Davidelgy Posted 25 February , 2014 Share Posted 25 February , 2014 My great uncle was killed there on July 14th 1916.When i visited the area last December there is what looks to be a new-ish farm there and nothing else.I believe the farm at the time of the battle was described as a fortified farm. Does anyone know if there are any photos or a map of Bazentin le Grand prior to WW1 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cullbaggie Posted 25 February , 2014 Share Posted 25 February , 2014 David, sorry i cannot help with your query - but it amuses me that Bazentin le petit is much larger than Bazentin le grand!! until somebody told me that prior to the war it was the larger of the 2 villages, which would suggest many buidings their!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 25 February , 2014 Share Posted 25 February , 2014 This might be of interest David. July 1916... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tullybrone Posted 25 February , 2014 Share Posted 25 February , 2014 My great uncle was killed there on July 14th 1916.When i visited the area last December there is what looks to be a new-ish farm there and nothing else.I believe the farm at the time of the battle was described as a fortified farm. Does anyone know if there are any photos or a map of Bazentin le Grand prior to WW1 ? Hi, My great uncle was also killed there on 14th July 1916 - Pte 3/8319 Frank Devlin 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Steve Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamRev Posted 25 February , 2014 Share Posted 25 February , 2014 My great uncle was killed there on July 14th 1916.When i visited the area last December there is what looks to be a new-ish farm there and nothing else.I believe the farm at the time of the battle was described as a fortified farm. Does anyone know if there are any photos or a map of Bazentin le Grand prior to WW1 ? There is a photo of the farm at Bezantin le Grand in June 1916 (i.e. just before the battle), plus a map showing the "keep and fortifications" at Bazentin le Grand in Edward Hancock's book Bazentin Ridge in the Battlefield Europe series: (the action happened just off the right-hand edge of Ghazala's excellent map in his post above). I highly recommend getting the book. My grandfather (2nd Lieut S. Revels, 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers) was in the 8th Brigade on the right flank of the 3rd Division's successful attack on Bazentin Ridge, ending up where Caterpillar Valley Cemetery now is (confusingly this is a considerable distance from Caterpillar Valley itself which is downhill near Montauban), and was badly wounded on 18th July 1916. 1st Northumberland Fusiliers were several hundred yards to their left. My brother and I spent an afternoon, then two days later a morning, walking all over this area - we got a friendly wave from the farmer at Bazentin le Grand who seemed to own the land. William Later edit: Bazentin Ridge is also available from the publishers Pen and Sword, and I believe that they have special offers on their Battlefield Europe books at the moment. I'm not on commission - just saying..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davidelgy Posted 26 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 26 February , 2014 I'll be ordering that book tonight,thank you very much. My great-uncle Pte J Hubble 18314 of the 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers is classed as `died of wounds'.Like many,his body was `lost' hence his name appearing on the Thiepval Memorial.For £30,Alnwick Castle,where a lot of information on the Northumberland Fusiliers is stored,sent me information on my great uncle.I visited the graveyard at Bazentin-le-Petit which has some Northumberland Fusilier headstones. The image was very interesting and highlights the farm and possibly two other buildings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tullybrone Posted 26 February , 2014 Share Posted 26 February , 2014 Hi, From memory I think 1st NF suffered 20 Deaths 14th July 1916. My great uncle was in X Company. I have a copy letter printed in a local newspaper from the RC Padre saying he was buried but I presume the grave was destroyed as he is listed on the Thiepval Memorial. I had contact with the Museum in 1999. They sent me copy War Diary and relevant pages from the 1914/1919 Regimental History. Regards Steve Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davidelgy Posted 27 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 27 February , 2014 It may be worthwhile writing to Alnwick Castle again.For my £30 they sent me 30 + pages with information on my great uncle including a grainy copy of a photo,and the movements of Northumberland Fusiliers 1st battalion he was in,leading up to his death.Two articles in the local paper,The Chester le Street Chronicle,mention him as `missing in action'.I found these on micro film at Gateshead library. