Was there a RFA Battery at Clichy Ravine

[Rockdoc]

On 13th September 1917, the Diary for A Sub-section of 90th AA Section records "Bright. Wind 7200 ft 15 mph NW by W. Cloudy in afternoon. 1 Sgt, 6 gunners arrived from 18pdr AA Gun CLICHY RAVINE". I don't know where the ravine is but it must be somewhere reasonably close to Janes as that's where the Sub was based. I'm guessing the ravine was somewhere around The Commandant/Castle Hill area but, as I say, I don't know.

It's a PIA that the unit isn't given and one Sub of 97th was at Gokcelli but there's no reason for men from another AA Section to come in for training because they'd all been operating for a minimum of six months by then. Another reason why it isn't likely to be an AA Section is because the 18-pdr wasn't used as an official AA gun. That suggests to me that we have a second Battery, like the Argyll Mountain Battery on the Struma Front, where a field gun has been artificially elevated. I've not found any other reference to such a gun so how long it was used this way is anyone's guess.

Is there anyone researching the RFA in Salonika who can tell me which Brigade or Battery was stationed at Clichy Ravine at this time?

Keith

[apwright]

Clichy Ravine in marked on the bottom edge of the 1:20,000 Doiran section. It runs roughly NE, between Rook Hill/Crow Hill/Clichy to the west and Les Bagatelles/Batignoles to the east. On Google Earth approx. 41.13 22.6785

If you've got the OH maps, Map 5 "Attack of XII Corps, 18 Sept 1918" shows an artillery unit B/LVII(4) there. I realise this is a full year after your report, but it's the closest I can get!

Adrian

EDIT:

[Rockdoc]

Thanks, Adrian. If anyone knows this area, you do. I have the Guevgueli 1:50000 and, now that you've told me where it is, I can see it on the top RH corner of that map. I should have looked a bit deeper at the info I have. The reference given by 97th AAS, which has a Sub nominally at Clichy Ravine from May 1918 to the end of the War, is 1233/1805, which is on top of Castle Hill!

The more I analyse the transcriptions the more I realise that you simply cannot take the names of the sites in the Diaries literally. I found one the other day that was labelled as Karasouli. In fact, the Diary records moving to a site 3,000 yards N of there that is, unsurprisingly, on the top of a hill. But it's always referred to as Karasouli. It's no wonder we struggle when we try to work out where places like Summerhill were from such snippets.

Btw, I found a reference to an airfield at Bochemitza in 1917 yesterday. It can't have been British since they were at Kirec and Hadjurli at this time.

Keith