Winchester Farm - October 1917

[Paul Johnson]

Can anyone please help me with the above. I am performing some research into the activity of the 1/4 Royal Berkshire Regiment on the 10th October 1917. The unit War Diary states that the Battalion were in Canopus Trench & California Drive on the 9th October. They then moved up to Winchester Farm and occupied shellholes in front of Arbre. My man went missing onthe 10th October and is on the Tyne Cot memorial. The Battalion had been in the Front Line since the 27th September under what are described as "terrible conditions". Later on the 10th they were relieved.

I have the IWM Trench Map CD and have found Winchester Farm on the Zonnebeke map. However, no mention of Canopus Trench or California Drive and I cannot find Arbre. Anyone help with the location of any of these, please??

Thank You

PAUL JOHNSON

[SPotter]

Paul,

Can't add anything specific I'm afraid, but I do know that 'arbre' is French for 'tree', which might have some bearing on choice of place name.

Regards

Steve

[Paul Johnson]

Thanks Steve. Any little piece of info is always helpful.

Regards

PAUL J

[mebu]

If you have trench map or CD, you,ll fiind Canopus Trench - a main defence line - running from front of Kitchener Wood to meet Wieltje- St Julien Rd at Corner Cottage. California Drive is comm trench from Canopus, past Cheddar Villa, to near Mouse Trap Fm. Arbre is D7a 7.5, sorry I can't send map scan at present but hope above is of help.

[mebu]

A bit more info to clarify...just looked at IWM CD ...the 2 trenches are on St Julien map, not Zonnebeke. Arbre is on Zonnebeke, between words Dimple and Trench.