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Remembered Today:

Epehy / Lempire


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Thanks, Colin.

I've seen that wording several times before. I think it's probably the actual citation. I've ordered a copy of the book, so will soon see what else it contains.

Richard

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Red trenches are the German ones, Blue are the British.

Yes, David, that's what I thought. However, there are some direct connections between blue and red ones, e.g. Crellin and Cochran Avenues (red) both connected to Fag Trench (blue). Does this mean that at some point the Germans captured our trenches and then dug Crellin and Cochran to connect them to their system? Presumably, if it had been the other way round, Crellin and Cochran would have been blue.

Going off at a bit of a tangent - should I be starting a new thread? - was ther some form of official registration of placenames, including trenches and posts? The spot I was looking for seems to be generally recognised as "The Knoll," and it would certainly have made sense for there to have been a clear, unambiguous system of placenames. And was there any method in the giving of such names? The apparent order of Doleful, Ego, Fleeceall and Grafton Posts suggests there was.

Mitchinson's book arrived yesterday - good old Amazon! Looks very informative and indispensable for our trip. I'd better get studying for when we go. Thankyou all who recommended it.

Richard

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Crellin & Cochran trenches were dug by the pioneers & named after the battalion commanders, they were taken by the Germans later.

Colin.

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Richard,

Smisson & Dolan trenches were named after the two chaplains from the 15th. Cheshires & 15th. Sherwoods, the book you have ordered will make it plain.

Colin.

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Yes, David, that's what I thought. However, there are some direct connections between blue and red ones, e.g. Crellin and Cochran Avenues (red) both connected to Fag Trench (blue). Does this mean that at some point the Germans captured our trenches and then dug Crellin and Cochran to connect them to their system? Presumably, if it had been the other way round, Crellin and Cochran would have been blue.

Apologies Richard, I should have read more carefully. Crellin and Cochran were were hastily dug shortly after The Knoll was taken by the British on August 19 and served as communication trenches to the new British front line. When the Germans re-took The Knoll a few days later, Crellin and Cochran would have been in no mans land. After that, I assume the trenches would not have been manned by either side, but were depicted as hostile on the map.

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Thanks, Colin.

Dare I ask who Doleful, Ego and Fleeceall Posts were named after? :P

Doleful in particular sounds like something out of Pilgrim's Progress.

Richard

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Regret Richard, have no info. on the above trenches but assume they were named prior to the action in August 17, probably by earlier unit/s.

Hope you enjoy the "History of the 35th. Division".

Cheers.

Colin.

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I don't want to go off on a tangent, so please ignore this comment from the thread once read.

A few days ago, I was heading into Lempire from the direction of Le Cateau. I was going there to arrange billets for the riders and their mounts for the Mons to the Marne 2010 expedtion. I am afraid to say that I have no knowledge of the war around here after 1914.

As my son (9), and I came over the hill leading down to the town, we stopped on the ridge overlooking the river crossing. We broke out the binos and talked about how we, as cavalry would approach the crossing, how we could recce out each side of the bridge to search for a ford, how we could get across if the river crossing was in enemy hands. Ofcourse, as we are notionally coming through in 1914, the heavy entrenching had not been established. Indeed, then it was just a small village on the way of life. Nonetheless, it was interesting how the later works confirmed a few things.

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Just one more request, Jon or anyone else. Can anyone who's been there recommend a decent place to stay? Nothing posh or unnecessarily expensive, but something comfortable with decent food. Or, of course, if you can tell me where not to stay, that might be even more useful.

Going in a week or so's time.

Richard

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Richard,

I have a huge favour to ask you. If you have time on your trip, would you mind visiting Templeux-le-Guerard and taking a picture of my great uncle's grave for me? I got bitten by the miliary genealogy bug last year after I emigrated to the US and it's probably going to be a couple more years yet before the family and I can get over to France. Are you going to do The Knoll walk in Mitchinson's book? I want to do that as well.

I know it's a big ask and I understand if your schedule doesn't have any time to visit Templeux-le-Guerard.

Hope your trip goes well.

Thanks,

David

PS - His grave is at II.G.4, I can e-mail you the map of the cemetery.

