Battle of Messines, 5 June 1917 in the Great War

Battle of Messines, 5 June 1917 in the Great War British preparations and conduct of the Battle of Messines, Western Front, 5-12 June 1917 The preliminary bombardment for the battle on 5 June filmed from the Australian positions across the Douve River valley. A gunner FOO on the edge of Ploegsteert Wood using a field telephone. The dirt road from Ploegsteert to Messines on 11 June, with shells bursting on the ridge in the distance. A few walking wounded, stretcher-bearers and a water cart come up the track away from the battle and ammunition mules are led towards it. The crater left by one of the nineteen large mines blown in the attack, filmed from above and the bottom of the crater on 11th June. The ruins of Messines itself, taken by the New Zealand Division, with trenches still being consolidated. The ruins of Wytschaete village, with the wood on its left, probably filmed on 8 June. CEFRG (Canadian Expeditionary Force Research Group) https://cefrg.ca