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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

8th Bn Lincolnshire Regt. September 1915


brianmorris547

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On 10/09/1915 the Bn left Folkestone for Boulogne and the following evening entrained at Pont des Briques for Watten. It went into billets at Bayenghem les Eperlecques where it took part in Div and Brigade exercises. On 20/09/1915 The Bn marched via Racquinghem, Norrent, Cauchy a la Tour and in the early morning of 25/09/1915 reached Fours a Chaux where it bivouacked. The place is described in the WD as being one and a half miles from Noeux les Mines and in Simpson's History as being about two miles west of NLM. At 10.30 am 25th the Bn was warned for the firing line and marched via NLM and Vermelles to it's fate.

In 2012 I visited these places but could not find Fours a Chaux.

In 2013 I walked from Cite 7 over the fields around Loos and also visited the Chalk Pit and the Bois Hugo (now the Parc des Cytises south of the aerodrome), where the Bn was in action on 26/09/1915. I then tried again to find Fours a Chaux but failed. The IGN 2405 O does not show it. My schoolboy French tells me it is some kind of Kiln.

I may go again this year so I checked the WD for 63 Inf Brigade and that records "Brigade moved to area just South of Houchin arriving there at midnight 24/25th". I also found a copy of 21 Div Op Order no 6 dated 24/09/1915 which refers to 1/40,000 Map sheet 36 B. "The 21 Div will move tonight and bivouac in area NLM to just north of Hallicourt". The route given was the Cross Roads near Marles les Mines station - Place a Bruay - road junction half mile south of Labuissiere - Four a Chaux - Noeux les Mines and the Halt Table gave the 63 Brigade area as Squares K 15 d, 16 c & d.

On google maps I found a Residence du Four a Chaux near the Parc de la Lawe south of Labuissiere but it seems to be too far from NLM. The NLS maps stop at Houchin. Can anyone assist please before it becomes another OCD.

Thanks in anticipation.

Brian

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Try a search of the forum for ' map converter' or similar as somewhere there is a link to a trench map ref to a Google Earth .

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Thanks will do. The NLS Trench Map 1:10,000 no 36 B NE 4 shows K 16 but only part of K 15 and Four a Chaux is not marked.

Brian

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Thank you very much. By double clicking in various locations south of Houchin it gives the co ordinates in K 15 and K 16. This narrows down the search area for me. I was close in 2012 without realizing. Most impressive, thanks again, I was not aware of this.

Brian

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  • 5 months later...

Many thanks to Forum Member Sotonmate who sent me the map from WO 153/145 which shows the location in square K 15. I will get a copy when next at Kew and show it to the young lady in the Patisserie in Houchin who tried, in vain, to assist me when I was there in May.

Brian

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