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamRev Posted 27 February , 2014 Share Posted 27 February , 2014 Bazentin le Grand Wood - view from Bazentin Ridge (just west of Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, photo taken June 2012), roughly in the place where my grandfather was buried-alive by a 5.9inch howitzer shell, and later dug up unconscious but still alive, on 18th July 1916. William Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sally B Posted 28 February , 2014 Share Posted 28 February , 2014 William, I think your photograph of Bazentin le Grand is excellent. Our village History Society is publishing a book to honour the men from our village who died in WW1 and I think your photo would be brilliant to put at the end of the book. Could we have you permission to use the photo? We would of course accredit the photo to you. Sally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamRev Posted 28 February , 2014 Share Posted 28 February , 2014 William, I think your photograph of Bazentin le Grand is excellent. Our village History Society is publishing a book to honour the men from our village who died in WW1 and I think your photo would be brilliant to put at the end of the book. Could we have you permission to use the photo? We would of course accredit the photo to you. Sally Hi Sally, yes of course! If you would like a higher resolution version (626KB - the one above is only 170KB) e-mail me on william"at"williamrevels.com (with the @ symbol inserted if you see what I mean) and I will e-mail it to you. William Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis1918 Posted 28 February , 2014 Share Posted 28 February , 2014 Mametz Wood viewed from Bazentin Wood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 1 March , 2014 Share Posted 1 March , 2014 Battle of Bazentin ridge 14-17th July 1916. A piper of the 7th Bn. the Seaforth Highlanders leads four men of the 26th (Highland) Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division back from the trenches after the attack on Longueval, Somme on the 14th July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamRev Posted 1 March , 2014 Share Posted 1 March , 2014 Last November, in "classic threads" - photos then and now, there was a fantastic reconstruction of that photo: the site is just south east of Montauban, so about a mile away and slightly downhill from Bazentin Ridge itself. For anyone who missed it, look here (scroll down to post 883), Fascinating eh? William Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 1 March , 2014 Share Posted 1 March , 2014 Last November, in "classic threads" - photos then and now, there was a fantastic reconstruction of that photo: the site is just south east of Montauban, so about a mile away and slightly downhill from Bazentin Ridge itself. For anyone who missed it, look here (scroll down to post 883), Fascinating eh? William Wow.. That is brilliant. Thanks William. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 4 March , 2014 Share Posted 4 March , 2014 Indian Cavalry at Bazentin July 1916. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIRKY Posted 5 March , 2014 Share Posted 5 March , 2014 Wonder where this actually was taken? tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 5 March , 2014 Share Posted 5 March , 2014 Wonder where this actually was taken? tony I think it was in the dip of land below the crucifix where the road leads to Bazentin le Grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 5 March , 2014 Share Posted 5 March , 2014 So Mametz wood would be over and beyond the high ridge and the farm to the left astride the higher ground? TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 5 March , 2014 Share Posted 5 March , 2014 Would they not be in open view and shelled? TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cullbaggie Posted 5 March , 2014 Share Posted 5 March , 2014 Indian Cavalry at Bazentin July 1916. were these the cavalry destined to ride through High wood that arrived too late!!! in july 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 5 March , 2014 Share Posted 5 March , 2014 were these the cavalry destined to ride through High wood that arrived too late!!! in july 16 Terry Normans book "The Hell they called High Wood". An excellent book describing this cavalry charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis1918 Posted 7 March , 2014 Share Posted 7 March , 2014 From 4am on 14th July 1916 the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division were ordered to readiness under GOC X111 Corps with the capture of High Wood as their objective. At 7.40am X111 Corps ordered the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division forward from its position near Morlancourt and at 8.20am the division moved off destined for action against the German High Wood positions. Due to the slippery and uneven ground , pitted with shell holes , cut by old trenches and littered with the detritus of battle progress was slow and they did not arrive south of Montauban until past midday. Extract from "Bazentin Ridge " - Edward Hancock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarahc5 Posted 18 November , 2021 Share Posted 18 November , 2021 (edited) On 25/02/2014 at 12:07, Davidelgy said: My great uncle was killed there on July 14th 1916.When i visited the area last December there is what looks to be a new-ish farm there and nothing else.I believe the farm at the time of the battle was described as a fortified farm. Does anyone know if there are any photos or a map of Bazentin le Grand prior to WW1 ? My Great Grandfather was killed there on July 14th too. Edited 18 November , 2021 by Sarahc5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bent Posted 29 June , 2022 Share Posted 29 June , 2022 I am visiting Bazentin Le Grand at the end of September if anyone would like photos / videos. The trip is with a friend whose grandfather was wounded here on 14th July 1916. I have a lady in Canada joining us by zoom as her great grandfather died here on that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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