Manchester Regiment in Canal du Nord

[Interested]

Researching Roland Kershaw's grave in the Ribecourt Road Cemetery, Trescault, it appears on the first day of the Battle 27th September 1918 there are some 80 deaths in the Manchester Regiment and 59 with the Lancashire Fusiliers; can anyone advise, were these two Regiments part of XVII Corps 57th Division?

Any information on the circumstances will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

Philip

[Keith Brannen]

Roland Kershaw was with the 1/6th Manchesters, his CWGC listing shows the graves around him also include the 1/8th Lancashire Fusiliers. Both battalions were part of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division, whose history can be found here

Page 242 details the  27th September attack on the Hindenburg Line at Highland Ridge.

[Interested]

Hi Keith,

Thanks for providing the link to the Division history, but for some reason it doesn't work for my computer with Google.  I tried from the Wikipedia page and I get the same result - a message saying "Alternative Media" with no obvious way of moving on.

Do you know where else it might be on the web for me to try?

Philip

[Keith Brannen]

Philip,

 

I don't know of any other sites offhand. I know the link I gave is using Adobe Flash media, and believe the BL link you found might be, as well. Do you mean you can't get it to work with your Google Chrome browser? If so, check  the Flash settings. I don't have Google Chrome, so don't know its setup. I don't have any  problem with either Firefox or Opera.

 

Just a note: Page 242 is the page for the link I posted, the real book page is 171.

 

Keith

 

 

[Interested]

Hi Keith,

I went to the local library today and used their computer to access the Book, everything worked OK, albeit a bit slow.  As you recommended, I read the section on Highland Ridge etc., but I didn't pick up on who was supposed to clear the enemy off Beaumont Ridge before the Manchesters and LFs advanced, and consequently they walked into intense infilading MG fire, with the inevitable result.

Thanks for your assistance.

Philip

[Keith Brannen]

Philip,

 

On book pages 173 & 174 it say that the 3rd Division was on the 42nd Division's left, and the 5th Division on their right. The 5th were held up on Beaucamp Ridge leaving the 42nd Division's right flank "in the air".

Glad you were able to access the book.

 

Keith

[shootdown1]

I found the account of the battle by S.J. Wilson,s  7th manchester regiment 1916 to 1918, p 126 to  p 132(  free book online) to be very interesting; the 1/6 and 1/7 were part of the 127th Brigade 

[Interested]

Hi Keith, 

My error, Beaucamp, not Beaumont!

Thanks shootdown, as it happens, I've just run out of books on my Kindle so your link is invaluable.  I've just read Fuller's "Tanks in the Great War", Haldanes "Before the War" and the German Ambassador Prince Lichnowsky "My Mission to London", all written post-event so they all have a bit of hindsight in them.

Gutenberg is a great service.

Philip