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Remembered Today:

Movements of the 10th Durham Light Infantry


Guest anniemudge

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Guest anniemudge

Please could someone give me an idea of where, and what, 10 DLI were doing on December 14, 1915.

I have just started researching Corporal Patrick Roke, who served and died with the battalion that day, and any help would be much appreciated.

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It would appear , from the only casualty of that day that has a surviving grave, that they were possibly somewhere near Poelcapelle but a look at the war diary would tell you for definite.

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Annie

10th DLI were in the Wieltje area of the Ypres Salient. The war diary reads for 14th December:

'Were heavily shelled in front trenches from 1.10 pm to 3.45 pm. Aeroplanes very active. Casualties 1 officer killed 2Lt Hines & 2Lt Canning wounded. OR 10 killed & 14 wounded, mostly by trench mortars. St Jean churchyard suffered badly. '

Kind regards

Colin

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Guest anniemudge

Colin,

Thank you so much! I rang the DLI museum, without much success (although the chap was dead canny!), but your answer was just what I needed.

Quick question. Where can I find out more about Roke? ANCESTRY has his medals, but no other documents.

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SDGW shows

Name: Patrick Roke

Birth Place: Sunderland

Death Date: 14 Dec 1915

Death Location: France & Flanders

Enlistment Location: Sunderland

Rank: Corporal

Regiment: Durham Light Infantry

Battalion: 10th Battalion

Number: 3/9236

Type of Casualty: Killed in action

Theatre of War: Western European Theatre

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Annie

It depends on your geographic location in relation to Sunderland, but looking up copies of the local newspapers for his home town in the months after his demise may give you an obituary or family details - often libraries have microfilm copies for the local area. Do any documents/letters survive within the family relating to him?

Sadly it is often difficult to get detailed information on those whose records have not survived intact.

Kind regards

Colin

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Tonights (Thursday 25th) Sunderland Echo has a detailed story in "Wearside Echoes" about Patrick Roke by his great grandson Michael Travers. The piece may on their website in a few days in "Wearside Echoes" nostalgia section. In the meantime the contact at the Echo is sarah.stoner@jpress.co.uk.

Cheers

David

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British Newspaper Archive says

Ncl Journal of 28th Dec 1915

Mrs Roke, Sunderland, has been officially informed that her husband, Corporal Patrick Roke (24), of the 10th Durham Light.

The rest of the article is subject to subscription - I would have looked for you as I had some spare credits but they expired at 6 o'clock tonight - about 5 minutes before I tried to look at some articles.

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