In Briefing Room No. 4, the story of Stuart Curry’s visit to the Western Front in Belgium with guidance from Johan Wanderwalle continues focussing on The Battle of Polygon Wood, 26-28 September 1917.
Briefing Room No. 3 focussed on the Battle of Menin Road on 20-21 September 1917 and the Zonnebeke 5 and their re-interment in Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood as part of the battles that Australians were involved in to drive the Germans off the Passchendaele – Messines Ridge.
Stuart continues his story:
We drove about one hundred yards down the road from the Zonnebeke Five’s location and came to a crossroad on top of the ridge. This was known as Jargon Cross during the Great War and the signpost can still be seen at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
Photo: Jargon Cross[Stuart Curry]
The farmer here was very kind and gave us permission to walk on his land. We proceeded in an easterly direction along a fence and came up to the northern edge of Glencorse Wood. I had a feeling that I was close to where my great uncle Stan Hastings Marchment was killed on 26 September 1917.
Photo: Glencorse Wood [Stuart Curry]
Stuart’s maternal grandfather, Henry John Marchment was a 26 year old blacksmith from Wauchope when he enlisted with Service Number 3297 on the 25th October 1915 in Sydney. He came from a family of nine children and two of his younger brothers enlisted at the same time. Robert Westall Marchment aged 24 enlisted with Service Number 3295 and Stanley Hastings Marchment aged 21 enlisted with Service Number 3296. All three would eventually end up the 14th Machine Gun Company, 5th Division firing the Vickers 303 machine guns. They all embarked on the troopship H.M.A.T A29 Suevic on 23rd September 1915 as Privates in the 7th Reinforcements, 20th Battalion. This was the same ship and Battalion as Stuart’s great uncle Henry Ernest Curry, so this was to be the first interaction between both sides of his family. Henry transferred to the 14th Machine Gun Company and in March 1916 was remustered as a Driver. Henry and Robert Marchment were both in the Battle of Fromelles on 19-20 July 1916. Stan who had remained in the 20th Bn transferred to the 14th Machine Gun Company in July 1917.
A lot happened to my family in this area.
Details of the battle, including Battle Orders, field reports and casualty reports are recorded in the 14th Brigade Unit Diary for September 1917, available on-line by clicking here
Source: 14th Brigade Unit Diary September 1917 [AWM]
In the Battle of Polygon Wood at 2.00 am in the morning 26th of September 1917 S. H. Marchment (3296) M. H. Maisey (2212) A. V. Cain (2138) were all killed by the same shell when setting up their machine gun in readiness for the attack.
Milton Harold Maisey was a locomotive cleaner when he enlisted as a 21 year old at Sydenham on 20 March 1916. He embarked on the “Port Sydney” on 4 September 1916 and after training in the U.K. was taken on strength as a Private in the 56th Battalion on 29 December 1916. He moved to the 14th Machine Gun Company on 13 July 1917 and was reported as Killed in Action on 27-9-1917.
Private Albert Victor Cain, Service Number 2138 was a labourer when he enlisted as a 21 year old at Liverpool on 20 March 1916. He had previously enlisted in the 2nd Battalion but was discharged on 31 January 1916 at his parent’s request as he was not yet 21 years old. He also embarked on the “Port Sydney” on 4 September 1916 and after training in the U.K. was also taken on strength as a Private in the 56th Battalion on 29 December 1916. He moved to the 14th Machine Gun Company on 9 July 1917 and was reported as Killed in Action on 27-9-1917. His Service Record states: “He was killed by a shell which burst close to him and death was instantaneous. He was buried where he fell with map reference HOOGE 1/10,000 Sh 28.N.E.Ed.3 J.14.b.2.8. GLENCOURSE WOOD about 1200 yards S.E. of Westhoek, Belgium.”
Source: 14th Brigade Unit Diary September 1917 [AWM]
Available on-line by clicking here.
They were buried together at Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery and were fortunate to be found, unlike many others on the battlefields of Flanders.
Photo: Stuart Curry at the graves of Marchment, Maisey and Cain [Stuart Curry]
Source: 14th Brigade Unit Diary September 1917 [AWM]
The Brigade Unit Diary is available on-line from the Australian War Memorial by clicking here.
Every day for about a week I fed these two beautiful horses located south of Glencorse Wood. Johan was driving past on the last day and got out of his car and we started to film a short story. He said that during the war thousands of horses were buried right where we were standing. A fitting tribute to what was once an area of ruin and devastation is now an area replaced by beauty and tranquillity. Even the gloomy Chateau Wood is now a fun fair today where people laugh and enjoy themselves. To me the symbol of the horses is what Stan Hastings Marchment and his mates stood for “Freedom and Peace.”
Photo: Horse at Glencorse Wood [Stuart Curry]
*****
The Families and Friends of the First AIF thanks the Australian, UK and French governments for affording Australian and British soldiers – presently buried in mass graves at Pheasant Wood – dignified individual reburials in a new CWGC cemetery at Fromelles, and applauds Minister Snowdon and his British counterpart, Parliamentary Under–Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans, Kevan Jones MP, for their joint decision to DNA test the remains at exhumation and use every reasonable method to attempt identification of each soldier.