The Battle of Messines, hailed as the turning point for the Allies in the World War I and which New Zealand had a major role in, took place 100 years ago today.
A New Zealand battalion after the Battle of Messines, World War I. Photograph taken probably France in June 1917 by Henry Armytage Sanders. Photo: National Library of New Zealand
Messines was a prelude to the much larger Third Battle of Ypres, better known to New Zealand as Passchendaele, in October 1917.
New Zealand troops were tasked with taking the Belgian town, and did so within a couple of hours.
New Zealand's National Commemorative Service will be held at Messines Ridge British Cemetery and will feature readings, waiata and The Last Post and will include the marching in of the Regimental Colour of the 2nd Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment which carries 21 battle honours including 'Messines 1917'.
A Sunset Ceremony will also take place at the New Zealand Battlefield Memorial in Messines. In New Zealand, a remembrance ceremony was set for 11am at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington.
VIDEO: Belgian King Albert I unveils the New Zealand memorial at Messines, 1 August 1924.
Massey University professor of war studies Glyn Harper said the attack was meticulously planned.
It involved British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand troops tunnelling under the German lines and placing large mines in readiness for the start of the attack at 3.10am.
Map showing the attack plan of the II ANZAC Corps for the Battle of Messines. Zones of responsibility are broken down to the brigade level. Multiple objective lines also shown. Photo: Excerpt from Australian War Memorial War diary awm4-1-48-15
"It was such a large explosion that it could be heard away in London and a seismograph on the Isle of Wight actually registered it as a large earthquake, so it was a high explosion and it is estimated that it killed some 10,000 German soldiers just with the press of a button."
Only 19 of the 21 mine shafts laid under the German front line went off. One of those that failed to explode did so in the mid-1950s, much to the surprise of locals.
John A Lee was with the New Zealand Division at the battle and spoke about it in 1968.
"And on that second the mightiest barrage of all time was belched from guns behind us and the immense mines in front of Messines exploded and shook the earth beneath our feet and we were on our way out of the trench and advancing."
A New Zealand machine gun company after the Battle of Messines. Photo: National Library of New Zealand / Royal NZ RSA official negatives
Mr Lee, who later became a politician and author, said the allied advantage did not last long.
"As the British was the greatest prepared barrage and bombardment in the history of war, so is now the German counter-bombardment: prepared offensive, prepared resistance. The earth has been ransacked of materials to produce the greatest destructive fury of history until that moment," he said.
Battle of Messines. Anzac field-dressing station, 7 June 1917. Photo: State Library of Queensland
Jim Warner was another New Zealand soldier fighting in Belgium on the Western Front in 1917, having been on the Somme the previous year. He was interviewed in 1982.
"The terrain over which we had that battle was somewhat different to the Somme. The Somme was rolling country and devoid of any cover - once you stood up you were right out in the open but Messines wasn't so bad."
By 7am, four hours into the battle, the New Zealanders had taken all their objectives, including Messines village. Holding on to it was another matter.
A New Zealand artillery gun 'Alice' employed in the Battle of Messines, World War I. Photograph taken 8 June 1917 by Henry Armytage Sanders. Photo: National Library of New Zealand
Official records from the time show 700 New Zealanders were killed and 3000 wounded at Messines but Prof Harper said he believed the figures were way off the mark.
"Between the dates of the first and the eighth of June 1917 - and of course Messines is the high point of action - there are over 1000 New Zealanders who were killed or died during that time. The figure is 1071, which is a combination of about 825 killed in action and another 246 who died of their wounds."
Prof Harper said the feeling at the time of Messines was the war was starting to turn in the Allies' favour.
"Although we all know with hindsight what is going to happen in third Ypres - particularly the Passchendaele battles fought on the 4th, 9th and 12th of October and even after - they become really the epitome of the horror of the Western Front."
General Godley accompanied by officers inspects assembled soldiers of 2nd Infantry Brigade at a review held after the Battle of Messines, Belgium. Photograph taken 21 June 1917 by Henry Armytage Sanders. Photo: National Library of New Zealand / RNZ RSA official negatives
