Which trenches please?

[Dragoon]

Hello good people of the forum.

 

Maybe a bit of a long shot, but knowing you chaps you'll probably nail it.

 

I have the following extract ( attached ), from B Squadron Yorkshire Dragoons, 37th Division.For the 21st/22nd August 1915.

Could someone possibly be able to tell me the whereabouts of these trenches please? And is there a trench map in existence of this area for this time.

 

Your help and time, as always, are greatly appreciated.

 

Chris

Edited 10 November , 2017 by Dragoon

[Don Regiano]

27 W. 3

 

1915 map:

 

http://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo%3A70092/-/collection

 

1918 map with modern overlay:

 

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15&lat=50.7595&lon=2.6028&layers=101464885&b=1

 

Can't help with trenches.  Anything in Brigade diary or Surrey Yeomanry diary?

[EDWARD1]

There is a map in the 37th Divisional HQ War Diary giving the position of the 110th, 111th, and 112th Brigade. The Yorkshire Dragoons in  the HQ Area

[jay dubaya]

B Squadron Surrey Yeomanry was attached to the 28th Division at this time (at Westoutre) and sadly their diary is very poor for content - 13th - 31st August - 20 men digging daily on Scherpenberg.

 

J

[Dragoon]

Thank you all for your responses, thanks for the 1915 map Don, and EDWARD1 ,how do you brake the ancestry code to get that diary page, I can't get links as I'm on a library computer for Ancestry. Com

 

Thanks again Don Regiano, EDWARD1, and J (again)

 

Chris

Edited 10 November , 2017 by Dragoon

[jonbem]

13 minutes ago, Dragoon said:

ancestry code to get that diary page

 

Look up the battalion on The National Archives, take the reference code omitting the WO95/, then usually 4 digits then a slash and another digit eg. xxxx/x

put that in keyword on diary search page on Ancestry, nothing else

 

so

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=Yorkshire Dragoons&_ser=WO 95&id=C14303

take the 2521/1 and put in Ancestry keyword on diary search page

https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60779

 

regards

Jon

Edited 10 November , 2017 by jonbem

[Dragoon]

Thanks Jon

EDWARD1 said it was in the 37th Div HQ diary. Can't find 37th division on the NA.

I already have the Yorkshire Dragoons Diary, which J helped me with.

 

Chris

Edited 10 November , 2017 by Dragoon

[jonbem]

Chris

try one of these, I have found putting 37 rather than 37th

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=37 Division&_ser=WO 95&id=C14303

 

[Dragoon]

5 hours ago, EDWARD1 said:

There is a map in the 37th Divisional HQ War Diary giving the position of the 110th, 111th, and 112th Brigade. The Yorkshire Dragoons in  the HQ Area

I have possible one, which I can try tomorrow, cheers Jon.

EDWARD1, how did you get that diary on Ancestry please?

 

Chris

[EDWARD1]

Go to Search /card catalogue/keyword "war Diaries"/Browse Collection/scroll to Divisional HQ/choose 37th Division/choose first line 2512/1-5

[Dragoon]

Great stuff, thank you EDWARD1, appreciated :-)

 

Sorry for late reply

 

Chris

[Dragoon]

Hello again,

Just coming back to this one, were the trenches, that J mentioned,  that B Squadron of the Surrey yeomanry were digging at Scherpenberg, on the front line?, where exactly was the 'front' as it were in August 1915 please?

 

Thank you in advance

 

Chris

[Chris_Baker]

The Scherpenberg hill was several miles from the front line, and remained so until a German advance brought it rather closer in April 1918. Nearest front line in 1915 was the sector east of Wulverghem. That's almost four miles away.

[Dragoon]

Thanks Chris for your response, 

So these trenches they were digging, what purpose would they have served, or was it a ' just in case ' measure?

As on my OP, it says on the 21st/22nd Aug, 3 Officers and 13 men proceeded to the trenches and billited with the Surrey Yeomanry.

Would these have been the front line trenches at possibly Wulverghem, and they just had a stop off with the Surrey Yeomanry?

 

Thanks again

 

Chris

[Dragoon]

22 minutes ago, Chris_Baker said:

The Scherpenberg hill was several miles from the front line, and remained so until a German advance brought it rather closer in April 1918. Nearest front line in 1915 was the sector east of Wulverghem. That's almost four miles away.

Sorry, made a bit of a hash of the quote button!! Was meant to be on thread above, sorry Chris

Edited 29 November , 2017 by Dragoon

[Dragoon]

I know it'll be speculation, but would it have been the front line trenches they went to?

[Dragoon]

Sorry to keep bringing this topic up, its just that my Dad and I are planning a trip to France/ Belgium next summer, and we want to try, if we can to get to as many places that both my Great Grandfather's served.

Do you think that these Officers and men went to the front line trenches, at Wulverghem to gain experience, as they were new in theatre.

Hope someone can help

 

Thanks again for you time

 

Chris

[Chris_Baker]

I've just look at the diary of B Squadron of the Surrey Yeomanry. Between 9 and 13 August they were engaged on digging a "switch line" of trenches near "Dismal Villa". Then between 13 and 31 August, digging trenches on the Scherpenberg. Given the situation of the time, these would be reserve trenches for shelter and possibly as part of a deep line of defence.

[Dragoon]

2 hours ago, Chris_Baker said:

I've just look at the diary of B Squadron of the Surrey Yeomanry. Between 9 and 13 August they were engaged on digging a "switch line" of trenches near "Dismal Villa". Then between 13 and 31 August, digging trenches on the Scherpenberg. Given the situation of the time, these would be reserve trenches for shelter and possibly as part of a deep line of defence.

Thank you for your reply, most informative.

So perhaps went for training, looking at the rest of the Yorkshire Dragoons diary, they seem to be training.

 

Thanks again

 

Chris