OPENING IN JUNE 2005
OF THE MUSEUM OF THE ERCAN's CITY

The idea of creating a place where the association could present its works almost permanently is not new and the numerous visitors who come to our yearly exhibitions encouraged us to pursue that objective.

After the choice of the place situated in the village centre, the book of suggestions for the layout, the necessary works carried out by the village , the association will soon be equipped with a show room presenting its works that should please the inhabitants and the visitors who would like to know more about the history of our village.

It is situated where the fire station used to be (rue de l’Issue) ,
next to the Grand Place, the Chuchyard Extension Cemetery
and the Parc Déliot.

The parkings around the church will be quite useful.

That date was jointly accepted by both Bois Grenier and Erquinghem-Lys villages.

For several months, our association members have been taking an active part in the commemoration project of the “Dicky’s Dash” operation led in 1917 by the Liverpool Scottish men among which several soldiers are buried in Erquinghem-Lys.

To commemorate that event a monument will be erected that very day near Bois Grenier in the locality of Le Bridoux (see historical details) Both important events will give more splendour to that memorable day and the opportunity to welcome many French and foreign personalities.

No wonder Bois Grenier and Erquinghem-Lys do something together knowing that they were one and the same village before 1854.

The 2/10th (Scottish) Bn The King’s ( Liverpool Regiment) served in France and in Flander from February 1917 to its enlistment into the 1st battalion in Spring 1918. In 1917 its men served in the Bois Grenier platoon near Armentières with the small village of Erquinghem-Lys as rear base.

Although it was a rather quiet sector of the front , you can find 45 graves of the Liverpool Scottish The King’s in the graveyard of Erquinghem-Lys kept by the C.W.G.C. (Commonwealth War Graves Commission). Some of those graves are the result of the operation initially named “Dicky’s Dash” then named after Captain Alan Dickinson MC , one of the three brothers who served in the Liverpool Scottish.

The raid “Dicky’s Dash” took place in the south of Bois Grenier on the afternoon of the 29th June 1917 near the old road of Bridoux from a point of the English front line known under the name of Saillant de Bridoux.

Important research were done by M. John Dickinson who will be present with some members of his family.

Anecdotes

Franck Macdonald who served in that sector with the 2nd battalion wrote in his diary that he had heard the explosion of the Messines mines which had been heard , according to the information , as far as London.

He also heard the gas bombing of Armentières. He also described how the trenches were built to be used as parapets instead of being dug because of the dampness of the ground.

Basil Rathbone the actor known for his roles as Sherlock Holmes served in that sector with the Liverpool Scottish and was registered as a worker in the farm of La Rolanderie , rue du Biez in Erquinghem-Lys.

Years later he won the MC as a patrol officer in the 1st battalion in early 1918.

Visit of July 23rd 2004 Bois Grenier Le Bridoux From Left to Right : Major(Rtd) Chris DAVIES, Jack THORPE, Daniel BATTEUR maçon du cairn, révérend Harry ROSS, Philip ROSS, Andrew ROSS		Visit of July 23rd 2004 Erquinghem-lys. In front of Alan Cookson’s grave in Churchyard Extension Cemetery

On July 31st 2001 Mr Philip Ross from Aindale , Merseyside sent us an e-mail thanks to our address found on the internet site Erquinghem-lys.com.

He was doing research on his grandfather who had been wounded in June 1917 in Bois Grenier and had noticed that some members of the 2/10th Liverpool Scottish Battalion which his grandfather belonged
to were registered in the Memorial of Erquinghem-Lys as well as members of the Wessex Battalion whose ambulance had driven his grandfather to the British Casualty Station in Merville.