Guards cemetery (1 resultados)

Printed in grey, yellow, red and blue on one side of a piece of paper roughly 33 x 41 cm, with 'WINDY CORNER' in large letters at the head. 'Scale 10,000'. Top Right "No 1 Sec". Folded three times. In fair condition, lightly-aged and worn. Caption in margin reads: 'Information from all sources. Note: - Of the front line posts, only those of permanent nature have been numbered'. The 'REFERENCE' lists: German Trenches; German Shell Hole Defences; German Splinter Proof Shell Holes; Main C. Ts.; British Line; Confirmed Batteries; Centres of Activity; Dugouts; Concrete not less than 2 inches; T.M.; T.M. Active; Post; MG; Dump; Roads much used; Main Tracks; Other. Included on the map are 'Suspected Wireless Installation' and 'Possible Telephone Exchange'. A rectangular section is marked 'FOR LOG TARGETS SEE CRATER MAP NO. 1'. Windy Corner was located to the north-west of Cuinchy, on what was known as Westminster Bridge Road, and featured a house that was used as a battalion HQ and dressing station. It is now the site of the Guards Cemetery, which was begun in 1915 by the Second Division, and was mostly used by the 4th Guards Brigade. The area was well-known to Robert Graves, who was stationed there several times with the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Of the neighbouring town he writes in 'Goodbye to All That': 'Cuinchy bred rats. They came up from the canal, fed on the plentiful corpses, and multiplied exceedingly. While I stayed here with the Welsh, a new officer joined the company [.] When he turned in that night, he heard a scuffling, shone his torch on the bed, and found two rats on his blanket tussling for the possession of a severed hand.' No copy in the Imperial War Museum or elsewhere. …