Clook Posted 9 February , 2014 Share Posted 9 February , 2014 Can anyone help me find a location for Aurrie Avenue trench believed to be close to Stinking Farm in the Messines Sector, January 1917. Thanks in anticipation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 9 February , 2014 Share Posted 9 February , 2014 Aurrie Avenue? Would that be Currie Avenue which ran straight past Stinking Farm (skirting the actual buildings of it to the south)? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 9 February , 2014 Share Posted 9 February , 2014 Trenchmap extract from March 1917... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clook Posted 10 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 10 February , 2014 Thanks for that Dave, you are correct, Currie Avenue would make sense, I'm working from a diary transcript so typos expected. Could I be so bold to ask if there are any dug-outs marked between the area you've posted and the British front line, possibly around 'Gabion Farm'? And also (last one) does the British front line follow the line of the river at that point? I'm trying to pinpoint where my Gt Grandfather was killed in Jan 1917 from a number of sources. He was last seen at the front line after making his way along Currie Avenue. He then went back a short distance into a dug-out, possibly to light a pipe, whereupon he was killed dy a direct hit from a shell. I reckon I have the area down to about a 50 yard patch. Thanks, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 10 February , 2014 Share Posted 10 February , 2014 This extension of the same map will answer one of your questions... yes the frontline here does, for a short distance, follow the Steenbeek (trench-line to the immediate west of the Steenbeek, barbed wire entanglements immediately to the east (and covering)) ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 10 February , 2014 Share Posted 10 February , 2014 This German 1:5000 scale map from March 1917 shows it a little clearer ('Steenebrug' is Gabion Farm, 'Angstburg' is Stinking Farm)....water courses are the dark black lines.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 10 February , 2014 Share Posted 10 February , 2014 In answer to your other question, on this German map (April 1917), a cluster of dugouts at Gabion Farm have been depicted (highlighted in green by myself)...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 10 February , 2014 Share Posted 10 February , 2014 Using a modern NGI map, the exact positions of the dug-outs in relation to the front-line are depicted below....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clook Posted 10 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 10 February , 2014 Brilliant Dave, and many thanks also for doing my bit with the present day map. If you happen to be there next month I can give you the pint I now owe you ; ) All the best Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now