About the book

Between the Battle of Messines and the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Ieper) lies a nearly forgotten chapter: the Battle of La Basse-Ville, fought in Belgium (not France) from 11 June to 28 August 1917. This book restores that chapter from a New Zealand perspective, helping descendants make sense of casualty dates, unit movements, and the places their forebears passed through on the way to the front.

Written by Belgian national and former judge Dominique G. J. M. Cooreman, it draws on more than a decade of fieldwork in Belgium and New Zealand and many interviews with families—bringing human stories to names and regimental numbers on memorials across Aotearoa.

“Part travelogue, part history… it will both overwhelm and entrance you“

Christopher Pugsley ONZM, New Zealand Military Historian

Scope

A readable, New Zealand focused account that connects operations near the now defunct hamlet of La Basse-Ville (Warneton, Belgium) with the towns and communities our soldiers came from. It includes both Māori and Pākehā experiences and, thanks to access to the diary of German officer Kurt Zehmisch, also offers insights into the “enemy’s” / German perspective.

Helping families find lost stories

For decades, many families were told their loved ones fell “in France or Belgium.” Because La Basse-Ville in Belgium was confused with La Bassée in France, specific locations and dates were blurred. This book carefully restores that precision and recognition for New Zealand soldiers whose stories slipped between the better known battles of Messines and Passchendaele. More than one thousand New Zealanders died during the fighting around La Basse-Ville — sacrifices that deserve to be remembered by name, place, and date.

Who is the book for?

• New Zealand and Australian (ANZAC) families but also all other people across the world tracing ancestors who served in 1917 near Messines and Ypres/Ieper, Belgium.
• Genealogists and family historians needing verified lists, dates, and unit context to match memorial inscriptions and service records.
• Educators, librarians, and community historians preparing lectures/presentations or exhibits on World War One (1914–1918) and New Zealand’s participation.
  

Research methodology

• 12+ Years of research across New Zealand, Belgium, UK, Australia, Egypt, and Turkey. Extensive use of primary sources:
  • war diaries
  • British, New Zealand and Belgian war records
  • trench maps
  • cemetery registers
  • newspaper archives

• The research took the author across New Zealand (Auckland, Wellington, Waiouru, Gisborne, Hokitika, …), Belgium (Flanders Fields: Ypres, Ploegsteert, Warneton‑Comines, Brussels…), as well as London, France (Nord Pas de Calais, Albert, Arras, Fromelles, …), Turkey (Chunuk Bair in Gallipoli), Egypt (Cairo, Alexandria), Australia (Tasmania). It involved countless hours in archives and libraries, visits to cemeteries, memorials, and on‑site research in many locations linked to the story. Every detail in the book has been documented with care, accuracy, and respect for the subject.
• Field verification in Flanders Fields to locate the exact location of La Basse‑Ville (a hamlet that doesnt exist anymore) and surrounding areas to confirm terrain, distances, and site locations.
• Detailed documentation of cemeteries, memorials, and grave inscriptions to match dates and unit details.
• Interviews with families and descendants who shared letters, photographs, and oral histories.
• Every casualty entry and decoration list cross‑checked against multiple independent archival sources to ensure accuracy.
• In short: this book represents years of dedication, extensive travel, thousands of hours of work, and a commitment to authentic, respectful storytelling.

Why this book matters

• Restores a forgotten chapter between Messines and Passchendaele where over 1,000 New Zealanders were killed.
• Corrects decades of confusion about where soldiers fell, especially due to the mix‑up between La Basse‑Ville (Belgium) and La Bassée (France).
• Helps families and genealogists finally locate exact places, dates, and circumstances of a relative’s service or death.
• Reconnects soldiers to the towns, marae, and communities they came from in Aotearoa.
• Highlights both Māori and Pākehā experiences, restoring balance to the historical record.
• Gives visibility and dignity to soldiers whose stories were overshadowed by larger battles.
• Supports educators, librarians, and historians with accurate, contextualised information for teaching and commemoration.
• Ensures the sacrifices at La Basse‑Ville are properly remembered — by name, by place, and by date.
  

What makes the book unique?

• First ever comprehensive* casuality list of New Zealand men killed (1000+ men listed) at La Basse-Ville.
• A full list of all decorations and awards given to all who fought in the battle of La Basse-Ville 1917: vital information for family researchers.
• Extensive bibliography for those who want to search even deeper.
• Extended glossary and abbreviations list used in the book for WW1 terms, so people reading on the topic understand better the military jargon.
• Maps, diagrams of trench lines.
• Original photographs, letters, diary extracts reproduced with permission from relatives of fallen soldiers.
• Stories from both sides: Allied forces (both Māori and Pākehā) but also the German perspective through the diary of German officer Kurt Zehmisch.
• Accounts of the impact on those not at the battle front: children, (grand) parents, siblings, spouses.
• To support local communities, the printing and binding were deliberately done in New Zealand, where production costs are much higher than in Asia. Choosing local printing (Waipukurau) and binding (Levin) was an intentional decision—one that ensures quality while contributing to the community connected to the history behind the book.
  * as known to the author as of April 2016

Format & ISBN number

• Paperback, 416 pages.
• ISBN 978 0 473 35278 3 (a wrong number : 978 0 473 35267 3 sometimes appears in library listings).

Timeframe & place

• World War One: Operations at La Basse-Ville ran from 11 June through 28 August 1917.
• Location: La Basse-Ville, a hamlet in what is now Comines-Warneton also known as Komen-Waasten, Belgium, confused by some with La Bassée, which is in France.