"Fleurbaix 19-07-1916. About 6.15 pm we were well

[larneman]

Looking at the Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files at Australian War Memorial Site for a soldier called Barr. I was reading the information on 3006 Corporal Percy George Archibald Barr and came across this.

"Fleurbaix 19-07-1916. About 6.15 pm we were well into german trenches when they let the water in"

The letter then mentions " it was possible he and a number of lad were buried in the mud and water of which the german trenches were full"

Did the german flood their trenches?. Was this often done?

Anybody know.

bye

Liam

[Mat McLachlan]

Liam,

I think it's pretty likely from your example that the soldier is talking about the abandoned German second and third lines that the Aussies were to capture during their attack on Fromelles (aka Fleurbaix). Unbeknownst to the Allies, the Germans had tried to dig second and third lines but found the ground too boggy and left the trenches unfinished. On aerial photos the trenches looked complete so were set as objectives for the attacking troops. When they arrived, the Australians found nothing but water-logged ditches, and many of the troops failed to recognise them and pushed on, vainly looking for the 'trenches' they had been tasked to capture. Eventually the Australians tried to deepen and consolidate the unfinished German lines but found the task impossible - in many places they were knee-deep in water and trying to fill sandbags with mud to form a defensible position. They eventually retreated with great loss.

I have read in one or two accounts that, in the confusion of the battle, some of the Australians thought the Germans must have been deliberately flooding the trenches to drive them out.

Even though the Germans didn't flood their trenches at Fromelles (and I haven't heard of them doing it elsewhere) other pals may have more information about whether or not it occurred in other battles.

Cheers,

Mat