Burial: Map references.

[mickrose]

If the image has'nt appeared, there's a couple in the 'play area'.

The image is from a 'Death Report' from July/August 1918.

I have read of 'degrees' being used along with the letters and numbers, for Trench maps.

I can't find that source now, so can someone tell me if it is a 'degree' sign, and if it is, how it works?

The two lines appear to say:-

'Buried by T. B. Hardy

attchd. 8 Lincolns:- 24/4/18 L. 3 a. 80° 45. Sheet 57d.'

Thanks

Mick.

[Smithmaps]

Mick

It is :

Sheeet 57d Great square L Square 3 (in L) square a (in L3 a,b,c,d-top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right)

Square a is then subdivided by 10 on the x and y, this being 8.0x and 4.5y

You will find a good explaination of this on the WFA web site

Link

Hope that is clear

Cheers

Guy

[mickrose]

Thanks Guy,

Just visited that link, it makes perfect sense. [He was killed in the village after being in trenches on the s/east side. on the 5/4/18

It must have just been a slightly clumsy 'full stop' rather than a 'degree' sign.

It seems he was buried in the ruins of the village, and is probably still there!

Thanks again Guy.

Mick.

[Smithmaps]

Here is the spot, in the centre of Bucquoy.

Interestingly only yards from where my Great Uncle died, and is buried too.

Cheers

Guy

[mickrose]

With such detailed location,

what sort of things went wrong in the attempt to recover our relations?

On the 'affairs of deceased officers' report, it states:-

'We have no record of this officer's body having been recovered'

That was dated 8/8/1918. But they did have a record, you just read it!

Surely there had been no 'clearance' of remains so soon?

Mick

[Bob Coulson]

The Rev Theodore Bayley Hardy VC.

Bob.

[mickrose]

I have the letter Bob,

That he sent to my Grandfather.

"From the position of his body, he did'nt suffer etc...

we buried him in a well dug grave.." etc etc.

I was told years ago by someone 'who should know', to take all contents of these letters

with a pinch of salt, and that it was purely for the benefit of the loved ones.

But the date on the letter is the same as stated, 24/4/18, and the 'death report' at least says it was Rev. Hardy, so maybe more is true, and I should'nt be so cynical!

Cheers.

Mick.

[Bob Coulson]

Mick,

A marvellous thing to have, I would treasure it.

Bob.

[Smithmaps]

If you ever want to go and find him with GPS, his location from 'LinesMan' is 50°8'23.8"N, 2°42'24.0"E

The Aerial Photo is not very high resolution for here, but there is a good chance of it not being built on.

Cheers

Guy

[mickrose]

I knew I would end up buying one of those.

I've already planned the trip! [anniversary of his death, 5th April]

How much for a half decent one, and are they simple to use?

Thanks for the location and the first map you sent. That was brilliant.

Yes, I just could be lucky with the location, looking at that.

In my ignorance on this matter,

I still don't understand why, if details of his location were held, his body

was not eventually removed, particularly from a village location,[demolished as it was]

even if he did have, as the Rev. Hardy said, a well dug grave and a genuine service.

Would it just be a simple error somewhere? Was your Great Uncle killed in 1918?

Mick.

[Smithmaps]

Mick

Any GPS will find the co ordinates I gave you.

Just remember the chaos of war, and the millions of enquiries. Plus the fact that everybody wanted to get home, even the burial parties. Add to that understaffing etc.etc. Nobody will sift mountains of paperwork looking for map references.

Many missing Battle of Britain pilots were similarly never recovered, despite their whereabouts being known post war.

Great Uncle Leonard william Smith was killed in 13/14 March 1917

Here

He still lies not far away.

Guy