andrew pugh Posted 20 February , 2017 Share Posted 20 February , 2017 Good Evening All I would like some advice concerning 4 1/8th Royal Scots casualties buried in Bancourt British Cemetery, one has a named grave Private Watson W 1/8th Battalion grave 2.B.19 who was killed on the 24/03/1918.I have researched another man who is an unknown L/Corporal 1/8th Royal Scots, he is buried in grave 2.B.18,I have submitted an identification case to the authorities and it sounds very promising, this man was also killed on the same day as Private Watson 24/03/1918.This now leaves the unknown Privates of the 1/8th Royal Scots who are buried in graves 2.B.16 and 2.B.17. According to records there were 5 killed on the 24/03/1918,incidentally all of the 4 men listed above were found buried in the same grave, and because of the sequence of their graves they must have all been killed on the same day 24/03/1918. The names of the 5 men killed on the 24/03/1918 are as follows Private Watson W (named grave) L/Corporal Smith B (case pending), Private Beaumont S,Private Watkinson L and Private Melrose A B. Which logically means graves 2.B.16 and 2.B.17 must contain the remains of 2 of these 3 men, but which two? Does anybody have a complete copy of all the casualties buried in Bancourt British Cemetery known and unknown to see if there is another unknown Royal Scot buried in the nearby proximity of graves listed above. Any advice would be most welcome.Would it be worth contacting the C W G C to see if they have a list. Kind Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 21 February , 2017 Share Posted 21 February , 2017 From CWGC Historical Information Bancourt was occupied by Commonwealth forces in March 1917. It was lost a year later during the German offensive in the spring of 1918, but recaptured by the New Zealand Division (in particular, the 2nd Auckland Battalion) on 30 August 1918. The cemetery was begun by the New Zealand Division in September 1918; the original cemetery is now Plot I, Rows A and B. The remainder of the cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields east and south of Bancourt and from certain Allied and German cemeteries, including:- BAPAUME RESERVOIR GERMAN CEMETERY, on the Bapaume Beaulencourt road, containing the graves of twelve soldiers from the United Kingdom buried by a German Field Ambulance in March and April, 1918, and of seven others and three from New Zealand who fell at the end of August, 1918. BAPAUME ROAD CEMETERY, BEAULENCOURT, a500 metres South of the Beaulencourt-Gueudecourt road, containing the graves of 20 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in October, 1916. BEAULENCOURT ROAD CEMETERIES, three in number, on the North-East side of Gueudecourt, containing the graves of 88 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in the autumn of 1916 or in April, 1917. CLOUDY TRENCH CEMETERY, GUEUDECOURT, containing the graves of 40 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in October or November, 1916. The five cemeteries last named were made by the 5th Australian Division in April, 1917. FREMICOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION. This Extension was begun by the Germans, who buried in it 1,346 of their own soldiers and 136 officers and men from the United Kingdom who fell in March, 1918. It was taken over in September, 1918, by British and Dominion units, who used it for clearing the battlefields and for fresh burials, and added 94 graves. All the graves have now been removed to other cemeteries. SUNKEN ROAD CEMETERY, LESBOEUFS, between Gueudecourt and Le Transloy, made by the 5th Australian Division in April, 1917. It contained the graves of 49 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Australia who fell in October, 1916. The great majority of these graves dated from the winter of 1916-1917, the retreat of March 1918, or the advance of August-September 1918. Bancourt British Cemetery now contains 2,480 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,462 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 43 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to one soldier buried in Bapaume Reservoir German Cemetery, whose grave could not be found on concentration. