British Army, 8th Division, Sept. 1917

[Guest SD Thomas]

Great-uncle, Private Harry Opie Thomas, 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, was killed in action, 26 September 1917, near Ploegsteert, Belgium, believed to have been serving with the Brisith Army 8th Division at the time. He is buried at Lancanshire Cottage Cemetery.

I would like to know how to determine if possible more specifically the group or formation he was serving with, something of its history, and what part in the action his unit was taking on the day he was killed.

Stephen D. Thomas

[Guest Hill 60]

Stephen - I don't know if this is of any help but I found the following on the Soldiers Died in the Great War CD:

290451 Private Harry Opie Thomas

Born: Lanteglos, Cornwall

Enlisted: Fowey, Cornwall

The 2nd Devons were in the 23rd Brigade of the 8th Division of II Corps of the Fifth Army.

Between the 16-18 August 1917 they were engaged in the Battle of Langemarck. I don't know, and I hope a Ypres or Devons expert will tell us, but the 2nd Devons might have remained at Langemarck and your gt uncle was killed there.

As to which action he was killed in, there might not have been anything happening at the time. He might have been shot by a sniper, hit by a shell splinter whilst having his dinner. Hopefully someone with the full info will fill us in on this one.

[Conor Dodd]

The Battle of Polygon Wood started on the Wednesday 26th of September and ended on Wednesday the 3rd of October I cannot find the 8th Division having any part of it or the 2nd Devons Although on Sunday the 23rd of September the Division was unsuccessfully raided by the enemy at Van and Zero posts.

Conor