Nicho744 Posted 22 March , 2017 Share Posted 22 March , 2017 Hi all, I'm trying to piece together my great grandfathers last moments as I'm travelling back to the UK soon from Australia and intend visiting his grave in Caterpillar Valley Cemetery while I'm home. I have copies of the war diaries which gives grid references so I'm wondering if anyone has copies of the maps for the area? The specific area I am looking for is the Blue Cot line (they were mounting an attack to the align-Tilloy/Flyers road on 26/08/18). It mentions grid references N13c, N7d,N13a & N13.a.1.6. If anyone has any information it would be fantastic as I'm hoping to visit the rough area where he was killed. (I have no information about his death other than the date and regiment so am trying to piece it together slowly) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonbem Posted 22 March , 2017 Share Posted 22 March , 2017 HI and welcome if you have google chrome browser try http://rdf.muninn-project.org/TrenchCoordinates.html also go to http://maps.nls.uk/ww1/trenches/ this should help you regards Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonbem Posted 22 March , 2017 Share Posted 22 March , 2017 and from https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/maps/units/578/east-yorkshire-regiment/2440/1st-battalion/ Second Battles Of The Somme - Second Battle Of Bapaume - 31/08/1918 Location: Beaulencourt. Allied victory. The success of the Allied forces in first halting the German Spring Offensive and then pushing it back at the Battle of Amiens gave the Allied command increasing confidence that they could turn the course of the war in their favour. Whilst the Allied Généralissime, Marshall Foch wanted the British to immediately follow-up the victory at Amiens, instead General Haig prepared a new offensive north of the Somme for Byng's Third Army. The attack began on a narrow front on 21st August. The German Seventeenth Army replied with a counter-attack on 22nd August, which was quickly beaten off, and on 23rd August, Haig brought in first Fourth Army and then, on 26th August, First Army, extending the front to around 40 miles. Bapaume was captured by the New Zealand Division on 29th August and Péronne by the 2nd Australian Division on 1st September. With gaps appearing in their line the German Army were forced to retreat back to the old Hindenburg Line, thus abandoning all of the territory won earlier in 1918. Continuing their advance of 23rd August, 21st Division in V Corps, Third Army, had reached Beaulencourt during the night of 29th August. Following a prolonged artillery bombardment on 30th and 31st August, at 02.00am on the morning of 1st September, 6th Leicestershire Regiment and 1st Wiltshire Regiment attacked from the north, capturing and occupying the village without difficulty. 1st Wiltshire Regiment beating off a German counter-attack. At 02.00am on 2nd September, 21st Division along with 17th Division attacked Le Transloy. 7th Leicestershire Regiment faced a hard fight and German counter-attacks before capturing the Sugar Factory, 64th Infantry Brigade moving with 17th Division to clear the remainder of the village. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonbem Posted 22 March , 2017 Share Posted 22 March , 2017 1 hour ago, Nicho744 said: Hi all, I'm trying to piece together my great grandfathers last moments as I'm travelling back to the UK soon from Australia and intend visiting his grave in Caterpillar Valley Cemetery while I'm home. I have copies of the war diaries which gives grid references so I'm wondering if anyone has copies of the maps for the area? The specific area I am looking for is the Blue Cot line (they were mounting an attack to the align-Tilloy/Flyers road on 26/08/18). It mentions grid references N13c, N7d,N13a & N13.a.1.6. If anyone has any information it would be fantastic as I'm hoping to visit the rough area where he was killed. (I have no information about his death other than the date and regiment so am trying to piece it together slowly) Just looking at the modern map There is Ligny-Thilloy to Flers. The road D10 becoming the D197 So you want, I think, Map 57C.SW approx. Longitude and Latitude 50-04-56 North 2-49-53 East Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicho744 Posted 23 March , 2017 Author Share Posted 23 March , 2017 Brilliant, thank you very much I'll get looking straight away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicho744 Posted 23 March , 2017 Author Share Posted 23 March , 2017 I just noticed autocorrect has kicked in but yes it was meant to say Ligny-Tilloy/Flers Road. Reading between the lines in the war diaries for that day I suspect that's where he would probably have been killed as they encountered heavy machine gun fire so was trying to narrow it down to a smaller area than the whole length of the road. He was 1 of 9 other ranks killed that day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 21 November , 2018 Share Posted 21 November , 2018 My Grandfather Bob Marsden 42364 Ist East Yorks was one of the Nine killed that day. I found no grave . Meant to be on the Vis en Artois memorial Panel 4 but I cant find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 21 November , 2018 Admin Share Posted 21 November , 2018 If he is on Vis en Artois, it means he has no known grave. His name will be inscribed on the walls of the memorial, hence the panel reference.He may we be buried in a grave inscribed A Soldier Of The Great War Known Unto God. Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonbem Posted 21 November , 2018 Share Posted 21 November , 2018 20 minutes ago, sonya said: Vis en Artois memorial Panel 4 CWGC Plan here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 21 November , 2018 Share Posted 21 November , 2018 The War Memorial record said panel 4 but I have looked at the lists and cannot see Robert (Bob) Marsden named sonya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 21 November , 2018 Admin Share Posted 21 November , 2018 He's definitely there https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1746536/marsden,-robert-charles-(bob)/ Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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