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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

2nd.Lt. Douglas Albert Worgan


jwp2007

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I came across this extract from the London gazette and wondered if anyone had any more info on this officer :

2nd Lt. Douglas Albert Worgan, 4th Bn.,attd. 3rd Bn., Lond. R.At Bleharies on 30th October, 1918, for great gallantry and initiative. He led a reconnoitring patrol of three other ranks to the village of Cin. He took his patrol across the canal on a raft under heavy shell and machine-gun fire. On reaching the other side he worked his way forward about 700 yards to the outskirts of the village, where he obtained valuable information. He then re-crossed the canal under very heavy fire.

this interested me as the location and date are when my grandfather lost his leg during shelling while serving with the 3rd london regiment.

Have not been able to trace the village of Cin ?

regards,

John.

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Just looked up Bléharies on Google Maps and it's at Brunehaut, Belgium (which is quite a long way inland) - very close to the Belgian-French border, with a large canal running just to the east of it (almost north-south alignment), meeting another slightly smaller canal further east in a junction to the north-east of Bléharies and I think the description of him crossing and re-crossing the canal means he must have gone directly east and then back west again. Haven't found Cin yet, but as far as I'm aware Caen is a large town/city and I think it's on the French coast (believe the castle there is the birthplace of William the Conqueror?). I suspect you're looking for a very small French village - or maybe Belgian?

[Edited to add: I wonder if it's got anything to do with the Rue de Sin (7622 Brunehaut, Belgium) which is directly east of Bléharies and may possibly indicate a village of that name somewhere in that area? "On reaching the other side he worked his way forward about 700 yards to the outskirts of the village" and I would say that's about right. I can't find Sin itself but it may have been destroyed.]

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At that stage in the war, the 3rd London were in 173rd Brigade, 58th (2/1st London) Division. So were the 2/2nd London. Their history has a map of the operatons they were involved in: Cin (also spelt Sin) is a village just over the Belgian border, due east of Lens, and on the R Schelde. The 2/2nd occupied the village on 8th November.

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Many thanks all,

I think this would have been what my grandfather was involved in when he was wounded, will look up the new spelling of Sin and try to get a copy of the history to view the map !.

There are nine burials at Bleharies communal cemetery of men of the London's all from the month of october 1918 :

ADAMS H J

United Kingdom Private London Regt (Royal Fusiliers) 3rd Bn. Date of Death: 31/10/1918 Service No: 275392

BRENNAND V

United Kingdom Lance Corporal London Regt (Royal Fusiliers) 3rd Bn. Age: 20 Date of Death: 29/10/1918 Service No: G/67554

CANNON GEORGE THOMAS

United Kingdom Private London Regt (Royal Fusiliers) 2nd/2nd Bn. Age: 18 Date of Death: 25/10/1918 Service No: 254827

COOK RICHARD LAURENCE

United Kingdom Private Royal Fusiliers Secondary London Regt (Royal Fusiliers) Secondary posted 2nd/2nd Bn. Age: 19 Date of Death: 25/10/1918 Service No: 95777

COWLARD FREDERICK WILLIAM

United Kingdom Private London Regt (Royal Fusiliers) 2nd/2nd Bn. Age: 26 Date of Death: 25/10/1918 Service No: G/82865

FIELD JAMES HERBERT

United Kingdom Corporal London Regt (Royal Fusiliers) 3rd Bn. Age: 27 Date of Death: 29/10/1918 Service No: 251345

LANEY NORMAN

United Kingdom Private London Regt (Royal Fusiliers) 4th Bn. Secondary London Regt (Royal Fusiliers) Secondary posted 2nd/2nd Bn. Age: 20 Date of Death: 25/10/1918 Service No: 295121

WATSON A

United Kingdom Private London Regiment 22nd Bn. Age: 21 Date of Death: 04/11/1918 Service No: 684179

WEST LESLIE GOWER

United Kingdom Second Lieutenant London Regt (London Rifle Brigade) 5th Bn. Age: 20 Date of Death: 24/10/1918

Many thanks again,

kind regards,

John.

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  • 8 years later...

Appreciate this thread is 7 years old but here are some photos of the graves in Bleharies as of today.

 

Norman Laney is a relative. From the information I have gathered in the past (but since lost) there is very erratic artillery fire in the last days of October in this area. I believe Norman was one of the unlucky ones on the 25th October.

0702A2B4-FA67-4C18-A424-77F100CB9274.jpeg

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4ED7DA38-FBC5-43A1-B35D-39DDFF168EB2.jpeg

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