British-German fraternization after the armistice - video

[egbert]

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060022840

[centurion]

Possibly men from the 1/4th Battalion T.F. and 1/5th Battalion T.F. of the King's Own Royal Regiment which advanced to that point near Ath on 11/11/18

[IRC Kevin]

I'm fairly sure this isn't the 1/4th or the 1/5th. Although both battalions were a couple of miles west of Ath, at Villers St. Amand when the guns stopped. (The most easterly unit in 55th Division's sector was Legard's Force from 9th Cavalry Brigade, who were seven miles east of Ath when news of the ceasefire reached them.) The 1/4th stayed where they were and in the afternoon the 1/5th moved into Ath- no reports of meeting any of the enemy there. On the 13th, released POWs reached the location of the 1/5th and according to the 1/5th's QM, "the tales told by these prisoners, new from the hands of the Germans, set men's blood boiling, and it was well that the enemy was now well on his way to Germany." This suggests that this film must have been taken on either the 11th or 12th November. Neither battalion had any motorised transport, so I suspect the personnel were staff from either 164th or 166th Brigade (both at Villers St Amand on the 11th) or staff from 55th Division.

[IRC Kevin]

Just had a look at Jeudwine's map, which he's very kindly annotated. C Sqn of King Edward's Horse and A Coy VII Cyclists Battalion were contacted at 1330 hrs ref the ceasefire and at the time were in touch with the enemy in Grid square K13 at Bassilly and in Q 16 at La Loge (now called Noir-Jambon). An independent patrol of 9th Cavalry Bde were in touch with the enemy in Q20c at Thoricourt. The terrain of the latter two locations fits quite well with the film, but you'd have to be a more patient man than me to traverse the lot with Google Street View to find the exact position! Unfortunately, Jeudwine's map is such a small scale that the brewery is not marked.

[bill24chev]

, Jeudwine's map is such a small scale that the brewery is not marked.

A grave ommission

[Morance]

Hi all, Belgian historian living in Ath, I'm interesting by delivrance of my town 11th november 1918 ; I saw this video on IMW website, but you have talken of "Jeudwine's map", what is it ? Is it possible to have a copy of it ?

The delivrance of Ath has been made by 2nd/5th Lancashire Fusiliers ; but we have been talking of a fight near "Rue de l'Ermitage" or "Rue Trieu Périlleux" east of Ath, morning of 11th november : have you some information about it ?

 

Excuse me for my bad English

 

Sébastien Morancé