Salonika Front

[DCliff]

Still on my Grandfathers diary, he states " arrived at four trees camp on June 13th 1917 and Struma plain fired on June 15th". He also seems to place a great emphasis on being "In line at Bucalak Bridge? on July 31st, is this significant? He then moved on to Aljik?, on the 18th of September he sailed to Egypt on the SS Derflinger.

[Rockdoc]

I think we're getting nearer, Dave. Given they were two days between arriving at Four Trees Camp to being in the lines and in action, I'd say the Camp would have been on the Salonika-Seres road and nearer the Struma Valley than Salonika. It was about 70 km/45 m from Salonika to Orljak, where that road hits the valley floor. The road had been improved an awful lot by 1917 so they may have been moved in lorries from Summerhill to Four Trees but I'd guess they'd march into the lines from there so a maximum of five or six miles would be my guess.

Most of the Struma Valley is on this Austro-Hungarian map. I haven't found the places you mention but I'm not an expert on this part of the world and they could easily be hamlets.

Keith

[apwright]

There's a place marked "Four Trees" on the 1:50,000 Lahana section (WO298/525).

It's about halfway between Lahana or Mirova/Elliniko and Kopriva/Heimarros by the mountain road. It is on a ridge near a peak called Hare Tree Hill that overlooks the Struma valley to the east and southeast. A larger hill blocks the view north towards Turica/Triada and Kopriva.

The coordinates in Google Earth are approx. 41.042357 23.230149. It is 7km due west of Orljak/Strymoniko. No idea if this is the right place though, or if there was a camp there...

I can't find your other place names yet.

Adrian

[Rockdoc]

Adrian, is this anywhere near Hamzali or Coleskop? I have the guns of 74th AAS at those places around this time. The other Section in the XVI Corps area was 91st and they were at Mahmudi (1763-1606) and Nigoslav (1858-1557).

By the way, did you get my recent PM about the co-ordinates of Marian Flying Ground (1849-1612)?

Keith

[apwright]

Hi Keith,

The village of Hamzali was around 41.116274 23.183158 (about 1648-1778 on the British maps). There's nothing there now.

The present-day dirt roads in the area follow almost exactly the same routes as on WO298/525, so I suspect they were built, or at least improved/widened by the British Army. The junction just south of this position is marked as "Hamzali Cross-Roads" (1648-1771).

Cole's Kop is the lonely hill just SE of Strymoniko/Orljak at 41.031656 23.325897. Alan Wakefield led an expedition of the Salonika Campaign Society up there a couple of years ago, but I had work to do. Kate & Martin could probably tell you about the view from the top, which I'd imagine is pretty spectacular on a fine day. Struma CWGC Cemetery is nearby, just north of Kalokastro.

Yes, I received your PM. Thanks for that! Though I can't make much of the coordinates as I don't have the Orljak section. I've been searching out some info for you on Greek and Serbian squadrons (both equipped and organised by the French), but I've been a bit ill recently, so you'll have to forgive me! I spent a few days in hospital last week and am still groggy with antibiotics, but I'll get back on to it a.s.a.p.

Regards,

Adrian

[Rockdoc]

Thanks, Adrian. The placement of AA guns in the XVI Corps sector seems a bit strange at times but with only four guns I suppose it was very much a case of "beggars can't be choosers." The preponderance of AA guns on the XII Corps sector and around Salonika suggests there was a greater perceived threat there. Around this time, 74th wasn't seeing many planes and could go a week with only an odd sighting. 91st, on the other hand, was a lot busier but being close to Marian I suppose that's reasonable. Overall, there couldn't have been much of a bombing threat to not have a gun at the Corps HQ, which I think was around the 61km point on the Salonika-Seres road.

Get well soon,

Keith