4th Bn Rifle Brigade

[Trevorthomas]

My Great Uncle, 596, Henry PIKE of the 4th Bn Rifle Brigade was KIA on 1/3/1915 aged 24.

I am trying to find out where he was killed. Can anyone please help me out as to where the 4th were on that date around Ypres.

I have a suspicion that it was in the St. Eloi area, but can't remember where I got that from.

He is remembered on the Mennin Gate, so there is no grave to visit.

Trevor

[pioneecorps]

Hi have you tried here for their Battalion Diary

Royal Green Jackets Museum

Peninsula Barracks,

Romsey Road,

Winchester,

SO23 8TS

Tel: 01962 828549

Regards.

Gerwyn

[J Banning]

Hi Trevor - you were quite right. The war diary shows the battalion to be in trenches at St Eloi.

war diary

[Trevorthomas]

Thanks Gerwyn and Jeremy.

The WDs tend to be a bit brief don't they? But at least that confirms what I thought. One of the 8!!. I Suppose I had better see if I can find any trench maps for the area at that time to get a better idea of exactly where they were.

My son and I went to Ypres and Arras a couple of years ago to see their names on the walls, and have learned a lot more about WW1 stuff since then.

I was lucky that I found out to within a couple of hundred yards where my other G Uncle was KIA at Arras on 9/4/17 from 11MGC war diaries I got from Kew. There was a gun crew 'badly mauled trying to get through the wire', and as there was three from 11MGC killed that day. The diary also gave a map ref of where. I suppose I was hoping for a bit more in the 4Bn diary, but there you go.

Thanks again. I might just try the address from Gerwyn, but I don't expect there will be much more to learn other than what was in the WD extract kindly posted by Jeremy.

Thanks again

Trevor