WW1 MM Group of 4 to JOHN PERREN - 23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment

[Darrell]

Peckham Farm.

The crater in the foreground was caused by 87,000 lbs. of Amatol at a depth of 240 feet. A 20,000 lb. mine remains intact under the farm house in the immediate background. (Mine 6 is behind the building in the left background).

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Spanbroekmolen (Lone Tree).

91,000 lbs. fired at 250 feet. The second photo shows a German bunker, partly covered by spoil from the explosion.

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Kruistraat.

Three charges totaling 109,500 lb. of amatol fired at a depth of between 200 and 235 feet. Two craters remain. Note: crater 8 is behind the buildings in the left background.

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Ontario farm.

60,000 lbs. fired at 200 feet under soft clay. Due to the nature of the ground (wet slippery clay) only a small crater, in the group of trees on the left, was formed, but the shockwave did massive damage to the German position here. Ontario Farm can be seen in the right background.

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Petite Douve Farm (Now called La Basse Cour).

A 50,000 lb. mine remains, unfired, below one of the barns next to the house. The farm is on the outskirts of Messines village, on the road to Ploegsteert.

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Trench 127, where one crater remains. Two were fired, with a total of 86,000 lbs. of amatol at 182 and 210 feet. The second crater has been filled in. The North side of Ploegsteert wood can be seen in the background.

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Factory farm.

The enormous spoil bank (immediately below) and the crater pool. 20,000 lbs. of amatol.

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Trench 122.

Across the road from the Factory farm mine. 40,000 lbs. of amatol.

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The Birdcage.

4 mines were prepared here, but not detonated because the Germans had already evacuated this area by Zero Hour. One mine (about 75 yards from the point this picture was taken from, just to the left of the road) exploded in 1955. Three remain charged to either side of the road, two to the left and one to the right, all within 150 yards of this spot.

[Darrell]

The tremendous noise and based on the devastation inflicted, you can only imagine what went through John's mind and those other 1000's in the area during the early morning hours of June 7th, 1917.

War Diaries of the 23 BN Middlesex Regiment have entries detailing the actions from June 1 thru June 20 including the 7th June when John would be awarded his Military Medal.

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Although not mentioned by name, on the 31st August 1917 War Diary entry, a note states “Honours received during the month = 1-MC, 2-DCM and 12-MM”. John would undoubtedly be one of the MMs.

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A commendation from the G.O.C. states:

“I wish to put on record my appreciation of your bravery at St. Eloi on 7 June 1917, when your companions were subjected to heavy machine-gun fire. You, with two others, went boldly forward and out the gun out of action with bombs and captured the machine-gun, thus saving many casualties. Your gallant action was a fine example to others”.

Preceding the mention in the War Diaries of August 31st, was the London Gazette reporting the award of the Military Medal to John. This was the 21 August 1917 edition.

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