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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Bombing raid on Etaples April 1918 and Abbeville May 1918


RobL

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Hi, i'm currently researching two raids in which apparently nine members of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps were killed in each - Etaples in April 1918 and Abbeville in May 1918. Does anyone know the exact dates for these raids, the aircraft involved (and numbers - i'm presuming either AEG's or Gotha's?), damage/casualties and any interceptions by British aircraft?

Thanks, Rob

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Rob:

I have information on the May 30th 1918 bombing that took out the 8 members of the QMAAC.

My "mystery nurse", which has recently been solved was there:

Mary Blaikley (not Paterson) from May 30, 1918

I can dig out the information from my file if that is the event you are researching?

Richard of Canada

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Sorry about the late reply - yes, that's the event i'm researching. I'd be very grateful if you could help me with research, if of course it is not of too much inconvenience.

Best regards, Rob

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Rob:

I have recently written a short update on Mary Blaikley, one of the nurses killed in the raids. The "women" have that posting so you can find the details here:

W@W Mary Blaikley QMAAC

That will also take you to the detailed report that has other information about the rest of the group, etc. If something catches your eye and you have any questions then I can see if I have more about that issue in the file. I was concentrating more on "who were the nurses" not on the bombing per se.

Richard

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  • 7 years later...

My great Uncle was Rev Henry Watson Fox DSO who was Senior Chaplain to the Forces (SCF) at Abbeville. He has left some "remembrances" of his WW1 service and there is a short comment on the bombing of Abbeville.  The relevant extract is given below.

 

A few months later the bombing of Abbeville began which except in one instance caused no casualties. This was greatly due to the Base Commandant’s wisdom in ordering all the troops in the town who were not on essential duties to go out into the surrounding country. Thus the S.C.F. went out on his bicycle to sleep where he might in safety; one night it was with troops on the road-side, then under a hay-stack, or in a hay loft at a farm, and for several nights on the ground in a wood. Then the C.O. of a big Veterinary Hospital, hearing of his plight, invited him to become a member of its mess which was on a chalk hill outside the town, with shelter caves in the chalk cliff, and where he was given a comfortable hut. But the W.A.A.C.s although they were in two camps outside the town were not so fortunate. One camp was bombed, but the women were safe in their shelter trenches. The S.C.F. went to see them next morning and found them as cheery as ever, even though pieces of their tents and many of their clothes were hanging on the tree-tops. They were moved that day to the other camp. A night or two later a bomb set fire to a lorry in a lane beside the camp and lit up the huts. The aeroplane observed, and returned flying low to drop a bomb directly into the shelter-trench. Five women were killed, but when the S.C.F. went the next morning to visit their camp he saw their officer in command and her women carrying on their routine work as though no disaster had happened.

 

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I have a copy of the 1918 German NB if I have the dates of the deaths I may be able to match them up with the units.

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  • 3 years later...
On ‎04‎/‎08‎/‎2016 at 19:24, Guest said:

My great Uncle was Rev Henry Watson Fox DSO who was Senior Chaplain to the Forces (SCF) at Abbeville. He has left some "remembrances" of his WW1 service and there is a short comment on the bombing of Abbeville.  The relevant extract is given below.

 

A few months later the bombing of Abbeville began which except in one instance caused no casualties. This was greatly due to the Base Commandant’s wisdom in ordering all the troops in the town who were not on essential duties to go out into the surrounding country. Thus the S.C.F. went out on his bicycle to sleep where he might in safety; one night it was with troops on the road-side, then under a hay-stack, or in a hay loft at a farm, and for several nights on the ground in a wood. Then the C.O. of a big Veterinary Hospital, hearing of his plight, invited him to become a member of its mess which was on a chalk hill outside the town, with shelter caves in the chalk cliff, and where he was given a comfortable hut. But the W.A.A.C.s although they were in two camps outside the town were not so fortunate. One camp was bombed, but the women were safe in their shelter trenches. The S.C.F. went to see them next morning and found them as cheery as ever, even though pieces of their tents and many of their clothes were hanging on the tree-tops. They were moved that day to the other camp. A night or two later a bomb set fire to a lorry in a lane beside the camp and lit up the huts. The aeroplane observed, and returned flying low to drop a bomb directly into the shelter-trench. Five women were killed, but when the S.C.F. went the next morning to visit their camp he saw their officer in command and her women carrying on their routine work as though no disaster had happened.

 

 

 

I Don't know of the author of this post is still sround, but would you mind if I quoted this in my Women's project… the part on Abbeville??

Thanks.

 

M.

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  • 6 months later...

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