50th (Northumbrian) Division's Royal Engineers - 1410 Spr W (Walla

[Chris Best]

Good afternoon, Pals

The subject soldier is GG Uncle to one of the group I'm traveling with next week. His MIC shows him entering France 18 Apr 15. He was casevac'd from No 8 Stationary Hospital, Wimereux on the Hospital Ship, SS Patrick, on 1 May 15.

I assume his unit were part of the Divisional response to the 22 Apr 15 gas attack, alongside the Canadian Division.

Can anyone identify which field company he might have belonged to? Does anyone have a copy of CRE 50 Div's WD, or a copy of any fd coy WD for period 18-25 Apr 15 that thhey can share?

Cheers

Chris

[sotonmate]

Are there mysterious happenings here ? I gave some info a couple of hours ago to a thread which had both the numbers of this man,and I identified his unit by the 1917 re-number to 2 Northumbrian FCRE,alias 447 FCRE.. I also gave a War Diary ref.

The thread has disappeared !

[Colin W Taylor]

Chris

I have the war diaries for 1/2 and 1/1 Northumbrian Fd Coys for April 1915 and 7th Fd Coy for May. I presume the two former would be more likely.

I had a quick scan - the former mentions several names as being wounded but not much detail - Sappers Kennedy, Bell and Turnbull.

The middle one mentions Sappers Gulliver and Bell wounded also Kerr, Worthinson and Arnote?

They're handwritten - a name of who to look for would help.

Kind regards

Colin

[Chris Best]

Are there mysterious happenings here ? I gave some info a couple of hours ago to a thread which had both the numbers of this man,and I identified his unit by the 1917 re-number to 2 Northumbrian FCRE,alias 447 FCRE.. I also gave a War Diary ref.

The thread has disappeared !

No, Sotonmate, the thread you replied to was under individual soldiers and asked why he had no CWGC record if he'd died in Dec 18. The first responder pointed out that I'd misread 'died' for 'disch' on the MIC.

But I really appreciate you fixing Spr Douglas to 447 FCRE.

VMT

Chris

[Chris Best]

Chris

I have the war diaries for 1/2 and 1/1 Northumbrian Fd Coys for April 1915 and 7th Fd Coy for May. I presume the two former would be more likely.

I had a quick scan - the former mentions several names as being wounded but not much detail - Sappers Kennedy, Bell and Turnbull.

The middle one mentions Sappers Gulliver and Bell wounded also Kerr, Worthinson and Arnote?

They're handwritten - a name of who to look for would help.

Kind regards

Colin

Colin, he was 1410 Spr Wallace Douglas. Sotonmate identifies him, from the 1917 re-numbering, as being in 2nd Northumbrian FCRE, later called 447 FCRE. Is that what 1/2 Northumbrian FCRE morphed into? An extract from the relevant WD would be very helpful if at all possible.

VMT

Chris

[Colin W Taylor]

Chris

Yes, they would be one and the same.

On 27th April the diary states:

'Sappers marched early from Vlamertinghe to bivouac 1m E of Vlamertinghe near main Vlamertinghe-Ypres ... Left 1/2 coy to trenches. Dug about 150x of the trench in continuation of previous night's work. Bright night - no hut working party. Sapper Douglas wounded (bullet in neck) - Rt 1/2 Coy made dugouts in bivouac - b.39.'

Of note - the whole company only arrived in France at 3am on 18th April.

I hope this is of assistance.

Kind regards

Colin

[Chris Best]

Brilliant. Thanks, Colin.

Hmmm, 'bullet on neck'? Near Vlamertinghe in 1915? An N.D., perhaps?

Curious.

Chris

[Colin W Taylor]

Chris

Possibly, but also likely is that he was wounded whilst digging trenches wherever that was taking place.

I'll have another look at the diary.

Regards

Colin

[Chris Best]

Could be, Colin, but if he was with the group 1 mile east of Vlamertinghe then I can't see how he could have been in range of an aimed shot. Perhaps there's a further clue or 2 in the WD? Strange, too, that, as a buckshee, he's named - unless he was the only casualty that night?

Chris

[Colin W Taylor]

Chris

The left half company went to the trenches - the war diary for that day didn't specify where. Re-reading the previous day they were digging trenches - 'a new switch line passing through Hooge and joining up w 1st Line trenches near Hill 60 - work done about 150' of 3' x 3' fire trench running S from Pt I.24.d.3.2'

Kind regards

Colin

[Chris Best]

Understood - I've re-read Post #6 and I think you're right. That makes sense.

Cheers

Chris