After the Battles of Arras and Chemin des Dames, the British launched an assault on the Messines ridge in Belgium. The attack was designed to take out the German salient in this area in preparation for the Third Battle of Ypres, often referred to as Passchendaele. General Plumer and his superb Chief of Staff, General Harington, planned the assault over many months. Tunnels were dug under the German defensive positions and packed with tons of ammonal explosive. After a lengthy preparatory bombardment, the mines were blown on June 7th, 1917.
At the Joy of Six Show 2017 in Sheffield, we had the opportunity to replay the Battle of Messines in 6mm. This corresponded with the 100th anniversary. The event held special significance. My paternal grandfather fought in the battle, serving in the New Zealand Machine Gun Corps. The following photos illustrate the scale of the battle:
