14kvn Posted 9 July , 2008 Share Posted 9 July , 2008 Hi All Does anyone know where this photo was taken. ? I believe it was taken in late 1915 - possibly early 1916. It is the 1/1st. Cambridgeshire Regiment - my Grandfather is front row fourth from left holding his Machine Gun. It could be Thiepval ( or area) as they were sent there from the Salient. It's certainly pre 27/07/1916 as that is when he was transferred to the M G C . Thanks Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
59165 Posted 9 July , 2008 Share Posted 9 July , 2008 Hi Kev. Googlin away on the french site throws up loads of them. Lens(poss),Epernay (v doubtful) Bray dunes (Dunkirk,poss)Tours(no way)& more. You could be right about Thiepval(or any other destroyed area) & it shouldn't be hard to find out if it had a bar called that. Good luck! Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14kvn Posted 9 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 9 July , 2008 Hi Kev. Googlin away on the french site throws up loads of them. Lens(poss),Epernay (v doubtful) Bray dunes (Dunkirk,poss)Tours(no way)& more. You could be right about Thiepval(or any other destroyed area) & it shouldn't be hard to find out if it had a bar called that. Good luck! Dave. Thanks Dave - I had tried Google from the UK - I didn't think of trying the French site ! I agree with your comments - it has to be near the Western Front- another place that springs to mind is Flixecourt. I shall be inthe area in two weeks time and hope to do some more visits to places I've missed before. I would love to find this cafe . Regards Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 9 July , 2008 Share Posted 9 July , 2008 I don't think it can be Thiepval. Firstly, Thiepval was never more than a little group of houses and a church serving the Chateau, and secondly, it was behind the German lines. Lovely photo though and I hope someone can identify the place. It would be great to find the building is still there. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14kvn Posted 9 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 9 July , 2008 I don't think it can be Thiepval. Firstly, Thiepval was never more than a little group of houses and a church serving the Chateau, and secondly, it was behind the German lines. Lovely photo though and I hope someone can identify the place. It would be great to find the building is still there. Tom Thanks Tom I know from another photo that the 1/1st Cambs Rgt were at Flixicourt during the Winter of 1915. They left the salient in Sept. 1915 when the 27th Div ( to whom they were attached ) went to Salonika. They were sent to the Third Army Training School at Flixcourt until in 1916 when they were attached to the 118th Brigade joining the 39th Division. So I'm now thinking Flixecourt or maybe Amiens. I found a Restaurant Chalet in Amiens which could fit although if so it has been rebuilt. Regards Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 9 July , 2008 Share Posted 9 July , 2008 There's a café Le Chalet in Abbeville, which is also not too far from Flixecourt, though I would be surprised if it were the original. Abbeville was badly bombed in 1940. cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff brown Posted 26 July , 2010 Share Posted 26 July , 2010 It was taken at Flixecourt, when 1/1st Cambs were attached to Third Army Training School in late 1915, before joining 39th Div in 1916. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14kvn Posted 22 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 22 November , 2011 Hi Guys I'm pretty sure I've resolved this one. A few weeks ago I was in Abbeville where I found a Restaurant/ Cafe Le Chalet . I showed the Proprietor my 1916 Post card and he seemed pretty certain it was his Cafe although it has changed some what with rebuilding after the 1940 bombings I could still see some features that looked the same as the post card. So Martin B I think you were spot on and Cliff I know about the attachment to Flixecourt but could find no evidence of a Cafe there so I'm pretty sure this is it . Thanks for all your help guys. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 22 November , 2011 Share Posted 22 November , 2011 Hi Guys I'm pretty sure I've resolved this one. A few weeks ago I was in Abbeville where I found a Restaurant/ Cafe Le Chalet . I showed the Proprietor my 1916 Post card and he seemed pretty certain it was his Cafe although it has changed some what with rebuilding after the 1940 bombings I could still see some features that looked the same as the post card. So Martin B I think you were spot on and Cliff I know about the attachment to Flixecourt but could find no evidence of a Cafe there so I'm pretty sure this is it . Thanks for all your help guys. Kevin Hi Kevin, Just playing 'devil's advocate' I notice in your contemporary photo the elevation of the road appears to drop slightly towards the right, whereas in the modern photo it appears to drop towards the left. Is it possible that post-war reconstruction would have gone as far as changing the incline of the road outside the cafe? (Might just be a trick of the camera and my eyesight of course!) It would seem a reasonable interpretation for the locality otherwise. All the best Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 22 November , 2011 Share Posted 22 November , 2011 The original cafe in post #1 is called Café DU Chalet, not café LE Chalet... Roel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14kvn Posted 22 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 22 November , 2011 Hi Kevin, Just playing 'devil's advocate' I notice in your contemporary photo the elevation of the road appears to drop slightly towards the right, whereas in the modern photo it appears to drop towards the left. Is it possible that post-war reconstruction would have gone as far as changing the incline of the road outside the cafe? (Might just be a trick of the camera and my eyesight of course!) It would seem a reasonable interpretation for the locality otherwise. All the best Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 22 November , 2011 Share Posted 22 November , 2011 The original is a single storey, is it not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14kvn Posted 22 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 22 November , 2011 Hi Steve and Roel Yes I noticed those points - the original "photo" is a scan of a Carte Postal approx. 