NZEF at Dead End Trench Rue du Bois Salient July 1916

[dalew067]

Good Morning All,

I'm researching where my Grandfather was injured on the 19th July 1916, I have found some information that suggests there was considerable activity at Dead End Trench in the Rue du Bois Salient that night, and was hoping that he may have been in the area at this time.

I have been unable to find the location on the trench maps that I have access to. and would be pleased if someone could help me with a trench map, and perhaps some additional details on what was going on in the area.

Thanks

Regards

Dale

Edited 26 May , 2015 by dalew067

[EDWARD1]

There are a Dead End Post at 36SW1 M12b and a Dead End Road at 36SW1 M12b,d,N7c Map dated Aug 1916

Eddie

[dalew067]

Hi Eddie,

Thanks for the info, I'll track down the trench map and see how it ties in with what I know.

Regards

Dale

[SiegeGunner]

Whatever happened in the Rue du Bois sector that night was almost certainly connected in some way with the attack at Fromelles, just a short distance up the line to the north, on 19/20 July 1916.

[BFBSM]

Maps which may assist you:

http://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo%3A70149/-/collection

http://maps.nls.uk/view/101464978

Mark

[dalew067]

Hi Mark

Thanks for the links to the maps.

Regards

Dale

[Herekawe]

Hi

According to the NZ Div History pp 54-55 on the "feverish" night of 19/20 July there was a large German raid on Rue du Bois salient held by the 2nd Rifles. The history mentions there was a lot of activity including raids by NZ and other corp activities but in a nutshell the Germans established a lodgement at the Nth end of the salient called The Dead End but were stopped and bombed back.

Paul Cobb in Fromelles 1916 pg 113 mentions 25 fatal NZ casualties supporting on the Australian left - however I cannot easily find in the text how they were involved maybe removing injured?

Cheers

James

[SiegeGunner]

The Australian left was at the other end of the Fromelles battlefront from the Rue du Bois, around Bois Grenier. There was a raid in that sector a couple of days earlier, but on the 19/20th I suspect NZ casualties will have been mainly due to the flank of the German defensive barrage.

[BFBSM]

From: THE NEW ZEALAND DIVISION 1916 - 1919: A POPULAR HISTORY BASED ON OFFICIAL RECORDS (http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-Fran-t1-body1-d2-d3.html)

"Just before midnight on the feverish night 19th/20th July, only 500 yards away from the scene of the 1st Rifles' raid,1 a large enemy party made an attempt on the Rue du Bois salient, which was at the time held by the 2nd Rifles. Our artillery fire in connection with our own 2 raids and the more ambitious operations of the XI. Corps was active on the enemy's line throughout the period, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that the Germans suffered casualties before reaching our trenches. The enemy bombardment was of exceptional fury, 8000 shells being flung into the area exclusive of trench mortar projectiles. The whole ground was turned over as if by a volcanic upheaval, and the local features altered so as to be unrecognisable. At the northern end of the salient, called the Dead End, the Germans effected a bare lodgment and captured 3 men out of a listening post. They were met at the stop, where the sap from No Man's Land ran into the trench, and were bombed back, leaving 1 wounded and 2 dead in our hands. At the apex 2 minenwerfer bombs made an enormous crater, which was at first supposed to be a mine, and buried 2 mortars and an officer and 12 men of the 3rd Light Trench Mortar Battery. On the southern tip the attack failed. Under the tornado of shells, trenches and parapets were heaped in mingled confusion, but the riflemen set an example of fortitude and dour resistance which it would have been impossible to surpass. The enemy left behind him 12 mobile charges and a quantity of raiding material. In addition to the 3 prisoners, the total casualties sustained, including those of the machine gunners and mortar battery personnel amounted to an officer and 16 men killed and 30 men wounded. As retaliation, a specially effective bombardment was delivered on the following evening by howitzers and trench mortars against the enemy position opposite the salient."

[Herekawe]

HI

The Rue du Bois salient is slightly north east of Bois Grenier?

James

[SiegeGunner]

Rue du Bois is surely the road that runs up to the crossroads at Port Arthur, where the Indian Memorial now is. Or is there another one?

[CROONAERT]

There are two, Mick.

One is the road that you mention, the other is a hamlet to the NE of Bois Grenier (which had a distinct salient in front of it)

Dave

[Herekawe]

I think you might be right. Google shows another one just south of Fleurbaix on the D171- I know it may not have been there 100 years ago and nearby a Rue du Bois CWGC.

I have made a photo of the map in the NZ Div History. Hopefully attached.

[CROONAERT]

The 'Rue du Bois Salient' ....

...

[dalew067]

Thanks everybody for your replies.

I did have most of the words, but I couldn't work out exactly where the action took place in relationship to the Fromelles actions, however Croonaert's image is what I was looking for.

Here is a portion of my Grandfathers Diary for the time. He was buried for a time during the shelling. He survived, but his best mate didn't. (None of this mentioned in this portion of the Diary)

After taking part in the Army Review in Paris, arrived back at Abbeville 6am 17th July, went to same camp again for the day & left at 9am, arrived at Steenwerck Station 18th, got back to trenches at 10pm.
Saw all the boys on the morning of 19th & at night there was a 3 ¾ hour bombardment. Our 1st Battalion raided physically & was also slightly wounded in leg.
Went back to supports & was continually shelled with heavy shells, but with not much result was sent to Battalion Stores for spell after being sent to hospital, was there until the Battalion came out of trenches Aug 5th.

