Neil Mackenzie Posted 25 September , 2017 Share Posted 25 September , 2017 Possibly a stupid question but my great-uncle was apparently killed at 'breakfast time' on 14 October 1917. Does anyone have any view on what time of day that would have been - e.g. would it have been before sunrise or after? Obviously it partly depended on what was going on that day - he was in the artillery positions in the Ypres Salient and it was a quiet day with little activity. Many thanks Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BullerTurner Posted 25 September , 2017 Share Posted 25 September , 2017 There is no fixed time for breakfast. It would depend on the day's routine largely. However it would usually be served after first light - stand to. So in October, probably in twilight or daylight...dawn was 05:57 GMT on that day. It was a Sunday incidentally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 26 September , 2017 Author Share Posted 26 September , 2017 Many thanks. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 8 October , 2017 Share Posted 8 October , 2017 The Germans sometimes began the day with a short sharp shelling - referred to by the British as "the morning hate". Once it became obvious that it was not likely to be the curtain-raiser to a morning assault, and relative quiet reigned again, the men would often take breakfast then. There was at least one battle in 1918 when the British fired an early bombardment ending at 07.30. They let the Germans take breakfast and then made their attack at 07.55, taking the Germans by surprise and having a successful result. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now