Pusieux Trench and Ten Tree Alley

[Roger H]

Anyone any ideas about the location of Pusieux Trench and whether it was particularly significant? Apparently batteries of the 62nd Divisional Artillery supported an attack by the 63rd Division early February 1917 "when the enemy was driven out of a part of the Pusieux trench and thereby forced to evacuate Grandcourt". Now, I am no expert but I guess that the trench was therefore in the vicinity of Grandcourt! Any details of the trench and/or the incident would be much appreciated.

On 10 February 1917 batteries supported the 32nd Division in a successful assault on "Ten Tree Alley". Again, help on location would be great. Thanks

[Jack Sheldon]

Roger

I am not absolutely sure what the British referred to as Puisieux Trench. This sketch, dated 21 Dec 1916, shows what the Germans called the Puisieux Stellung [Position]. I would describe that as southeast of Puisieux and north of Miraumont and I am not sure that I would mention Grandcourt in the same breath - not that it is all that far away. Ten Tree Alley is best described as, 'between Serre and Beaucourt, about 1,000 metres from Serre', but I do not have a map to post. Perhaps someone else can oblige.

Jack

[Roger H]

Jack

Thanks for this - excellent.

[Jack Sheldon]

It is a pleasure. If you need it at higher resolution, contact me off-Forum with an e mail address.

Jack

[AlanCurragh]

Here is Ten Tree Alley, taken from a trench map dated 26.11.16, from the excellent "Linesman" trench map package.You can see it running just above the big letter "K". As with Jack, please PM me if you want a higher resolution map.

This is the link to the CWGC's page on Ten Tree Alley Cemetery. The cemetery lies midway between the top right point of the big "K" and the first "L" of the word "Alley". It's a beautiful spot.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_detail...5205&mode=1

Alan

[JimSmithson]

Hi Roger

The Puisieux Stellung on Jack's map is not the same as the British Trench name. It was a long trench connecting Puisieux with Grandcourt and thus you can understand the reference. In the map (care of Linesman again) below from October 1916 it is the western of the 2 long trenches running north to south. The easterly one is River Trench for most of its course until just before Puisieux where it ends, starting up again as Village Trench further north. Again, as above, I can let you have a better map via email if you wish and PM me.

Jim

[Jack Sheldon]

Jim

That explains it. It is always interesting to see these different uses of almost the same name. Thanks for posting the map.

Jack

[Roger H]

Thanks to everyone - I am sure that these images are good enough for my purposes, but I will take you all up on your offers if necessary.

[JimSmithson]

Roger

Extract from the OH

"On the 3rd, a more serious operation was directed against the double trench-line, Puisieux and River Trenches , which ran northwards from the Ancre up the spur commanding Grandcourt, by the 63rd Division (Major-General C.D. Schute) of the II. Corps. With the object of surprise, so far as that was possible on ground covered with snow and in bright moonlight, the attack was launched at 11pm. Two battalions, Hood and Hawke of the 189th Brigade advanced on a front of 1,300 yards under a particularly accurate barrage. with the Nelson battalion in support on the left flank. The artillery of flanking formations cooperated, while that of the 2nd Division fired a feint barrage south of Pys, on the extreme right of the Army's front. The heavy artillery carried out its usual tasks of counter-battery and bombardment. Neutralising fire was opened at 11.3 pm on all German batteries which could fire on the area of operations, and was adjusted according to the reports received of the hostile barrage. At the same time seven heavy artillery groups bombarded targets such as Grandcourt, Baillescourt Farm, Beauregard Dovecote, and the main German trenches and works.

This was one of the hardest-fought and most confused of the secondary actions. The Hood battalion on the right veered right-handed till it was actually facing south along the Ancre instead of east. By the efforts of Lieut.-Commander A.M. Asquith.... it was swung around. By dawn, Puisieux and River Trenches, both almost obliterated, had been gained on either flank, but in the centre there was a dangerous gap of 200 yards in the hands of the enemy. His posts also held out both on the low ground on the extreme right and behind the left flank."

After some counter attacks which lost some ground the centre of Puisieux Trench was cleared on the morning of the 5th. Casualties were heavy at 24 officers and 647 other ranks. Next morning Grandcourt had been evacuated by the Germans.

Hope this sheds a bit of light for you.

Jim

[Roger H]

Jim

This detail is fantastic. I am still relatively new to all this, so I am not sure what "OH" refers to. I am assuming that "H" is an abbreviarion of history?

[JimSmithson]

Sorry Roger - It's the Official History. A really good read despite the official sounding title!

Jim

[AlanCurragh]

Roger - there is another description of the events from the Official History above in Lt Col Asquith's biography - "Command in the Royal Naval Division" by Chris Page. If you're interested, please send me a private message with your email address and send you a copy

Alan

[SFayers]

Here's Puisieux on part of a photographic panorama taken on 16th October 1916 from the North of Stuff Redoubt. The Ancre river runs parallel to the trees in the foreground. River Trench is also highlighted - it was 'hopping over' from here on 17th Feb 1917 in the opening stages of the Battle of Miraumont that my nan's cousin was killed with many other lads of the 1st RMLI.

cheers

Steve

[Roger H]

Steve

Thanks for this. Miraumont will be on my radar over the next day or two! In "War Services, 62nd West Riding Divisional Artillery", Colonel A.T.Anderson says about March 1917: "Miraumont was a particularly dangerous and unpleasant spot; the Bosche kept it continually under shell fire, and also bespattered freely the one road which formed our communication with it. This road ran for over half-a-mile in full view of the enemy, and was in such a shocking state of disrepair that all ammunition had to be brought up on pack saddles, each horse or mule carrying eight rounds..."

[Roger H]

Having now obtained the 311th Brigade RFA war diary for 1917, I see that their orders in the "battle" discussed above were (inter alia) to shell Pendant Alley East and West, Pompom Alley and Wing Trench.

Some of these appear in Jim's excellent trench map above. Does anyone have an image of a map showing all of the 4 locations? Thanks in advance.

Roger

[Bardess]

Checking the correct spelling of Puisieux brought up this thread. If you're still interested, Roger, the trenches you were after are in K30 and K36 here

[John England]

I am trying to follow the progress of my grandfather (2/8th West Yorks Regiment, 185th Brigade, 62nd Division) from when he first arrived in France on January 10th 1917 to when he was taken POW on May 3rd at the second battle of Bullecourt. I am trying to find out in some detail what was happening in the war around him as well as detail of the actions in which he was directly involved.  I have all the relevant trench maps covering his progress and I have found detailed descriptions, including the map references, of the capture of Munich Trench on 10th and 11th January and the capture of Ten Tree Alley on 10th-13th February. I have marked up these actions on the relevant trench maps. However, I am missing a detailed description of the capture of Puisieux on the 3rd February which will allow me to mark that up on my trench map. If anybody could help me find this description I would be very grateful.