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Remembered Today:

Croix Barbee


War13Memorial

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Please.

Is the site of an action in late October 1914 known as Croix Barbee

actually La Croix Barbet ? and if not where is Croix Barbee ?

Also please where is La Cliqueterie, can't find it either.

Both places mentioned in the War Diary of 57th Field Company Royal Engineers

thanks

Billy

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many thanks Mike, they were working on entanglements and trenches in the Herlies area

19, 20 & 21 October

Croix Barbee gets hits in The Long Long Trail

Billy

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Think i can give an answer to this myself now.

The History of the Great War edited by Newman Flower

and contributions from many

In Vol.III page 430 there is a small map and Croix Barbee is on it

due south of Estaire and almost due west of Neuve Chapelle.

On further research this is the position of the village of La Croix Barbet.

I reckon Croix Barbee is the phonetic spelling/pronunciation giving by members of

the B.E.F. who were billeted/saw action there in 1914.

At least I now know where the 57th Field Company were on 27, 28 & 29 October 1914

when they were ordered to "guard the cross roads and defend the village of Croix Barbee"

REspect

Billy

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Good evening

La Croix Barbet is a crossroad at Richebourg (Pas-de-Calais), it was not a village, but Richebourg Saint-vaast and Richebourg l'Avoué where two villages now in one village.

In the old time many crossroads had a name based on "croix" as cross in english, for easy localisation.

By example : La Croix Blanche, La Croix l'Ecornez, La Croix Bassée

Michel

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Michel

With your local knowledge

Am I correct in saying that Croix Barbee and La Croix Barbet are the same place on a map ?

Billy

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Hi Billy,

Some years ago whilst researching an officer of the Northumberland Fusiliers I came across mention of Croix Barbee. From the Fifth in the Great War page 45, 14th Oct.,1914:

"The Fifth, with the Gordons on their right and the Royal Fusiliers on their left, reached and fought their way through the village of Pont du Hem; but the Germans still clung desperately to Croix Barbee. Having carried Pont du Hem, the Fifth, among whom Captain Booth and his company figured prominently this day, swept east of the village and, together with the Royal Fusiliers, drove back all opposition and simultaneously with the French cavalry further to the north, gained the line of the Neuve Chapelle-Estaires road about 4.30 pm. Then at last the enemy, finding his northern flank turned, abandoned his position at Croix Barbee, though he continued till darkness to offer a stubborn resistance to the right of the 8th Brigade attack. Not till 11 pm was the 8th Brigade in occupation of the line of the Estaires road along its whole front."

Captain R.M.St J.Booth(later Major),1st Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, was awarded the DSO for the action at Croix Barbee.

Hope this is of some interest.

Robert

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Michel

With your local knowledge

Am I correct in saying that Croix Barbee and La Croix Barbet are the same place on a map ?

Billy

Good evening Billy

yes you are correct !

Michel

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Hi Billy,

Some years ago whilst researching an officer of the Northumberland Fusiliers I came across mention of Croix Barbee. From the Fifth in the Great War page 45, 14th Oct.,1914:

"The Fifth, with the Gordons on their right and the Royal Fusiliers on their left, reached and fought their way through the village of Pont du Hem; but the Germans still clung desperately to Croix Barbee. Having carried Pont du Hem, the Fifth, among whom Captain Booth and his company figured prominently this day, swept east of the village and, together with the Royal Fusiliers, drove back all opposition and simultaneously with the French cavalry further to the north, gained the line of the Neuve Chapelle-Estaires road about 4.30 pm. Then at last the enemy, finding his northern flank turned, abandoned his position at Croix Barbee, though he continued till darkness to offer a stubborn resistance to the right of the 8th Brigade attack. Not till 11 pm was the 8th Brigade in occupation of the line of the Estaires road along its whole front."

Captain R.M.St J.Booth(later Major),1st Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, was awarded the DSO for the action at Croix Barbee.

Hope this is of some interest.

Robert

Good evening Robert

reading your post, I can say we are talking about the same place.

Michel

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  • 3 years later...

Croix Barbée  (with that spelling) also mentioned in WD for 17th Lancashire Fusiliers (Bantam Btn), 10-14 May 1916. Not shown on any of the tench maps in the diary as far as I can see, but it does dhow that the btn marched from there to Vieille Chapelle by 'Route M.20.c 1.1. They were relieved at Croix Barbée   by the 15th Cheshires on 14 May.   

 

John Butterworth (new member, interested in the Bantams, and in the base at Etaples. My father served as a private in the 17th LF for a time.).

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On 16/10/1914 the 1st Bn Lincolnshire took La Cliqueterie Farm and the following day attacked the village of Herlies. A good account in the WD and Forum member Woolamc posted a link to Simpson's Official History of the Lincolnshire Regiment in this thread 

See p 57-59.

Brian

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   Michel- I have a local casualty, 2Lt Maurice Arthur Pritchard Shawyer, Middlesex Regiment  KIA, Croix Barbee , 14th October 1914.   All references to Croix Barbee are without "La".  If  Croix Barbee is a crossroads, then I am a little puzzled.  Middlesex were attacking a small hamlet -Vieille Chapelle and contemporary accounts speak of the Die Hards advancing across poldered fields.  Would you know if Vieile Chapelle is close to Croix Barbee??

 

            Merci Bien

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  • Admin

Vielle Chapelle is close to Croix Barbee. I walked between the two in March, took me about 30 min at a gentle pace.

 

Michelle 

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  • 1 month later...

   Michel- I have a local casualty, 2Lt Maurice Arthur Pritchard Shawyer, Middlesex Regiment  KIA, Croix Barbee , 14th October 1914.   All references to Croix Barbee are without "La".  If  Croix Barbee is a crossroads, then I am a little puzzled.  Middlesex were attacking a small hamlet -Vieille Chapelle and contemporary accounts speak of the Die Hards advancing across poldered fields.  Would you know if Vieile Chapelle is close to Croix Barbee??

 

            Merci Bien

Good evening GUEST

 

Yes, as says Michelle, the two places are very close and Vielle-Chapelle is not a small hamlet but a real village touching Richebourg where Croix Barbet is.

 

Michel

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  • 1 year later...

The 4th Royal Berkshire carried out an unsuccessful raid on the German Trench at "Croix Barbee" 13 July 1916

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