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You are here: Home / Archives for Zillebeke

Friday 24 March 1916 – snow

March 24, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

zillebekeRuins

“Zillebeke Village [view of the ruins]” Public domain via Vancouver Archives http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/zillebeke-village-view-of-ruins

Three inches of snow at dawn and more following.
The whole district is in its winter clothing.
Troops very miserable. No dry wood for cooking. Young Baker and I go to an old dilapidated farm & get some. We are under fire & ‘tis against orders to go but – ?
Late in the afternoon Boulanger & I go into Zillebeke. Visit church lots of tombstones broken & fallen down by shellfire. A shell unearths a vault which shows the embalmed body of a being encased in zinc coffin. Also body of Baroness J.M.A.C.G. de Vinck de Winez etc., etc. Heavy shelling all night also trench mortars. Hell on earth.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: Zillebeke

Thursday 23 March 1916 – snow

March 23, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

A cold wet miserable day.
Severe shelling by both sides accompanied with trench mortars & rifle grenades make the whole scene a perfect hell.
The snow comes down in small flakes but does not stick.
Eleven of the 42nd rifle suffer, six C.M.R.’s.
I got to headquarters & brigade Hqs & go through Zillebeke also pass by Zillebeke lake. A mile long shells are bursting all around. Am saved nasty head wound by wearing steel helmet.


*Rifle Grenade – Grenades that could be fired from a rifle thus increasing their effective range. During World War One, specialized grenades were attached to rods that had to be inserted into the barrel of a rifle. A blank cartridge was fired to propel the grenade towards the enemy.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: Rifle Gernade, Zillebeke

Tuesday 21 March 1916 – mist, rain

March 21, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

https://greatwarchronicle.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Tuesday_March_21_1916.mp3
The C.M.R. transport are blown up by shells.
Battn moves to Bde reserve via Kruystraat [sic]. Ypres at 5 PM at Zillebeke (sanctuary woods).
Rained a drizzly rain & all troops wet thru. Lost our way. Back to village of Zillebeke. Entered long line of trenches halted in middle. Boys tired (10 PM) laid down in mud. Rain beat down on faces, bullets flying everywhere also shells. Company absolutely fed up. Many fell down shell holes. Enter very small dugouts at 10:30 PM. Sleep with knees up all night out there. Dugouts for 2 had to take 4. Absolutely rotten management.
Our battalion open up with terrific bombardment.


*Sanctuary Woods – Just east of Ypres, the wood was named by British soldiers in 1914 as it was used to shelter troops. Canadian troops were stationed here during 1916 and the woods were defended by Canadians from the Germans during the Battle of Mount Sorrel.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: Kruystraat, mp3, Zillebeke

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