Development for Hill 60

[MAJONES]

Found this on another Forum and thought that it might be of interest to folks here. 

Today I found out that there is a plan to develop the land across the road from Hill 60. There is a online petition to sign at

http://www.savehill60.org/

More information at http://www.cefresearch.com/phpBB2/viewt ... light=hill

Many Canadians died in this area and I feel that this is important. Please help to get some more public interest to that we can get more signatures on the petition.

Thanks for your help

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Link is broken....

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

Never heard of Hill 60.  What's the significance?

 

[dangerboy]

This website has information about the Battle for Hill 60.

http://www.greatwardifferent.com/Great_War/British_Front/Hill_60_01.htm

 

[mariomike]

Five V.C.'s were won at Hill 60, in Belgium:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Dwyer
There is an audio recording of Sgt? Dwyer here. He even does a little singing!:
http://www.firstworldwar.com/audio/1916.htm
"With Our Boys at the Front: Sergeant E. Dwyer VC"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Handley_Geary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Rowland_Patrick_Roupell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Harold_Woolley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Youens

There was also a Hill 60 in France, and another at Galipoli.
A member of the C.E.F. won a V.C. at Hill 60, in France:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_James_O%27Rourke

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

So it was a big British battle.  I've never read any British WWI history so I missed it. I checked Tim Cook's recent books and found only one incidental reference.

When the whole country was a battlefield 500 miles long and 20-30 miles deep, how can they restrict development on account of it being a battle site?  Every single town and hill in the area has a battle named after it.  A cynic might say somebody doesn't want their nice view to change.

 

[Michael OLeary]

CAMPAIGNS, BATTLES AND OTHER ENGAGEMENTS IN WHICH CANADIAN TROOPS PARTICIPATED IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919

FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1914-18

Battle of Mount Sorrel
Dates: 2-13 June 1916
Geographical Limits: Hill 60 - Kruistraathoek - Kruisstraat - Cloth Hall - Menin Road - the Ypres - Roulers Railway.

Google "Hill 60" + CEF

Google "mount sorrel" + cef + "hill 60"

From the official history of the CEF:
www.cefresearch.com/matrix/Nicholson/Transcription/Chapter5.pdf

The Battle of Mount Sorrel, 2-13 June

        The beginning of June found the 2nd Canadian Division still in front of
St. Eloi. Major-General Currie’s 1st Division had battalions in its front line,
which centred on Hill 60, immediate]y north of the Ypres-Comines railway. The
remaining two miles of front on the Corps left were held by the 3rd Division
(Major-General Mercer), with four battalions forward. This part of the Canadian
line formed the most easterly projection of the Ypres Salient into enemy territory.
The challenge to German aspirations presented by this obtrusion was the greater
in that the 3rd Division’s sector included the only portion of the crest of the
Ypres ridge which had remained in Allied hands - a tenure which gave the
Canadians observation over the enemy trenches. This advantageous position
extended from a point about a thousand yards east of Zwarteleen (beside Hill 60),
passing in succession over a flat knoll called Mount Sorrel and two slightly
higher twin eminences, “Hill 61” and “Hill 62”, the latter known also as Tor Top.
North of these points the ground fell away to the Menin Road, but from Tor Top
a broad spur, largely farm land, aptly named Observatory Ridge, thrust nearly a
thousand yards due west between Armagh Wood and Sanctuary Wood. If the
enemy could capture Tor Top and advance along Observatory Ridge he would
gain a commanding position in the rear of the Canadian lines, and might well
compel a withdrawal out of the salient. At the least such an advance might, as the
Germans themselves stated, “fetter as strong a force as possible to the Ypres
Salient”, and thus reduce the number available for a British offensive
elsewhere.

(More at link)


A cynic might point out that "Mount Sorrel" is a battle honour now held by the South Alberta Light Horse, from their perpetuation of the 31st Canadian Infantry Battalion..

For other units that bear the battle honour "Mount Sorrel" see this search.

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

A cynic might point out that "Mount Sorrel" is a battle honour now held by the South Alberta Light Horse, from their perpetuation of the 31st Canadian Infantry Battalion..

And they only showed up a year late.  A whole wack of Canada's battle honours took place within 20 miles of Hill 60 but Hill 60 was not one of them.  Any interest I have in the BEF is only in very general terms. 

 

[Michael OLeary]

And they only showed up a year late.  A whole wack of Canada's battle honours took place within 20 miles of Hill 60 but Hill 60 was not one of them.  Any interest I have in the BEF is only in very general terms.

Yes Dennis, we shall dismiss this entirely, because the British commonly use a different name for the piece of real estate.  That does not make the location less significant, except perhaps in your mind.

Feel free to not sign the online petition, but please cease with your dismissive attitudes towards any history other than the versions you personally promote.

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

Yes Dennis, we shall dismiss this entirely, because the British commonly use a different name for the piece of real estate.  That does not make the location less significant, except perhaps in your mind.

Feel free to not sign the online petition, but please cease with your dismissive attitudes towards any history other than the versions you personally promote.

You know that I promote only fallacious and unfounded regimental history.  WWI battle history doesn't need rewriting.  Same ridge, different hill, different year, some overlap = same thing, OK.  How many different battle honours were awarded in the Ypres area in total to BEF, CEF, AEF etc.?  Maybe 20?

Poke my nose in French local politics?  Not a chance.  Now if they're tearing down the Vimy Memorial?

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

Poke my nose in French local politics? Not a chance.

Nor Belgian local politics.

 

[Franko]

Spiraled down the shitter and now locked.



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