Mark Hone Posted 14 November , 2004 Share Posted 14 November , 2004 Does any other Pal have an interest in the units comprising this brigade or has anyone done research on the battle? I am planning to visit the site of the action on my next battlefields tour and hope to do a recce in the spring. I am going to concentrate particularly on the part played by 1/4th Seaforth Highlanders and 2/2 Gurkhas. I have already got in my collection 'A Serious Disappointment' by Adrian Bristow and have read Corrigan's book on the Indian Corps (which has only a brief section on Aubers Ridge). I have also made preliminary contact with 'our man on the spot', Laurent. Any other information would be most gratefully received. Superb information from amongst others Frie, Dave (Croonart), Kristof, Greenwoodman and Ken Lees from this forum enabled us to visit the exact site of the photograph of Indian Soldiers at 'Whitesheet' and conduct an extremely detailed battlefield walk of 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers' attack on 31st July 1917 on this year's tour. Thanks again, chaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurent Posted 14 November , 2004 Share Posted 14 November , 2004 Hi, i am Laurent from ARHAM. One of my friend Dominique (president of this association) are going to write a book about Indians troops in 1914 and 1915 near Aubers Neuve Chapelle and Festubert. This book is scheduled for end may 2005. If you interesting about photos of this battlefield, send me a map of this battlefield and i will send you photos now in 2004 ! Regards Laurent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Lawton Posted 14 November , 2004 Share Posted 14 November , 2004 Mark, My grandfather's cousin Ernest Lawton served with the 1/4th Seaforth and was killed in action at Aubers Ridge on 9 May 1915, he was only 19 years old. All I know is what I've read on this site but would be interested in what you find out. Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 15 November , 2004 Author Share Posted 15 November , 2004 I see that he is commemorated on the Le Touret memorial, as is one of our two BGS old boys, Private John Whittam. We shall be visiting the memorial on our tour. I shall make a point of looking for your relative's name. Have you ever visited? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Lawton Posted 15 November , 2004 Share Posted 15 November , 2004 Mark, I haven't got around to it yet but hope to at sometime, along with visiting a few other relatives graves. It's still a mystery as to why he enlisted in a Scottish regiment. Most of the family enlisted in the Bedfordshire regiment although only two of them actually served with them. There were also a couple who served in the Hertfordshire regiment. About two years ago I found Ernest's name on a brass memorial at St Mary's Church in Watford. Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 15 November , 2004 Author Share Posted 15 November , 2004 The answer to that one is that the unit was stationed in Bedford in the early months of the war before going to France. One of our old boys enlisted there. The other joined up in Manchester. I am assuming that he deliberately joined the Seaforths to serve alongside his school friend but I have yet to turn up any direct evidence to support this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Thorpe Posted 15 November , 2004 Share Posted 15 November , 2004 Hi Mark, I have done a lot of work on the role of the Kensingtons who were involved in the northern thrust of the attack. Their job was to form a defensive flank on the left hand of the thrust. Got their position but were not reinfoced. Suggest reading for the battle is Clark's The Donkeys, Battle Ground Europe book on Neuve Chappelle and the recent one on Fromelles which covers the 1916 attack in the same area. Let me know if you need anything specific. Regards Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 15 November , 2004 Share Posted 15 November , 2004 I like Alan Clark's book because it is readable and I think includes enough detail for someone who is not as familiar with the events to follow along pretty well. However some of the other Pals have suggested Clark's book and style is not really the best on the subject. Since there is very little written about these battles and time period I have relied on this and Lyn MacDonald's book 1915 as well as the reference style books from the Battleground Europe series. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 16 November , 2004 Author Share Posted 16 November , 2004 Robin Neillands' book on British generals goes into these battles in some detail, primarily as a rebuttal of Clark. 'The Donkeys' occupies a unique place in the demonology of 'revisionist' WWI historians not only for apparently acting as inspiration for 'O, What A Lovely War!' but also for popularising the apocryphal cliche 'Lions Led By Donkeys' which is trotted out with tedious regularity in the media (e.g Glenda Jackson in 'The Independent' last week) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Lawton Posted 16 November , 2004 Share Posted 16 November , 2004 The answer to that one is that the unit was stationed in Bedford in the early months of the war before going to France. Mark, The reason I was baffled is that SDITGW shows his place of enlistment as London. I know it's not 100% reliable but as his service record hasn't survived all available information has to be investigated, sometimes it just doesn't fit in the equation. Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 16 November , 2004 Share Posted 16 November , 2004 Mark, Is the Robin Neilland book you are referring to The Great War Generals on the Western Front 1914-1918? Thanks, Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 16 November , 2004 Author Share Posted 16 November , 2004 That's the title of the Neillands book-I couldn't think of it off the top of my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WILLFERGIE Posted 5 August , 2005 Share Posted 5 August , 2005 Don't know if this thread is still active (i am new here) But I have recently received copies of the Brigade diary , Intelegence reports etc leading up to the battle Happy to share them with you. I visited there this year 9th May 2005 to see my great uncles memorial.He was Pte Robert MacDonald Fergie 1st Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. Unfortunately he died in the first wav of the attack near where the Portugeese cemetery is now on the La Basee Road. Let me know if you want anything William. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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