PPS - Sorry I can't help you with a recommendation for somewhere to stay.

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Richard,

I have a huge favour to ask you. If you have time on your trip, would you mind visiting Templeux-le-Guerard and taking a picture of my great uncle's grave for me? I got bitten by the miliary genealogy bug last year after I emigrated to the US and it's probably going to be a couple more years yet before the family and I can get over to France. Are you going to do The Knoll walk in Mitchinson's book? I want to do that as well.

I know it's a big ask and I understand if your schedule doesn't have any time to visit Templeux-le-Guerard.

Hope your trip goes well.

Thanks,

David

PS - His grave is at II.G.4, I can e-mail you the map of the cemetery.

PPS - Sorry I can't help you with a recommendation for somewhere to stay.

I'll try and fit it in, Dave, if I can. I've had a look at the map, and TleG isn't far from Villers Faucon, where Hardy Parsons is buried. I'm sure we'll be pretty busy when we get there, but, as I say, I'll try and fit it in for you.

No need to email me the map: I had a quick look at the CWGC website and can print it out for myself. Strange that although they were killed within two days of each other at the same place, they ended up in different cemeteries. No doubt someone can explain.

Yes, we're intending to do the walk in Mitchinson's book: we tend to walk quite a lot and it seems as good a way of visiting the spot as any.

Regards,

Richard

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Just one more request, Jon or anyone else. Can anyone who's been there recommend a decent place to stay? Nothing posh or unnecessarily expensive, but something comfortable with decent food.

I always stay at the Beatus in Cambrai. They speak perfect English and it’s only 20-25 mins drive away. Would suggest you give them a call to pre-book.

http://www.hotelbeatus.fr/

Of course, thee may be someone who can recommend a B&B nearer to Epehy.

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No worries Richard, hope you have a good trip.

The different cemeteries is "due to wherever the stretcher parties carried the casualties and some of the bodies may not have been located or removed until some time later by the Graves Registration units".

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I stayed at Bernafay Wood B & B, which is really better for touring the Somme battlefields, but the drive was not that bad to Bony. I would definitely recommend a stay there.

Jon

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Thanks, everyone, for your friendship and help.

We're off tomorrow morning and should be in Peronne tomorrow night. We decided in the end to stay there, so as to visit the Great War museum there before doing anything else.

After a couple of days in the area, we're going to visit some friends in Switzerland and then follow our noses. Will be back in about 10 days, after which I'll report back.

Richard

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  • 2 months later...
Thanks, everyone, for your friendship and help.

We're off tomorrow morning and should be in Peronne tomorrow night. We decided in the end to stay there, so as to visit the Great War museum there before doing anything else.

After a couple of days in the area, we're going to visit some friends in Switzerland and then follow our noses. Will be back in about 10 days, after which I'll report back.

Richard

Richard.

Would be interested to hear how your trip to Epehy went. I have a particular interest in the area concerning a relation who was KIA on the 18th September 1918. My enquiries to date indicate that he died near Fishers Keep in the town centre.

Tony

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  • 2 years later...

The maps on this forum have been so helpful to me.

My great-uncle was killed in action 27 Sept. 1918 on

the Sart Farm, and interred their until his remains were moved

to Somme American Cemetery, Bony.

He was part of the 27 Division, 106th NY Infantry.

He was from Brooklyn, NY.

He was 20 years old when he died.

Have a wonderful trip.

We hope to visit Bony in Nov. 2018.

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  • 7 years later...
On 19/05/2009 at 08:41, bantamforgot said:

Hello Richard,

Finally located the information I was trying to remember, it was Falconer & a relative of his (18 HLI) was kia on the same day , same action at the Knoll.

Have you seen the details of the action in the "History of the 35th. Division" ?

Colin.

 

Colin

 

My apologies for resurrecting a very old post, especially given you haven't visited the forum in almost a year, but I was just wondering if the Falconer you mentioned in your reply to Richard was by any chance Neil Falconer (service number 36697). I'm not quite sure which relative of his you may have been in contact with, but he was my mother's grandfather. Shortly after the war his widow and children emigrated to New Zealand with the families of several other men he had served alongside with. 

 

Craig

Edited by Tawhiri
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