Le Cateu up and coming tour

[divadnosae]

Well I have finally done it Booked a trip to Le Cateu to walk in my grandfathers footstep 100 years to the day this August 26th. Now the planning starts.

I have the RBC's and Ward Diaries etc. He was with 1st batt RB just south of Fontaine Au Pire So far so good. There is mention in the RBC's of a sunken Road in the direction of Ligny and I have tried finding it on streetmap but not easy. I am presuming the 11th went south over the railway and then through Warnell Ravine left of the road marked Pont De Fontaine??????

Is the windmill still to be seen?

Where is the Ligny Ridge?

Has anyone done this part of the battle to Ligny and could help? Would be very grateful as I am taking my daughter aged 22. In fact she suggested it.

Many thanks in advance

D

[nigelcave]

For what it is worth, and with all due self deprecation, there is a fairly voluminous Battleground Europe book on Le Cateau, written by me - and the better part by Jack Sheldon. There is a fair chunk on the RB area action and subsequent retreat. Fairly easy to follow on foot - but can get very muddy. Not drivable.

[divadnosae]

For what it is worth, and with all due self deprecation, there is a fairly voluminous Battleground Europe book on Le Cateau, written by me - and the better part by Jack Sheldon. There is a fair chunk on the RB area action and subsequent retreat. Fairly easy to follow on foot - but can get very muddy. Not drivable.

I do have your book Nigel and it is very good. I have also just purchased the older book Tour of the Battlefield. (large Grey one) It gets great reviews, but I am not that impressed with that one so far. Trying to line a drawing up with road is difficult when you are not there. I was hoping to save some time by planning before I go.

Trouble is I prefer a map, or to be shown I think. I have seen where a Google overlay is produced and you can walk the actual walk. more accurately and maybe I should wait to see if one is produced.

Can you just walk across a farmer's field? I don't speak French, but maybe my daughter will, as her schooling was more recent than mine. I am a tad miffed that street map does not let you got to street level around all of the Le Cateau area my grandfather played his part in.

Many thanks for replying.

[nigelcave]

If you are going in August it may be that the fields have been harvested; however (as in 1914) they grow a lot of beet around there: so my advice would be to keep to the tracks. Not all that much is gained, quite frankly, in this particular instance by walking any great distance off them. Remember, we are talking very limited periods of time on the ground here - a matter of a few hours - so your guess is probably as good as any about the particular/exact location of any defensive position or, in detail, how the move to the rear was made and the exact route taken. Going on someone else's land requires a certain diplomacy/courtesy and so best to ask - if you can find anyone. There is a good variety of field tracks to follow and these should do you, I would have thought. More problematic mght be drivable roads/tracks. August is pretty good, usually, in terms of solid surfaces and lack of mud; but things can change. For example, the single lane track that takes you past L'Arbre seems to have been ploughed up (it was in late October 2013) almost at the Troisville end - a long way to reverse if you have been coming from the Le C end.

Mapping - so long as you get hold of the relevant IGN 1:25000 (and bear in mind that I think, IIRV, that Fontaine (or at least Esmes), almost needless to say, is on the edge of the map! THe OH map is really very good and is the one I am happy to navigate by - things have changed really very little - even down to the fact that driving through Caudry at night for the first time is as confusing now as it was for the men of 1914 when they came by - admittedly on horse of foot.

[divadnosae]

Thank you. The Quarry is confusing me a tad but think I may have it. Its the large squiggly area on Google street map along the D15 Rue Jean Mace? I can see a water tower to the right of the "Quarry" as you look at a North facing map?

I presume your photo in the book "The track leads to the railway bridge" is the track as you face south standing next to the D15 quarry to Le Bourbie and then the bridge?

What looks like another squiggly bit, is just to the left and North of the railway bridge on the D74? Is this a quarry too or just fields?

I intend to take quite a few panoramas when I get there and maybe a virtual 360 degree tour if possible.

At Fontaine Church you mention "and the Marie" Excuse my ignorance but what is a Marie please?

I will also take a look at the Cemetery and Ligny church. My GF may have been taken there as he had a gunshot wound to his arm. It was amputated. I have no idea what happened after he was shot or where he was taken. The German Hospital in Dalston London may have been mentioned by my father, but long time ago to be certain.

He had an awful early life like many of our relatives and I intend to pay my respects to him and others in August. I have his trench whistle and the rumour around the family campfire was that he got shot, blew it and got help. Maybe untrue, I like to think it is true, but too late to ask.

As longs as I am here in this area on the day and down to Ligny, I will be more than happy. My daughter is a teacher and wants to share her family history with the tots at her school. We are also intending to visit the Pozires memorial to see the stone for my GFs brother who was a machine gunner near St Quentin and died on 21st March 1918. None of my family have seen it.

We will be in France from 23rd to 27th so hoping to see a lot more too.

Many thanks for all you help Nigel.

[nigelcave]

When you get there, all will be clear as can be. The quarry is not really, as you'll see when you get there - more like pits. And that is really it as far as 'quarries' go, ie up near the main road from Fontaine heading west - and yes, the H2O tower is a handy marker. The tour is pretty straight forward in the book. They seem to be doing some sort of work around the quarries (there was an organised dump there - not sure if it is still going). The churchyard is well worth exploring - beside the large number in a CWGC plot right at the bottom of the cemetery (by the way, the best place to park when visiting), there are small groups of British burials elsewhere and Rickman, I seem to recall, is on his own. The Mairie is the Town Hall - quite obvious when you see it. The church was locked last time I was there - but several others, also used as aid posts by both sides - particularly Ligny springs to mind, but also Montigny, for example, have been open during my visits, and these were not on Sundays). Ligny CWGC plot in the local cemetery is well worth a visit (south side of the village), as is the one at Esmes. They are unusual, as will become evident when you see the ones on the Somme.

Excellent views from Ligny across the valley and it is easy to locate, eg, battery positions. It is a lovely battlefield to visit because so very little has changed - apart from power lines, tarred roads (though there are one or two fine pave ones around) and al the rest of it. I would recommend a picnic lunch, so take the necessary odds and ends to make up the baguette sandwiches.

Must dash - but you can always pm me if you need further help/clarification. I'll do what I can, but shall be on the road for the next few weeks.

Nigel