RickP Posted 26 July , 2016 Share Posted 26 July , 2016 Dear all, I hope you will bear with another newcomer to the forum. I am trying to research two members of my family, one of whom was killed whilst serving in the in 1/2 Lancs Heavy Battery of the RGA (Acting Bombadier Stephen Potter #22006). He was killed on !9 August 1917 and was buried in Bard Cottage Cemetery just North of Ypres together with two other members of the RGA that were killed on the same day. I am trying to find out anything I can about the activities/location of the 1/2 Lancs on that date and the type of gun they used. Any information would be very gratefully received. Regards Rick Potter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ororkep Posted 26 July , 2016 Share Posted 26 July , 2016 Welcome Rick to the forum, There is no surviving war diary for 1 / 2 Lancs HB RGA covering* the date of his demise. You therefore require the higher formation diary the battery was part of at the time which was 65 HAG (Heavy Artillery Group) (ref: WO95/322/6) and which can be downloaded from the National Archives discovery website for a small fee. This will give you battery positions, what they were upto and what happened on the 19th but don’t expect names to be mentioned. Rgds Paul * although there is a very small diary covering Sept-Dec 1915. The Battery was initially armed with 4.7in Guns but by 1917 had been updated with 60 Pounder Guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickP Posted 26 July , 2016 Author Share Posted 26 July , 2016 Thank you Paul. I'll take a look. Kind regards Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickP Posted 26 July , 2016 Author Share Posted 26 July , 2016 Paul, The diary does indeed refer to several gun crew being killed on the afternoon of 19th August whilst at Joffre Farm. Thank you so much! Kind regards Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid_Ian Posted 26 July , 2016 Share Posted 26 July , 2016 5 hours ago, RickP said: Paul, The diary does indeed refer to several gun crew being killed on the afternoon of 19th August whilst at Joffre Farm. Thank you so much! Kind regards Rick Sadly now under an industrial estate. if you pm me your email I can send you the Google earth overlay its too large to post on here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid_Ian Posted 26 July , 2016 Share Posted 26 July , 2016 Trench map of farm and bard cottage just above and other side of the canal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickP Posted 27 July , 2016 Author Share Posted 27 July , 2016 Thank you both. This has given me more detail than I could possibly have hoped! Kind regards Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid_Ian Posted 27 July , 2016 Share Posted 27 July , 2016 Essex farm at the middle bottom of this map is where John McRae wrote In Flanders Field Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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