trench map

[Guest stan king]

Can anyone tell me if there are trench maps available showing where the 15th Infantry Brigade of which my grandfather served with the Norfolk Regt. He was K I A Feb 18th 1915 and Buried at Wulverghem. they rested at Dranouterbefore going to the front line at Whitestheet road Wulverghem, so where would he have been actualy killed. I intend to visit there again this May and any help would be welcome.

Thanks.

[John Milner]

Stan

The map you need is 28 SW 2.

You can buy them from the Imperial War Museum, if you are a member of the Western Front Association you can buy the map from them, or try the following web site, www.ghsmith.com/worldwar1/index

John Milner

[AndrewThornton]

Hello Stan

The trenches in the Wulverghem sector at this time were not the elaborate affairs that they were to become later. At this time the trenches were individually dug and not connected to each other. The trenches at this time were numbered and not named, although most of the farms had by this time been christened by the troops. For example, R.E. Farm, which was used as a strong point at this time, was the name given by British troops to the Ferme des Douze Bonniers some time during the winter of 1914, when 15th Brigade of 5th Division held the section of the line in front of the farm. I have not been able to find out why the farmhouse became identified with the Royal Engineers, but it could be speculated that the buildings were initially used as a collection point for tools and trench stores issued by the sappers. The farm was used mainly as a Regimental Aid Post but it was also utilised as a billet, its position on the reverse slope of the ridge providing some protection from rifle and machine gun fire. The original farm building sustained heavy damage during the fighting in November 1914 and was virtually destroyed when the Germans retook the Messines Ridge and captured Wulverghem in April 1918. The farmhouse was rebuilt after the war and has remained part of the working farm ever since. There is also the military cemetery there as well, which was begun at the time 5th Division were in the sector.

There were trenches on either side of the Wulverghem-Wytschaete Road and I think these were numbered between 11-15, plus strong points at R.E. and Burnt Farms close by.

There is a map of the area around the Wulverghem-Wytschaete Road in Paul Reed's excellent "Walking the Salient", which is published as part of the Battleground series. It was drawn sometime during the Spring/Summer of 1915 by a member of 138th Brigade of 46th North Midland Division and shows the trenches in the area that you are interested more or less as they would have been during the time that the Norfolks were in situ. The trench map from the IWM would give you the position of the front line, which remained static until June 1917. It is also fairly easy to orientate yourself in the area if you use the trench map as most of the farms were rebuilt after the war more or less in the same position.

Hope this helps.

[Guest stan king]

Andrew and John, Thank you both so much for the info, I will be going there in May. My relative is at rest in the Lindenheok - Wulverghem road military cemetery and this will be my forth and probably last visit, and this time I will try and get as near to the trench system as I can.

Thanks again

Stan