Map of the Sugar Loaf Salient

[Fattyowls]

Last month I was able to help an Australian couple find the name of one of their great uncles at VC Corner. We've kept in touch and I've been able to send them lots of detail on him thanks entirely to Frev (also of this parish) who has previously posted about the great uncle (see post 13 below).

 

Pete.

[spof]

Pete

Here you go. For the battalions, read from left to right 2/4 Royal Berks, 2/1 OBLI, 59 Bn and 60 Bn.

PM me an email address if you'd like the full version.

Glen

[Fattyowls]

Pete

Here you go. For the battalions, read from left to right 2/4 Royal Berks, 2/1 OBLI, 59 Bn and 60 Bn.

PM me an email address if you'd like the full version.

Glen

Glen, this is perfect; thank you. I had mixed up the 184th and the 183rd Brigade and also thought that the divisional boundary was much further east; I'll PM you my email address. My friends from Victoria had booked a taxi back from Pheasant Wood so we were in a bit of a rush as I wanted to show them the Cobber so I only managed one photograph of the attack area. It was taken with my back to the VC Corner entrance and I'd originally thought that it was in completely the wrong direction to be able to show the area where Frank and Albert fell. For a few seconds when I saw your post I thought that I'd actually photographed the right area. However having looked at the photo again it shows the Sugar Loaf and not the fields across which the 59th and 60th battalions attacked. I'll check it again but I think my status as the worst battlefield photographer in the universe remains intact. I'm hoping to get over early next year to explore the area on foot; at least I'll know which way to point the camera next time.

[spof]

Pete

Glad to be able to help.

If you took your photo looking over the River Layes, you would have got the Sugar Loaf and possibly part of the 15 Bde area but mostly the 61st Division front. Your secret about the photography skills is safe with me.

If your in the area around 9th May, I'll be there too.

Glen

[Fattyowls]

Pete

Glad to be able to help.

If you took your photo looking over the River Layes, you would have got the Sugar Loaf and possibly part of the 15 Bde area but mostly the 61st Division front. Your secret about the photography skills is safe with me.

If your in the area around 9th May, I'll be there too.

Glen

I'm going to look closely at the photo with the maps and read the letter again to see if I'm close. I may post the photo, if only to cement my reputation. I can't tell if there is a slight slope up to the Sugarloaf or I wasn't holding the camera straight. If I were a betting man I know what my money would be on however,......

[michel knockaert]

Hello Glen

always on the breastwork !

I miss you...

Michel

[Fattyowls]

Michel has neatly provided an introduction to a couple of supplementary questions.

First, were all of the lines on both sides breastworks? So far the Rhondda Sap is the only trench I've found that plays a part in the story.

Second, Bean in the Official History mentions that there was a gap between the 184th Brigade (the 2/1 Ox & Bucks?) and the 5th Australian Brigade (59th) which was left to avoid bunching and was filled with machine guns playing on the tip of the Sugar Loaf. I assume this would be either side of the divisional boundary. Do we know how wide this would have been?

Thanks, Pete.