Walking the Ypres Salient with Mat McLachlan: Part 3
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- Опубликовано: 16 янв 2023
- Battlefield historians Mat McLachlan and Simon Louagie explore the battlefield of Messines, scene of one of the most successful attacks of the First World War. In June 1917 New Zealand, Australian, Irish and British troops stormed the heights of Messines Ridge, and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Germans in one of the first all-arms battles in history.
Sites visited:
- New Zealand Memorial Park bunkers
- New Zealand Memorial
- Messines Church
- Messines Church Crypt
- Bonus! Rumours about Adolf Hitler's time in Messines
Join us on a tour of the world's great battlefields! Visit battlefields.com.au/ for details.
There are many channels that covers WW1 in depth but this one is the best one I’ve found. I like that Mat tells the stories from both perspectives. Keep up the fantastic work Mat.
Agree
Cheers Matt. Great name too! 😂
Thanks Peter.
One of my family rests in Mud Corner Cemetary , he was a warehouseman from Sandringham , Auckland NZ.Great video.
One of my favourite cemeteries. Lest we forget.
Great to watch all your videos Matt. I visited the Somme in 2008 and Ypres and other places in 2013 where my grandfather served with the Warickshire Fusiliers. I read your book Walking with the Anzacs, which was a great help. I noticed the other day that a new edition is now available now. Thank you for what you are doing to honour all those who fought and who gave their lives. 👍
Great to hear!
My grandfather was in the Royal Artillery. during WW1, I am truly impressed that the people of Messiness remember to this day the sacrifice of all those brave young men, I thank you wholeheartedly for this.
Thank you Matt for yet another illuminating and extremely informative post and not forgetting Simon, the guide for his superb in depth knowledge and expertise. It is particularly good to hear that the local population take part in the remembrance ceremonies, huge thanks to them for continuing to respect those who gave everything to free them.
Cheers Jack.
Well done again Matt And Simon! Fellow kiwi here, thanks for speaking and showing this battle
Thanks!
Your videos about Third Ypres and Messine are ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!
From one Matt to another Mat: WELL DONE,SIR.
Cheers mate. Much appreciated.
Excellent post Matt. I was in Messines a few years back and parked up in the square. No sooner had I stopped than a little old lady came out of her front door and shooed me off with a witches broom - it was terrifying. 😨
Haha. Hopefully an isolated incident!
Thank you Mat, and Simon. Having just been to the Salient, your videos have been a wonderful primer. I'm continually in awe of our forebears.
🇬🇧 🇳🇿 🇦🇺 🇨🇦
Our pleasure!
You’re such an underrated Chanel for the awesome things you do, you should be more well known
I appreciate that!
Really levelled and smooth video. Very good, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I've really enjoyed this series so far, I'm planning to go to Belgium/France for the third time this year. Looking forward to visiting some new sites I've discovered from your videos. Thank you for your great work and storytelling.
Thanks for the comments.
Brilliant video as always, I was lucky enough to visit Ypres in early summer 2019 absolutely beautiful country side.
Couldn't agree more!
Another great outdoor walk video Mat, also good input from Simon too.. God Bless Them All
Glad you enjoyed it!
Looking forward to one of your tours in 2023 Matt!
Looking forward to welcoming you Leonard!
Another Mat classic - well done sir.
Many thanks Dave!
i want to work and save money and travel to that place someday
My grandfather assaulted a pillbox on Messines Ridge, he was attached to 40th battalion(he was an engineer) which was next to the Kiwis, it could have been that very pillbox(he set all of this out in a letter he sent home to his brother)
I'll be there 8n April.
Respect Geoff.
Great videos these. Thanks. I had no idea (as a Kiwi) that they put out New Zealand flags on ANZAC day. I found that rather moving.
Thanks!
Kia ora Mat - my great uncle - Matthew Francis Davidson NZ Army Canterbury Battalion C Company 29152 was KIA on June 7th 1917 at Messines aged 31. He is buried in Strand cemetery. He was the brother of my fraternal grandmother Grace Smith (Davidson). Nana Grace would have been around 25 when her brother died - growing up in the 1960's I spent a lot of time with her but she never mentioned Matt, or Arthur her other brother who died exactly 1 year previous almost to the day from wounds sustained at the Battle of Jutland. Fortunately Jock the 3rd brother returned to Ashburton, and became Mayor...so I guess she carried a level of grief for nearly 70 years (she died in 1983) which I was unaware of. I am trying to identify where Matt has was killed by shrapnel - we do know he was part of a 3 man team manning a gun near the new front line and that they were hit by German shelling - 2 dying and 1 surviving but with long term wounds (ironically the surviving man was a Davidson, no relation, and his grand son and I played in our school 1st XV together in 1979 - we live in a global village!). I suspect, and your video helped with this, that he was killed later in the day as the Germans fired counter artillery and the Kiwi's were left exposed as is mentioned - so thank you for another piece of the puzzle. It also seems he was buried initially where he fell and then later interred to Strand with confirmation of identity by 1930 according to archive records I have found. None of his family ever got to visit his grave until 2012 when my niece (his great, great niece) visited his grave and left a photo family tree montage. Another historian - Patrick Colson - who seems to have a specific interest in Messines left a photo and poppy on ANZAC Day 2017 - a generous and touching gesture. Mat thank you for your videos - it is important work that you keep the names alive , and you do this in a very real and personalized manner with powerful story telling. Ka Pai, nga mihi nui.
Thanks Maddie. I don’t know the NZ history particularly well, but I know the NZ Division dug in on the edge of the village, east of the main crossroads. If he was killed in this phase of the battle it would have been in this area. It’s great you have that family connection, plus a grave to visit. Thanks for the story and kind words. Cheers, Mat
Well done ! 14th Battalion AIF present. Lest We Forget
Cheers!
nice
Thanks
the standard response, though standard, is still pretty true...
it just lacks the inclusion of the appalling bloodshedding,
that drove the military innovation.