2nd Battalion otago 8th company june 1917

[samanth21]

hello all. can someone please help. has any one got photos or info on the 2nd Battalion otago 8th company 24th April till the

15th june 1917 or what they doing on the 7th june 1917

john thomas lyes 29994

or any photos of the 9th NZET coy between 8-2-17 to 24-4-17

thank you.

[Herekawe]

Hi

Have you read the History of the Otago Regiment - can be seen online as below.

http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-Otag-t1-body-d2-d5-d2.html

[samanth21]

thank you il have a read and see what i can find.

cheers

[west coast]

hi,

I have a war diary of an officer of 2nd n/ otago regt , he was captain frank simon, he originally joined up with the royal Dublin fusiliers 9th batt. in may of 1917 he was transferred to 2nd n/ Otago regt 10th com. around mid june 1917 he was given command of the 8th company as a reward for good work.

[samanth21]

cool. im trying piece together where my granddad was, he was with the 2nd batt otago regt 8th company. form the 24-4-17 to 14 .june 1917

first wounded in the field on the 7th june 1917 i think he was at the battle for messines { not sure but everywhere im reading points to there.}

he rejoined battalion 10th june.

then wounded second time in the field 14 june

taken by no9 Aus field amb on the same day. 14th june

was classified as unfit for active service

can you please help me im trying to find out where he was wounded on the 14th june if its in the diary

[samanth21]

Hi from February - July 1917 they were at Ploegsteert Wood and then just north at Messines. The battle of Messines was on the 7th June.
on the 8/9th June they were on the north side of Messines around the current intersection of N314 & N365. digging a trench between Oxonian and October support trench under heavy shellfire.
on the 16th they had moved south to trenches facing Warneton
trenches from U11.a.9.6 to U 11 d 1.5.
http://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo%3A70131/-/collection

can somone please help im not that great at maps how do you read U11.a.9.6 to U 11 d 1.5. and N314 & N365. on the map above.

or has somone got an easier way. please. thanks.

im soooooo close in finding out where he was.

thanks to you all.

[west coast]

about 5.30 pm on the 14th , cockerill was detailed to take a platoon from the company and try capture Sunken farm, s.e of the potterie east of messines [current position]. he says there were some casulities but will have to wait until morning to get more details...

15th,

last night was most unpleasant for everyone. the potterie was shelled heavely. my carrying parties had a rough time, especially to cockerill at sunken farm.the rations got through to the advanced dumps [10th coy]. cockerill [at time of writing 12 midnight] is still up the line. it seems he took sunken farm easly as the huns ran at sight. ...one of the supply parties got lost and were beyond the advanced posts and saw two germans asleep in a dugout, this party made it back to the allied lines but had a few casualities........

there are no mention of names of killed of wounded , but it looks like they were under constant shellfire . it looks like he could have been in one of the mentioned actions or was hit by shellfire.

hope this might help.

[samanth21]

thank you so much. any help is BIG HELP.

[Herekawe]

Hope this works.

Area you are looking at have circled at the top.

U is the square.

Oxonian I think is the name just above the junction.

[samanth21]

o m g thank you so much thats just some awesome.

[Saddler]

Here is his full service record

http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=10921202&digital=yes

And you may find a full Messines map here, it is an awesome online resource.

http://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo%3A49