, commanded by veteran of the Franco-Prussian War General Max von Fabeck and comprised of six infantry divisions, whose mission was to attack along the British line from Ploegsteert Wood to Geluveld. Continued pressure along the front from the two German armies would prohibit allied transfer of reserve troops. The attack came as a surprise to the British. Before a preliminary attack against Geluveld commenced on 29 October, Sir John French reported to Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener that the Germans were incapable of launching any further attacks despite the interception of Group Fabeck’s plans. British aerial reconnaissance on 28 October, however, reported a large movement of German troops astride theMenin Road.

Battle of Geluveld: 29 to 31 October 1914
Province: West Flanders
Country: Belgium

A ‘Virtual Battlefield Tour’ from Fields of War: Fifty Key Battlefields in France and Belgium

Summary: A preliminary move on 29 October, the 54th Reserve Division, strengthened by a brigade of Bavarian reservists, struck west of Becelaere. The thin lines of the Coldstream Guards and the Black Watch were nearly overrun because the enemy suddenly appeared out of the dense fog. Both sides committed reserves as the fighting spread south of the Menin Road and against the British 20th Brigade. The intense struggle continued all day, with high losses on both sides until darkness and a heavy rain chilled the engagement.

The next day Fabeck unleashed his battalions with deadly consequences as German divisions south of the Menin Road attacked reinforced positions with deadly accurate fire that covered the landscape with grey-clad bodies. Fabeck’s men were even more successful farther south, where they drove Allenby’s 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Divisions back three kilometers.


View Battle of Geluveld: 29 to 31 Octover 1914 ‘- A Virtual Battlefield Tour by French Battlefields (www.frenchbattlefields.com)’ in a larger map
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Waltzing Australia

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We recently had the opportunity to tour New Zealand and we were impressed with the remembrances of the country’s wartime efforts. ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) troops were a significant contingent to British Commonwealth forces in the First World War and they fought in some of the most difficult engagements on the Western Front. In the second war, they fought in Greece and Crete before the Japanese entry into the war required them to be returned to the Pacific. It is said that there are over 500 world war memorials in New Zealand – I believe it. More about them at some later date.

While we did not get to Australia, that country’s history, legends, and flavor can be had by reading Cynthia Clampitt’s book Waltzing Australia. Through reminiscences of her six months criss-crossing the country, Cynthia helps us Yanks understand the personality of this rugged and slightly in-your-face country. While not strictly a travel guide, anyone thinking of visiting Australia, or just doing some ‘armchair traveling’ should read Cynthia’s book for her keen observations on interesting people and beautiful places. There is a lot more to the country than Crocodile Dundee and Sidney Opera House. You might even learn something about yourself in the process. In addition, her short observations on Australia and other topics can be found on her blog site, Waltzing Australia.