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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Unknown chateau 1917


liz69

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My gt uncle Arthur Robertson Wightman was a medical officer in the 6th batt. Royal Scots Fusiliers at the time Winston Churchill was there and is pictured in the photo with him on WC's last day with the battalion.  Apart from that knowledge and his medal card I know nothing more of his time during WWI apart from the fact that he wasn't killed. However he was given a copy of one of the drawings of WWI artist, Muirhead Bone with the words "With best wishes to Captain Wightman".  The drawing is one of those in Part VIII dated 1917.  I would be very grateful if anyone could help with an identification of this chateau as it may pinpoint where ARW was in 1917.  MB called it an HQ.  & went on to say that it was far behind the British Lines & although chateaux in northern France couldn't compare in beauty to those in middle or southern France nevertheless this drawing showed one end of a beautiful house amid woods used by one or other of our units. Thank you.

Liz

chateau.png

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I encouraged Liz to post this, in the hope that someone on the forum might know about Scottish War Artist Muirhead Bone, and so might have an idea where he was in 1917, and which chateaux he might have been sketching in this particular volume of his prints. Any thoughts would be welcome, I'm sure.

 

Captain Arthur Robertson Wightman (his medal card shows that he was mentioned in despaches) was in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Am I correct in thinking that officers service records for the RAMC are lost or unobtainable? If I am wrong, and they can be obtained, then I know that Liz would be very grateful.

 

William

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@petestarling is probably your best bet for advice about records survival. I don't know whether searching for Muirhead Bone on TNA would call up relevant material, but it might.

 

 

 

Edited by seaJane
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On 24/01/2017 at 08:06, Skipman said:

Not sure if this same building (looks similar), if it is, might narrow the date/location down Click

 

Mike

 

Well it is certainly a similar same style of chateau to Liz's print, with two stories then a third with those dormer windows. There is no reason why it couldn't be the same chateau drawn from a different angle. Does anyone know of a chateau associated with the 3rd Coldstream Guards in October 1916?

 

William 

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No but the battalion was in billets at SELINCOURT from 2nd - 31st October 1916 (Morlancourt on the 1st) - not the most interesting war diary but probably the shortest entry

 

 

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The pictures I can find online of the Chateau de Selincourt don't match - not on the side of the building that I can see, anyway. The drawing above has very distinctive round tympani above the ground floor windows.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

I can rule out the Selincourt in the Somme near to Hornoy and Oisemont. I was there last week and spoke to the present owner's daughter who was even able to confirm that there had been no major "renovations" that might have altered its appearance.

 

Kevin Ronson

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  • 10 months later...

Posting here as this seems your most recent post. Have put info on Hawke battalion posts about written record of dying words of Stephenson and Fenton, killed 2/9/16. Particularly wanted info to be got to the surviving relatives but not sure how to contact them as they last posted in 2006. Can you pass the info on? Valerie 

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On page 85 of a book called “unknown warriors” isbn 9780750959223 the author (a nursing sister) describes visiting the Army HQ chateau (in August 1916) during battle of Vimy ridge et al. Occasion was a medal ceremony for 5 sisters awarded the military medal when injured during action at Bethune. The invitation was from “general P” director of medical services (DMS). There was “a sort of garden party afterwards” ! Perhaps medal records or DMS movement records could locate the name of the chateau? Valerie

Edited by Valerie59
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