Regards

Dale

[SiegeGunner]

Thanks, Dave, as ever, for sorting out the geography. In the period leading up to the action on 19/20 July, the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division (6BRD), which held the Fromelles sector, asked most of the prisoners it took whether they had seen any New Zealanders, and especially whether they had seen any Maori. Answers varied from 'Not around here, mate' to 'Thousands of 'em', so I'm not sure whether the Germans were much the wiser. The positive responses placed them above the Fromelles sector, towards Armentieres, which ties in with the 'other' Rue du Bois.

[Herekawe]

Maori Patrols were out and about evidently but I don't know if they were any worse than other patrols?

From the NZ Div pp57-58

"Towards the middle of July this intense activity quietened down, on our side owing to the temporary shortage of ammunition, alluded to above, and on the German side through a similar shortage or a withdrawal of guns. The total ammunition expended by us during the last 10 days of the month did not exceed the average daily consumption of the first week.

By this time our patrols, which included Maori patrols, completely dominated No Man's Land, where their troubles were caused, not by active opposition, but by the searchlights which played along the enemy wire and by the rustling of the grass, which, though the Germans cut it with characteristic thoroughness near their own wire, lay thick in the middle of No Man's Land. Instead of sending out patrols himself, the enemy fired “pineapple” bombs at the points likely to be crossed by us and bombed his own wire. Generally his morale was surprisingly low, and on several occasions our sentries with mingled astonishment, and contempt saw a German put his rifle on the parapet and pull the trigger without taking aim, the bullet raising a spurt of dust in No Man's Land or passing high overhead. His machine guns were active and admirably handled as usual, and it was not often that they gave their position away, as by smoke from an overheated gun drifting in the moonlight against a dark background of bushes. Only now and again strong enemy patrols ventured out, and bombing fights ensued, almost invariably to our advantage. Various devices were employed to destroy or capture these hostile patrols, and on 26th July a familiar German booby-trap was utilised with apparent success. A patrol of the 3rd "Rifles laid out wires with bombs attached, and withdrew a little distance to await results. First 1 German appeared followed by 12, but their route did not take them in the way of the trap. The L/Cpl. in charge of our patrol therefore shot the leader. His men bombed the rest of the party, and only 3 were seen to escape. Alarmed by the noise, immediately afterwards another German party approached, and one of their number becoming entangled in the trip-wire exploded the bombs. This time not a man was seen to escape"

[Fattyowls]

I was trying to see if I had any photos of the area today so I looked at the National Library of Scotland mapping site to tie down the geography exactly. I fear that the Rue du Bois salient is now partly under the autoroute and the railway is now a service road for the industrial estate.

Pete.

[Fattyowls]

This is the wider area today. Hope this helps, it certainly helped me as apart from this Rue du Bois and the one at Richebourg further south there is also a suburb of Lille called Rue du Bois to confuse things further. Well it confused me anyway, but that's not hard.

[CROONAERT]

...Hope this helps, it certainly helped me as apart from this Rue du Bois and the one at Richebourg further south there is also a suburb of Lille called Rue du Bois to confuse things further....

... and to further confuse things to the unwary, there is another hamlet that goes by the name of Rue du Bois today. This is located on the 'old' Rue du Bois road further south. Thankfully, this hamlet didn't actually exist during WW1 so (hopefully) shouldn't cause too much of a problem for anybody.

Dave

[SiegeGunner]

Maori Patrols were out and about evidently but I don't know if they were any worse than other patrols?

The Germans were always very wary of indigenous colonial troops, and I suspect that had much to do with the fact that German boys in the late 1800s tended to be brought up on a diet of 'ripping yarns' of the kind epitomised by Karl May's adventure stories about the 'Old West'. I don't know of any examples of the genre set in New Zealand, but I think it's quite likely that German aficionados had heard tales about the martial prowess of the Maori.

[UKAIF]

Further to query about NZ casualties on 19th July 1916 - as the width of the battlefield had to be reduced, the Imperial 60th Bde was brought down to fill the gap created by the movement of 8th (Aus) Bde. 60th Bde was between the 8th Bde and the NZ troops. Neither 60th Bde/NZ participated in the assault as such but they did provide rifle fire to help the left flank of the assault. Casualties would have been from German gunfire as they may have thought troops in that sector might attack as well. it seemed fair to me to mention these casualties. NZ medical services were sent to help the AIF as they were under a huge burden that day. I didn't locate a list of NZ wounded.

[dalew067]

Good Morning all,

Many thanks for the additional information

Regards

Dale

[UKAIF]

Further to Herekawe's query about 25 NZ dead (29/5/15 above), the NZ units had a gap to their right after the front for the attack was reduced. This was plugged by 60th Bde brought down from Ypres. In the case of the NZ troops and 60th Bde, casualties were sustained by return fire/shelling by the Germans presumably endeavouring to stop them protecting 8th (Aus) Bde's left flank.

[steandpaula]

Looking at the maps of Rue Du Bois in this thread I can't locate Dead Mans Alley and the Death Trap that the 1st North Staffs occupied in December 1914, or am I looking in the wrong area?