War Diaries Talk

Whizzbang party

  • erik.schaubroeckscarlet.be by erik.schaubroeckscarlet.be

    British humor?

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  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    There was a traveling comedy group named the Whiz Bangs that I've read about, I think in another diary, so this party may be a performance by them.

    And, yes, there was a lot of dark, dry British humor evident in the names of places on the Western Front. In one diary I tagged, either an ammunition or a supply column, there were two dumps. One was called Whiz Dump and the other Bang Dump.

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  • erik.schaubroeckscarlet.be by erik.schaubroeckscarlet.be in response to cyngast's comment.

    Here in Flanders they gave the following names to cemeteries: Dozinghem, Bandaghem and Mendinghem. The three cemeteries were set up in view of the battle of Passchendaele, near clearing stations.

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    That really is dark humour.

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  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    I've heard of these three places before, probably in a book somewhere. I believe the casualty clearing stations were also known by those names, at least among the medical personnel.

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  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    An interesting article re these 3 Cemeteries and people’s explanations re names.

    CWGC goes into bit of detail.

    Westvleteren was outside the front held by Commonwealth forces in Belgium during the First World War, but in July 1917, in readiness for the forthcoming offensive, groups of casualty clearing stations were placed at three positions called by the troops

    Mendinghem, Dozinghem and Bandaghem. The 4th, 47th and 61st Casualty Clearing Stations were posted at Dozinghem and the military cemetery was used by them until early in 1918. Mendinghem, like Dozinghem and Bandaghem, were the popular names given by the troops to groups of casualty clearing stations posted to this area during the First World War. In July 1916, the 46th (1st/1st Wessex) Casualty Clearing Station was opened at Proven and this site was chosen for its cemetery. The first burials took place in August 1916. In July 1917, four further clearing stations arrived at Proven in readiness for the forthcoming Allied offensive on this front and three of them, the 46th, 12th and 64th, stayed until 1918”.

    Bandaghem, like Dozinghem and Mendinghem, were the popular names given by the troops to groups of casualty clearing stations posted to this area during the First World War. The cemetery site was chosen in July 1917 for the 62nd and 63rd Casualty Clearing Stations and burials from these and other hospitals (notably the 36th Casualty Clearing Station in 1918) continued until October 1918.
    Link: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/topic/67134-mendinghem-dozinghem-and-bandaghem/

    PS Article mentions that Lyn MacDonald explained the names in her "Roses Of No-Man's Land. (I have this book).

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