Historical information

Holmes Family WW1 memorabilia.
06 Apr 1916 - The Battle of St Eloi Craters, Canadian Expeditionary Forces Major Operation.
“… the British had been patiently tunnelling since August (1915) at nearby St Eloi, about three miles south of Ypres, and adjacent to the Canadian trenches. Throughout the winter, the tunnelling crept ever closer to a dominant German-held feature dubbed “The Mound.” When the tunnels were completed in early March, tons of explosives were emplaced in six locations and on March 27, 1916, at 4:14 a.m. the charges were set off. Two German companies were wiped out and large sections of the German trenches were destroyed, but the British 9th Brigade’s attack faltered and became a bloody close-quarters slugging match, with the last bomb crater captured only on April 3.” (Zuehlke, Mark. Daniel, C. Stuart. The Canadian Military Atlas. The Nation’s Battlefields from the French and Indian Wars to Kosovo. Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited. Toronto. 2001 p. 125)

Physical description

A number of World War One soldiers, members of the Northumberland Fusiliers celebrate after the battle of St Eloi. Some or wear tin helmuts.

Inscriptions & markings

The "Fighting Fifth" (Northumberland Fusiliers) after the battle of St Eloi"