8th-15th March 1916
All material produced or reproduced here and throughout this work is the sole copyright of the author and the family of Doctor D.C.M. Page MC.
We mentioned about the Guards Cemetery at Windy Corner when another interesting fact popped its peculiar head above the parapet. The designer of the Guards Cemetery was in fact none other than one of the most successful architects of the 20th Century, Charles Holden. Charles who? I hear you say. Well those of you familiar with London’s Underground network will be very familiar with some of his work. Many of London’s Underground stations built during the 1930s were also the work of Holden, something of a genius in his day with a lasting legacy. The Grade 1 listed headquarters of The London Underground at St. James’ Park Station is an outstanding example, along with stations at South Wimbledon, Arnos Grove and Southgate for example.
You can read more about him and his works here.
Douglas wrote;
“ One fine day Major Sherren (the D.A.M.D.S) and Capt. Williams (Sanitary Officer), came up to inspect the trenches. All went well till we got to Givenchy Keep when the Huns started a ‘straff ’. We got it hot for 20 minutes and just lay low in the trench where we were. Some of the shells dropped very close to us. We saw the remains of Givenchy Church a heap of bricks and stones.”
Windy Corner seems to be a British name given to the point that much of everything was routed through in the area. Look at the trench map showing the British Army names for the area, like Herts Avenue, Wood Lane and such. These days the layout of the roads has altered. Some lanes that were unmade in 1916 are now modern roads and a modern church stands where the “heap of brick and stones” once lay.
The next post follows on 16th March.
Find out about our connection with Dr Page and an introduction to his diary here