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The unknown tomb of the soldier, found at last

PMedMoe

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Canadian online archive helps British regiment use sketchy historical details to finally pinpoint the site of battle on Halloween, 1914
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As hundreds of troops lay dying on a ridge in Flanders almost a century ago, the last thing many of them saw was a quixotic windmill, slowly disintegrating in flames.

For decades, the British regiment whose soldiers fought in that battle on the Messines Ridge, nine kilometres south of Ypres, didn't know where that landmark had stood. They had little to go on: a date, a village name and a painting. Now, archivists at a Canadian university have helped them unravel a 95-year-old mystery.

"It's been a talking point in the regiment for years," said Pipe Major John Spoore from his home in London, England. He has been a member of the London Scottish Regiment for 23 years. "Somebody mentioned that McMaster University had trench maps. That's why I came to them."

Mr. Spoore found the university's website Peace and War in the 20th Century. The Hamilton school scanned almost 500 maps and 600 aerial photos from the First World War.

The site, pw20c.mcmaster.ca, is free and searchable. It's a way of making history accessible, said map specialist Gord Beck, instead of locking documents in a rare-archives room where they must be handled with special gloves.

Mr. Spoore's request was so specific that he needed expert help. So in early June, he got in touch with Mr. Beck.

He had some leads: the date of the battle (Halloween, 1914); the village where the regiment set off (Wytschaete); the forest nearby (L'Enfer, which means "hell" in French); and a painting by Richard Caton-Woodville depicting the grim scene.

Mr. Beck searched university archives for descriptions of the battle, and triangulated the location on his maps. After much searching, he happened upon it: a square topped with a tiny X, the sole indicator that a windmill once stood there.

Though the battle and its location are well known, such a specific search can be tough. "At the time every other small village would have a mill," Mr. Beck said. "The old windmills you picture when you think of Don Quixote."

McMaster's digitized maps made Mr. Beck's job easier. Instead of hunching over a desk with a magnifying glass, he used the high-resolution scans to zoom in, pan around and find the X-marked spot.

Mr. Spoore, who will be 73 in two weeks, said he is glad the puzzle is solved. "I've been within a few yards of where it was, but we've never really been able to pinpoint it exactly. We can now."

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I'm back to teaching grade 8 history this year that includes WW1.  I'll be directing my students to this site and using it in class.  Thanks for the find.
Great article.
 
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