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. A very high percentage of unknowns. Do the concentration sheets on CWGC give the cemetry from which your known men were exhumed and how they were identified or is it their original burial place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetrenchrat22 Posted 21 February , 2017 Share Posted 21 February , 2017 Andrew, years ago I did write to the CWGC about a listing reports for unknowns by Cemetery or regiment and they replied that they had not the resource to produce that type of report. Recently I came across an unknown 2nd/Lt of the Cheshire Regiment in the Lonsdale Cemetery, Somme. Whilst looking at the known Cheshire's in the Cemetery I have noted a mistake in one of their details. Therefore I'm doing it the long and hard way is looking at each known soldier to see who is buried next to them. This is the only way I can suggest unless anybody else knows a better way of doing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 21 February , 2017 Author Share Posted 21 February , 2017 Hi Johnboy and Trenchrat22. Thanks for replying.While researching my Great Uncle I was given a list by the C W G C, which lists 22 British soldiers who were found at map location 57c.I.32.c.8.0. Most are unknown, but some have their unit and rank, and because of my knowledge of what went on in that area during the German Spring Offensive of March 1918 I was able to put a date when the casualties were killed in that single small mass grave at the location mentioned above.The C W G C suggest that they were all buried by the Germans. After they were discovered at 57c.I.32.c.8.0 they were all reburied in Bancourt British Cemetery.If you want a copy of the list send me a PM. Thank you both for your help Kind Regards Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Woodger Posted 1 March , 2017 Share Posted 1 March , 2017 HI Andrew There are three unknown Royal Scots buried in graves II B 16, 17 and 18. All 3 were originally buried at the same trench address as Watson and were exhumed in the same batch as Watson. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Woodger Posted 3 March , 2017 Share Posted 3 March , 2017 Hi Andrew I somehow lost half the answer. It should have continued that the other man exhumed from the same grave was an unknown pte of the Ox & Bucks, now buried in II B 15.There was no cross on the grave/s of any of these men. There is only 1 other unknown Royal Scots in Bancourt and he was found elsewhere. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 6 March , 2017 Author Share Posted 6 March , 2017 Hi Peter Pte Watson was found at map reference 57c.I.32.c.8.0 in a small mass grave containing 21 other British soldiers. Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughton Posted 13 February , 2020 Share Posted 13 February , 2020 (edited) I have put the documents here: https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/278946-bancourt-british-cemetery/ Edited 14 February , 2020 by laughton fixed link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughton Posted 14 February , 2020 Share Posted 14 February , 2020 @andrew pugh Are you still looking for this answer? There is a Unknown Royal Scot in 1.F.19 beside Fergusson #20126.Found at 57c.I.26.a.7.7. That is the neighbouring sector to I.32. http://archive.cloud.cwgc.org/archive/doc/doc1969372.JPG https://archive.cloud.cwgc.org/archive/doc/doc1969542.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 19 February , 2020 Author Share Posted 19 February , 2020 Hi Richard Sorry about the late reply.Thank you for the information you have given. Kind Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 19 February , 2020 Author Share Posted 19 February , 2020 Hi Peter One of the three unknowns of the 8th Bn Royal Scots buried next to Watson is L/Cpl Brunton Smith. I presented a case about 3 years ago for this casualty and was informed that my evidence had been accepted by the authorities, and a re-dedication service for him will take place on the 24/03/2020 in Bancourt British Cemetery. Thank you all for your helpful advice and information. Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughton Posted 19 February , 2020 Share Posted 19 February , 2020 (edited) Andy: You have highlighted one of the problems with the CWG CASE LIST, which they used to circulate but stopped in April 2019. If a case is approved, it is removed from the list and another researcher would never know that the case was already resolved. I had started to try and reassemble the Case List but then I realized I would have to get every other researcher, past and present, to participate to finalize the OLD LIST and then keep it UP TO DATE. Your case, for example, is not on the list. I could add mine back into the master list but not others. I put what I have to date as an EXCEL SPREADSHEET in this Shared MediaFIre Folder so any that want to participate can do so! http://www.mediafire.com/folder/novxh2a8b14f3/F7_A8_CWGC_CASE_LIST_-_NEEDS_MEMBER_INPUT Anyone that wants to participate can send me a PM (or we can start a new topic) and add the details. It would benefit all of us, no matter what country. Richard Edited 19 February , 2020 by laughton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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