95 years old hence the poor quality- the 2011 photo I scaled down to comply with Forum posting restrictions and I think I "twisted" it a bit - I'll try the full shot unmodified which I think is more in line with what you say . As for the name I assumed it was slightly changed after the WW 11 rebuilding along with a more modern facade ? I don't know - all I can say is the Proprietor was very sure that his was the same place albeit somewhat changed as the Cafe in the 1915/16 Carte Postal , I was not sure to start with either but his view more or less convinced me . I've been looking for this for several years and nothing else I've found comes close. In the photo the canal is just to the right of the white Van and the road slopes up to the left towards the station . I think you'll see at the base of the buildings evidence of the ground slope. Thanks for your interest. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 22 November , 2011 Share Posted 22 November , 2011 OFF TOPIC, I know, but what a lovely juxtaposition... A bar next to a restaurant with bar... Oh if only I could find such in a small town in this land where I live... And what luck to be chasing such a place that existed alost 100 years ago in pursuit of legitimate research! (i.e., I envy you very much Kevin!) Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margaretdufay Posted 22 November , 2011 Share Posted 22 November , 2011 Hello just saw your posting. I live in the nord pas de calais region of France. And I think if you asked the local newspaper the Voix du Nord, which is based in Lille, I am sure that they would print the picture and ask the people of the region if they knew your café. I would be happy to give you the address and phone numbers if you needed them, and help you even to write a letter if you don't speak French. But they love stories like that. br mags Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 22 November , 2011 Share Posted 22 November , 2011 Hello just saw your posting. I live in the nord pas de calais region of France. And I think if you asked the local newspaper the Voix du Nord, which is based in Lille, I am sure that they would print the picture and ask the people of the region if they knew your café. I would be happy to give you the address and phone numbers if you needed them, and help you even to write a letter if you don't speak French. But they love stories like that. br mags unless mistaken, Abbeville is not in the Voix du Nord's circulation area. For a daily you want the Courrier Picard, and there is an even more local weekly, the Journal d'Abbeville. But mags is right, the French provincial press is very provincial cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margaretdufay Posted 22 November , 2011 Share Posted 22 November , 2011 you could probably ask for both, because the voix du nord has quite a large readership, lille, arras, etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margaretdufay Posted 22 November , 2011 Share Posted 22 November , 2011 me again, have just been on the site of the newspaper and in fact there are four newspapers in the group Voix du nord Nord Eclair Nord Littoral Courrier Picard mags Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff brown Posted 23 November , 2011 Share Posted 23 November , 2011 Further to my previous post, I repeat that the Cafe du Chalet was in Flixecourt. I know this because some years ago I purchased a photo album belonging to a former member of the Cambs Rgt. There were postcards of Flixecourt, including one which showed a street with the Cafe du Chalet on the corner (unfortunately I cannot read the street sign, even with a magnifying glass - too blurred). However, the card categorically says: Flixecourt - Cafe du Chalet, Salle Des Fete. G Wallet, proprietaire. There are lots of pix, old and new, of Flixecourt here: http://coins.delcampe.fr/list.php?cat=5391&var=Flixecourt-80-Somme-France-Europe-Postcards&sessionToken=sslLogin_f979e1ba46582dde041218fb5ddb2461&language=F&searchTldCountry=fr&sessionToken=sslLogin_8a5603300cb8716f878e75eb650a2c37 Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 23 November , 2011 Share Posted 23 November , 2011 no Café du Chalet in Flixecourt now, according to French Yellow Pages cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margaretdufay Posted 23 November , 2011 Share Posted 23 November , 2011 Just to keep this going, found this link when trying to see Flixe Images correspondant à flixecourt -court, there are many photos of the town. thought you might like to see them br mags Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14kvn Posted 24 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 November , 2011 Hi All Well thanks to Chris Brown I now think the Mystery is finally solved . The Cafe du Chalet was definitely in Flixecourt and I now have photo proof. It makes sense as I know that the Regiment were based at the Third Army Training School , Flixecourt from late 1915 to early 1916 when I assume my photo was taken. I cannot post Cliff's photo due to file size and to reduce it to this forum's 100k limit makes it too small to view. I'd be happy to eMail it to anyone interested, just PM me. Thanks for all your suggestions Regards, Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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