Gareth Davies Posted 11 August , 2014 Share Posted 11 August , 2014 I am trying to work out the laydown of the individual Bns in 48 and 23 Divs south of Asiago in June 1918. I have the Bn general locations and I have managed to put names to most of them but I have a couple of gaps that I would like to fill. 48 Div On the left was 48 Div which had 143 Bde on the left, 145 Bde on the right and 144 Bde to the rear. 143 Bde Fwd - 5th Warwicks Centre left - 8th Warwicks Centre right - 7th Warwicks Rear - 6th Warwicks 145 Bde Fwd left - 5th Gloucesters Fwd right - 4th Ox & Bucks LI Centre - 1st Bucks Rear - 4th Berkshires 144 Bde Fwd left - 8th Worcesters (thanks to Ted - see below) Fwd right - 6th Gloucesters (thanks to Ted - see below) Rear left - ??? 4th Gloucesters or 7th Worcesters Rear right - ??? 4th Gloucesters or 7th Worcesters 23 Div On the right was 23 Div which had 68 Bde fwd left, 70 Bde fwd right and 69 Bde in the rear. 68 Bde Fwd left - 11th Northumberland Fus Fwd cetre - 12th DLI Fwd right - 13th DLI Rear - 10th Northumberland Fus 70 Bde Fwd left - 9th Y&L Fwd right - 11th Sherwood Foresters Centre (and a little left) - 8th Y&L (thanks to Ted - see below) Rear (right) - 8 KOYLI (thanks to Ted - see below) 69 Bde Fwd - 11th West Yorks (from OH) Slightly rear - 10th DWR (from OH) Rear left - 9th Yorks (from OH) Rear right - 8th Yorks (thanks to Ted - see below) Any help in filling in the gaps much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddison Posted 12 August , 2014 Share Posted 12 August , 2014 From memory I believe that Sandilands reported the 23 Div reserve to be behind Mte Torle. I will check and report back. Ted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddison Posted 13 August , 2014 Share Posted 13 August , 2014 I am afraid that this won't answer the detail of your questions, mostly confirming what you already seem to know really. Sandilands History of the 23rd Division gives the Div disposition for the 15/16 June battle as follows:- 70th Brigade (Right Bde) had 2 battalions in the front line with one battalion in support in the second line, and one battalion in reserve, of which 2 companies were immediately in rear of the second line - one at Pria del'Acqua, and one at Grenezza. The 68th Infantry Brigade (Left Bde) held 3 battalions in the front line, the second line being garrisoned by one company from each of the flank battalions and one company from the battalion in brigade reserve. The remaining companies of the reserve battalion were placed at and in the rear of Mte Torle. 69th Brigade (Reserve Bde) had two battalions at Granezza, one at Cavaletto and one some 3000 or 4000ft below the plateau at Mare. Unfortunately this doesn't answer your questions because he does not identify battalions in this orbat. He does say that 8th Yorkshire Regiment were called forward to Granezza from Mare in his description of the battle. One gap filled? Ted Just noticed in John and Eileen Wilkes book The British Army in Italy 1917-1918 that it records 70 Brigade dispositions as 8th Yorks & Lancs behind the 9th Y&L and 8 Koyli in the rear. There is no mention of 69 Brigade as far as I can see. This book also mentions 144 Bde locations. 8 Worcs at M. Brusobo, 6 Glos west of M. Cavalletto, 4 Glos and 7 Worc near Caltrano. Ted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 13 August , 2014 Author Share Posted 13 August , 2014 Thanks for this Ted, several gaps filled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddison Posted 16 August , 2014 Share Posted 16 August , 2014 Think that should read M. Brusabo, marked on the old maps about where M. Cucco now appears, 1Km east of M. Pau Ted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 16 August , 2014 Author Share Posted 16 August , 2014 Thanks Ted. I now have a copy of the Wilks book and the OH and so have filled in all the gaps less working out whether 4th Gloucesters or 7th Worcesters were rear right or left in 144 Bde. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trav Posted 18 May , 2020 Share Posted 18 May , 2020 Gareth, my 3rd Great Uncle was killed at Asiago on 15 June 1918 and is buried in Boscon Cemetery. He served in 1/5 Gloucestershire Regiment. I have only just picked up on this today, it would appear he was directly opposite the advance on that first day - do you have a more exact location for his unit that day? Looks like I have another trip planned for after this pandemic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 19 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 19 May , 2020 The 1/5th Gloucesters were in the woods around Buco di Cesuna. In the area around Ghelpac Fork you can still see some of their trenches (sadly not visible on Google Earth because of the tree cover). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trav Posted 19 May , 2020 Share Posted 19 May , 2020 Nice one, thanks a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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