HowieJ Posted 18 May , 2014 Share Posted 18 May , 2014 I have recently obtained the 112 Bgde RFA war diary. The diary states that in Sep 1915 they were in the Le Bizet sector and that they were in defence of trenches 90 to 101. On all the trench maps I've looked at I've never seen trench numbers; can anyone help me with these? Any help gratefully received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 18 May , 2014 Share Posted 18 May , 2014 Hello Heloman You sometimes see numbers used to denote special locations such as machine-gun posts, trench junctions and the like. Would this fit with your diary entry? Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 18 May , 2014 Share Posted 18 May , 2014 Trench 91 started at 'Carters Farm' opposite Frelinghien. Your numbers then run northwards for roughly 1 mile to 'Rabeque Farm' where Trench 101 terminated. They're simply trench designations that predate naming and indicate certain lengths of the same trench in specific sectors. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger H Posted 19 May , 2014 Share Posted 19 May , 2014 I have marked both of these farms on this trench map but it is dated May 1916 (From TNA trench map DVD) Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieJ Posted 19 May , 2014 Author Share Posted 19 May , 2014 Croonaert and Roger H, Many thanks for the information. This ties in with where I thought they were; just hadn't come across trench numbers before. Attached is an extract from the war diary showing the disposition of C/112s guns on 2/10/15 on the Linesman 20 series. Croonaert - I did see a link to your website with regard to trench maps but when I got there I couldn't find an obvious link. Do I need to register to see the maps? Howie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 20 May , 2014 Share Posted 20 May , 2014 This ties in with where I thought they were; just hadn't come across trench numbers before. Here's an extract showing the trench numbers referred to... Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 20 May , 2014 Share Posted 20 May , 2014 Croonaert - I did see a link to your website with regard to trench maps but when I got there I couldn't find an obvious link. Do I need to register to see the maps? I don't actually have a website anymore, Howie. If it's 'www.pathsofglory.co.uk' that you are referring to, then I'm afraid that I binned that site about 2 years ago. After I got rid of it, someone else acquired the domain name for some reason and, as far as I can see, it's just a 'holding' site now with nothing really on it (other than that they've kept my page-titles which don't really link to anything). Whatever it is now, it's certainly nothing to do with the Great War any more anyway. That website has nothing to do with me now... sorry! Dave (funnily enough, I've received a few emails over the past few weeks regarding this website. I suppose it might be prudent of me to announce on here that it doesn't really exist anymore?... can I ask where you saw the link please, so I can inform whoever published it too?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieJ Posted 21 May , 2014 Author Share Posted 21 May , 2014 Hi Dave, I've PM'd you separately about the website. Looking at the map you attached, for which I'm very grateful, I'm a little confused. I had assumed that the map references for the guns were their locations. But now I'm not so sure. I know that the designation of trenches changed during the war, but I'm assuming that on your map the blue ones are ours and the red ones the Germans. If that's the case, then the guns are in the wrong place: they were firing over our trenches. By 'night lines' I now think that may be referring to the line of fire. Do you have a take on this? Regards, Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 21 May , 2014 Share Posted 21 May , 2014 Thanks for the PM... unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a lot I can do about the site really other than what I've already done. As for your references, they're actually individual target references rather than battery locations, so would be correct. Cheers, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieJ Posted 22 May , 2014 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2014 Thanks Dave, it all makes a lot more sense with a full map. I hope you won't mind if I come back to you on any other queries that I have as I go through the War Diary. Regards, Howie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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