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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Heavy Branch Locations July 1917


Gareth Davies

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Has the attached document (taken from WO 95/91) got its north and south confused or am I being an idiot when reading map references?

5977173f26cd6_ScreenShot2017-07-25at11_01_50.png.ffbbe33c4658f3841cd5393af80be5a0.png

 

597718fbe5d88_ScreenShot2017-07-25at11_09_46.png.06a7c2ff27e8da89721771502823c04c.png

 

 

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The references are definitely in the wood but I think the North and South are the wrong way round.

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All four camps are what I would say are the north end of the woo, with no word of the south end which they clearly are not

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Capt Douglas Browne MC, of G Bn, referring to this period in The Tank in Action, writes: "Half a mile farther north (from 1 Bde's detraining ramp) a second ramp served the 3rd Brigade".

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Hi Gareth, I'm not sure if you saw there's a map in WO 95/91 showing the locations of W, X, Y and Z camps in Oosthoek Wood.  I incorporated this into the map I drew on page 2 of Deborah and the War of the Tanks, which shows the tankodromes for the four battalions (which were from west to east D, G, C and F).

 

All the best, John

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Yes, I know the map and since making the original post I have looked at your excellent map.  

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Thanks Gareth!

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My issue was that the map references given for C & F Bns (3rd Bde) are described as being in the south end of the wood when square 24 is (as far as I can see) the north of the wood.  

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Sorry, I see what you mean Gareth - as you say, it doesn't make sense as written, because the locations show 1st Bde at the south end of Oosthoek Wood and 3rd Bde at the north end.  I suppose it could be a clerical error, though the War Diary also contains a map confirming the layout so this seems unlikely.

 

The only possibility I can come up with is that "North End" and "South End" could refer to the sectors they are attacking - the title of the document being "Location of Heavy Branch in Fifth Army Area".  This would make sense, but if it's what they meant, they didn't exactly make it very clear.

 

All the best, John

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