Moated Grange between Neuve Chapelle and Fauquissart

[Chris_Baker]

The large farmhouse, known to the British as the Moated Grange, lies between Neuve Chapelle and Fauquissart. It is also shown on contemporary maps as Ferme Vanbesien. Early maps show another house a few hundred metres north along the Rue du Bois in the Fauquissart direction, about halfway between the Moated Grange and Chapigny Farm.

On the night 26-27 November 1914 a party of the 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment and 15th Field Company RE blew up a house. (This was carried out by Lt Philip Neame RE who was awarded the VC for an action a few weeks later). The 23rd Infantry Brigade war diary description leads me to believe that it was the unnamed house, not the Moated Grange, that they destroyed. Several accounts say the opposite and I think they may be wrong.

If anyone has good documentary evidence (which could include maps, photographs etc) to confirm which one it was, I would be grateful.

The Moated Grange played a part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle some months later.

[Chris Noble]

Good evening Chris.

The ' Protecting Party' of the 2nd West Yorkshire's was placed under the command of Second-Lieutenant Loraine M. Kerr.

Best wishes.

Chris.

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

The large farmhouse, known to the British as the Moated Grange, lies between Neuve Chapelle and Fauquissart. It is also shown on contemporary maps as Ferme Vanbesien.

x

[Chris_Baker]

Thanks, Chris and Tom. That's great stuff.

I've now found that Neame's own report is attached to 15th Field Company RE diary and his own sketch does suggest it was the Moated Grange. The implication is that only one wall was standing from 27 November 1914 onwards, with three quarters of the house being demolished by the charges his party laid.

[Patrickneame]

He also gives details of the operation in his book "Playing With Strife". I went along a few years ago and photographed the couple who lived there. They told me that the post war reparations hadn't been enough to rebuild it as it had been before the war.

[ricky2002]