Who Captured Dochy Farm during 3rd Ypres

[wesleycj]

I am a little bit confused over who captured Dochy Farm.  I have just read the 2nd/5th Lincolns war diary which gives a very detailed account with maps of the capture of the farm and the construction of a strongpoint in the ruins on 26 Sept 1917.  

I then read the CWGC description of Dochy Farm New British cemetery that refers to the actual farm being captured by the NZD on 4 Oct 1917

I believe that the 1st Canterbury took over from the Lincolns on 29 Sept but I do not have their war diary; can anyone shed light on this anomaly please?

[johnmelling1979]

Dochy Farm, which had become a German strong point, was taken by the 4th New Zealand Brigade on 4 October 1917, in the Battle of Broodseinde

[303man]

I am surmising that, the Germans being the masters of the counter attack, the Lincolns may have taken the farm on the 26th but then it was subsequently lost, being finally captured by the NZD on 4th Oct.

 

[johnmelling1979]

 

There is a thread on the 2/5th Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment in the SOLDIERS area

with war diary extracts which says that on 26th September 1917 they captured it ALSO ;P

And it also mentions the 2/5 Leicesters and  2/5th Sherwood Foresters

Cheers

 

You could check the   2/5th Sherwood Foresters and  2/5 Leicesters war diary ? 

 

John

Edited 5 September , 2017 by johnmelling1979

[wesleycj]

I am trying in vain to find a map for the Battle of Broodseinde that actually show the farm in front of the start lines.

 

I know this map, see link, is very schematic but it is a NZ Gov site and it shows Dochy Farm behind the start lines.

 

http://ngatapuwae.govt.nz/western-front/passchendaele

[wesleycj]

47 minutes ago, 303man said:

I am surmising that, the Germans being the masters of the counter attack, the Lincolns may have taken the farm on the 26th but then it was subsequently lost, being finally captured by the NZD on 4th Oct.

 

Hi 303

 

I think its fair that - you could also surmise that the Lincolns handed it over on the 29th and the NZD lost it in a counter attack.

[brianmorris547]

In the WD of 177 Infantry Brigade there is a report on the action east of Ypres 26/09/1919. At 0950 on 26th 2/5 Lincolns were in touch with 2/4 Lincolns who were at Dochy Farm. At 1145 26th 2/4 Lincolns were consolidating Dochy Farm. At 0800 27th a party of 2/5 Lincolns at Dochy Farm had been shelled out. They were ordered to retake it. At 1250 it was reported that the party attempting to retake it was forced to retire. This is different to the account in the WD of 2/5 Lincolns which reports that the party at Dochy Farm handed over to 2/4 Leicesters on 27th.

Brian  

[Herekawe]

Well, I have looked at several maps I have here and one version puts the start line on 4th October roughly following the line of the road on the Ypres side and crossed the road between Dochy farm on the German side and the current cemetery perhaps 100 yards behind the start line. The site of the farm, as I don't think there may have been much farm left was just in no mans land, or as the soldiers left their trenches they would have been right on top of the farm. Or alternatively on another map I have drawn up myself based on I cannot remember what I have Dochy Farm slightly behind the start line - we are talking yards here.

 

A quick look in the available books is not much help, no one mentions storming Dochy Farm all the action seems to have started on the far side of it and certainly the front line finished up on 4th October well past it.

 

Cheers

 

James

Edited 7 September , 2017 by Herekawe

[Yorke Scarlett]

59th Division WD says:-

 

27^th/28^th September

Night – The left of our line now rested at D.8.a.30.25. to HANEBEKE at D.14.b.1.9. and thence along our original front gained, through D.14.b.4.4. to DOCHY FARM and back to VAN ISACKERE FARM at D.21.a.3.6. where we joined up with 3^rd Division.

[AngusMalcolm]

4 NZ Brigade advanced on 4 October  on a line that ran from Kansas Farm and Gallipoli Farm, to just behind Dochy Farm . They advanced over it on 4 October, ending up past Otto Farm to the ridge where the NZ Memeorial is. An Australian Division ( off hand I forget which) was on the right, and I think got to Tyne Cot.I can't find the link for the trench map, but I may be able to post it tomorrow.