chrislock Posted 8 December , 2004 Share Posted 8 December , 2004 Long shot as usual, but who knows? Cheers, Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 8 December , 2004 Share Posted 8 December , 2004 Have you seen the book on this battalion by Brendon Moorhouse 'Ordeal by Fire' (Spellmount 2004) ? I am presuming you mean the Somersets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrislock Posted 8 December , 2004 Author Share Posted 8 December , 2004 Thanks Paul, yes I do have the book and have spoken to Brendon, but still no batt photo in sight. A few odd train departure pics and the such. A few realy good Officer photo,s but not what I need. I have spoke to the SLI museum in Somerset and they dont even have one. Surely the battalion had a photo done before dis embarkation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMoorhouse Posted 10 December , 2004 Share Posted 10 December , 2004 Chris, I am still looking for a photo. If you are succesful then please let me know. I was contacted some time ago by a man that said he had a company photo (A company?) from when the Bn were at Aldershot, but that never came to anything. There were no Battalion photos printed in the Somerset local papers, nor do the Somerset County Records office have any (and as you say the Light Infantry Museum at Taunton do not have any either.) It is a small possibility - but there might be one in the Hampshire papers before departure? Good luck. Brendon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrislock Posted 10 December , 2004 Author Share Posted 10 December , 2004 Hi Brendon. Hope all well! Your most wonderful book travels all over the 7th,s battlefields with me. Have seen some fascinating stuff in the Lavantie/Fromelles area. Even managed to visit nearly every 7th SLI soldier KIA up to Xmas 1915. Oh to find a battalion photo, that would make my day! The Trench mortar position that engaged the battalion is well worth the visit, dont miss out on the Tadpole tunnel either, provided it,s dry,ha! Wonderful little museum in Fromelles too! Bye for now, Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMoorhouse Posted 13 December , 2004 Share Posted 13 December , 2004 I'm glad that you found the trench mortar position. If you walked back up to La Cordonnerie farm, and then looked at the ground between there and the farm heading back in the British lines direction - you can still make out the faint marks of the communication trench (as well as shell broken ground.) One of the 7 SomLI casualties from the TM was in that piece of land. By Tadpole tunnel - do you mean the Aussie built 'strong point'? Some effort went into that! I'm glad that you are finding the book useful. Regards, Brendon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrislock Posted 13 December , 2004 Author Share Posted 13 December , 2004 Hi Brendon. The Tadpole tunnels are the deep underground bunker/dugouts to the rear of the farm. The land owner from Delangre (Next door to La Cordonnerie farm) farm took us there and gave us a free guided visit. Problem is, they are huge and always flooded, the stuff the museum from Fromelles has from there is superb. Not sure if and when they are to be pumped out again. The Trench mortar position still had wire, toffee apples and bits and pieces strewn about. Being on private land, it does not get visited or interfeared with I guess. To stand in the gun pit and look up where the projectiles came from that targeted my Great Uncle,s position was quite thought provoking to say the least! Will now visit the trenches behind as you mention, do you know if the mine explosion crater on 12th Sept is still there? thank you, bye for now, Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMoorhouse Posted 13 December , 2004 Share Posted 13 December , 2004 Chris, The mine crater has been filled in completely - it would seem to be part of the farmland to the right of the farm as you look at the road. The communication trench is only barely visible and ran between the two farms. I have some photos of the TM position - including toffee apples - I will try to post them. They found gas shells in there, as well as a TM when they excavated it. Research showed that that bunker had sustained an explosion that killed some of its crew (1916-17 from memory). There are another 3 similar positions (not yet excavated) around the farm according to trench maps. Given the condition of the toffee apples etc - and the fact that some were gas filled - I would not be sleeping easily at night! I was there at the very early stages of the Tadpole tunnels dig and they were still working their way down the spiral staicase. I must go back. Brendon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrislock Posted 13 December , 2004 Author Share Posted 13 December , 2004 I couldn,t believe how deep those bunkers are! The water was crystal clear on the day we went and you could see the spiral staircase dissapearing down into the depths! Go to the Museum in Fromelles, super display, alot from the Tadpole! Have you been to the RUE DE PETILLON cemetry? It has the most 7 SLI soldiers in the area, to read your book standing by each named soldier, where they lived and came from, how they died etc, very humbling. To see the SLI Batt HQ, still there and rebuilt above the rubble at Red House, is one of my favorite visits too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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