keithjk Posted 12 October , 2013 Share Posted 12 October , 2013 I recently had the good fortune to peruse a journal written by a young man of 15 in 1923. It recounted his trip, with mother and brother, to the battlefields of Ypres and the Somme. (His elder brother, in the 20th. Manchesters, part of 7th Division, was killed at Mametz on 1st July 1916). Included in the journal are several photographs taken by the young man. One of them is annotated 'A memorial to the 7th Division'. It appears in the Somme section of the journal. I know there are no memorials to the 7th Division on the Somme, the only one on the Western Front, to the best of my knowledge, being the one to the East of Zonnebeke, and that is a rectangular pillar with a large '7' at the top of each face. I enclose a photograph (excuse the quality) of the memorial below, and wonder if anyone can identify it. Is it perhaps an old memorial to the 7th Division which is no longer in existence, or perhaps it refers to a sub-unit of the 7th Division or maybe even a French unit. I have been through my numerous photos of memorials and can find nothing resembling it. I would be grateful for any information. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 12 October , 2013 Share Posted 12 October , 2013 I'm fairly certain that there was a memorial to the 7th Division in the centre of Mametz village, and I've seen a photo which was similar to yours. It may have been destroyed in WW2. Memory feeling rusty at the moment but I will have a dig around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithjk Posted 13 October , 2013 Author Share Posted 13 October , 2013 Thank you Charles, I much appreciate that. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 13 October , 2013 Admin Share Posted 13 October , 2013 There is a photo of the memorial and it says that the memorial was dismantled following damage in WW2 in Michael Stedmans Battleground Europe book Fricourt Mametz Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithjk Posted 13 October , 2013 Author Share Posted 13 October , 2013 Thanks for that Michelle. My copy of 'Fricourt / Mametz' is at present out on loan (to the present owner of the journal !!), so it's the one book I was unable to check. At least the puzzle is solved. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 13 October , 2013 Share Posted 13 October , 2013 Michelle beat me to it. I have a picture of the memorial that my grandfather took when he visited the battlefields in 1920/21. It's clearly identical to the one in your photo. I'll digitise it as soon as I can. Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithjk Posted 14 October , 2013 Author Share Posted 14 October , 2013 Thank you once again Charles. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithjk Posted 14 November , 2013 Author Share Posted 14 November , 2013 Hello Charles. Have you had any luck with digitising your grandfather's photograph ? It is a shame that, following damage to the memorial in WW2, it wasn't renovated / rebuilt after the war. (I tried to pm you, but your inbox appears to be full). Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyboy1807 Posted 14 November , 2013 Share Posted 14 November , 2013 This is one next to Oxford Road Cemetery which I took last week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithjk Posted 14 November , 2013 Author Share Posted 14 November , 2013 Surely the memorial by Oxford Road cemetery is to the 50th Northumbrian Division ? The memorial in your photo is the one I mentioned in my first post, in Broodseinde. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyboy1807 Posted 14 November , 2013 Share Posted 14 November , 2013 Surely the memorial by Oxford Road cemetery is to the 50th Northumbrian Division ? The memorial in your photo is the one I mentioned in my first post, in Broodseinde. Keith yeah you're right i've taken so many photos been going through them this week my eyes are all over the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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