Vlamertinghe

[shinglma]

In reading the war diary for the 8th KRRC there has been some mention of the "huts near Vlamertinghe" where they were encamped whilst out of the line in 1915.

The question is - does anyone know how I can ascertain exactly where these huts were? Could this refer to Dirty Bucket Camp? - or was that only one of a number of camps in the vicinity.

I am off to Ypres in six weeks time and would like to visit the site if possible - so any help in identifying its location would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance

[ianw]

I would have thought you would need to trawl the war diary to possibly get a better idea of their exact position. As you say there were many camps , huts etc in the rear areas.

[Jacky Platteeuw]

Vlamertinge and surrounding were littered with camps, huts This area was considered to be reasonably save. For instance Brandhoek was also on the territory of Vlamertinge along with other hamlets.

Jacky

[Annette Burgoyne]

Hi shinglma

I have the refences to two or three camps in Vlamertinge area in my notes on 6th K.S.L.I., if I can find them I will post you the info., but like already seid there were many camps and the above may not be the one you refer to.

Annette

[shinglma]

thanks to all for your replies - i have been through the whole of the 1915 diaries for the 8th KRRC and have failed to find a mention other than 'huts near Vlamertinghe'. I could try the KRRC Chronicles but that will have to wait until the IWM Reading room reopens from its annual stock take at the beginning of June.

Annette - I would be interested in any references to these camps you have.

Mike

[Terry_Reeves]

In the immediate vicinity of Vlamertinghe, to the South, were Road Camp and Givenchy Camp. Within approx 1-2 kms West and North West were 14 Camp, Camp Red Rose camp and Derby Camp.

In the vicinity of Brandhoek, to the South, were B Camp, Burns Camp, Anti-aircraft Camp and Thistle Camp.

Hope this helps

Terry Reeves

[Guest Michael Orr]

The big expansion of camps was for 3rd Ypres & there were far fewer available in 1915 . If there are no map references in the battalion war diaries, have you tried the brigade and divisional war diaries? They will sometimes give locations for all subordinate units at a particular time. Also you could try the war diaries of other units in the brigade & see if they refer to handing over or taking over a camp from the battalion you are interested in & then see if they give a map reference or camp name.

Michael Orr

[shinglma]

Thanks Terry that is useful - it already starts to flesh out a little more.

I think Michael's idea of looking at the war diaries for other battalion's in the brigade is worth exploring - when I get to Kew next!

Thanks chaps

Mike

[Annette Burgoyne]

Hi Mike

Sorry it took a while to get back to you, first the camps I have maps refs for are in fact from late 1917 and not in the Vlamertinghe area but I found several mentions to different camps in Vlamertinghe-Poperinghe area that are a bit vague but may help you at lest rule them out as the camp used by 8/K.R.R.C.

The 5/K.S.L.I. were in the same Division as the 8/K.R.R.C. but not the same Brigade, so I looked at Regt. History to see if it gave any clues. From 14th-16th June 1915 they stayed in huts south of Vlamertinghe (it returned there on 17th after taking part in operations on the 16th).

11th August 1915-bivouac west of Vlamertinghe and north of Brandhoek.

The next stay near Vlamertinghe was from 20th-30th August 1915 when they are recorded as staying in hutments about a mile north-west of Vlamertinghe as Brigade Reserve.

It then went into bivouac north of Brandhoek, half-way between Vlamertinghe and Poperinghe until 6th Sept., this is the last mention of Vlamertinghe area in 1915.

I also looked at the 1st and 6th K.S.L.I. War Diaries for any clues to were the different camps where, these are some you can rule out, Camps “K” & “L” were at Poperinghe,

Camp “M” was about 2 miles N-W of Poperinghe situated in angle formed by Poperinghe-Proven and Poperinghe-Watau Roads.

Rest Camp “A” on Poperinghe-Proven Road, 2 & 3/4 miles from Poperinghe.

Camps that may be possibilities are Camps “C” (later changed to “D”), “B”, “E” (recorded as old camp “A”) all in Wood A30, half way between Vlamertinghe and Poperinghe and north of Brandhoek. I do not have a trench map of this area but I have the map that comes with the Official History of the War, and on this map there are what looks like three little woods linked together, at the top of the last wood is Vulie Seule, which is where I believe Dirty Bucket Camp was sited ? These Woods may be what the 1st K.S.L.I.’s War Diary call Wood A30. The 1st K.S.L.I. stayed in Dirty Bucket Camp in 1918 and gave its map ref. as A.30.b.

These are just a few of the camps in the area, so the above info. may not be of much help to you, with luck you’ll find the info. you want in the Brigade or Division Diaries.

One little bit of info. which may be of interest or not, is that the 1/K.S.L.I. relived the 8/K.R.R.C. in the La Brique sector (left section) on 16/12/15.

Annette