Gordon Dump

[GaryG]

Morning all.

Is there any records in existence of the locations of the battlefield cemeteries that were moved into Gordon Dump after the Battlefield reclamations had finished ? My Great Uncle Private William Spence 10652 10th Green Howards,  was killed around the Crucifix Trench area North of  Fricourt on the evening of the 1st of July. We have a letter that was sent home from an officer a week after his death confirming this and also describing that he was buried in a 'simple ceremony' surrounded by comrades the following morning. Im guessing that equates to the officer paying lip service to my Great Grandparents and in reality, he was probably interred in a shell hole with his pals. Now according to the CWGC site there were 43 men of 10th Green Howards that were killed on the 1st of July (i'm guessing they all could be confirmed as it doesn't seem a lot), 38 are missing and are commemorated on The Thiepval  Memorial , 4 are in Gordon Dump and Major Loudon Shand VC is in Norfolk Cemetery. Clutching a straws I know but it would be nice to think he was one of the Unknown Green Howards in Gordon Dump.

Regards all

 

Gary 

Edited 3 July , 2018 by GaryG

[chaz]

from the CWGC web page "The remainder of the cemetery was formed after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the 1916 battlefields immediately surrounding the cemetery." would suggest that the smaller battlefield graves were ones that were quickly made and marked for future reference , probably given a number or village location name . some of these graves were subsequently blown up in future actions and then re located again. its possible that there are unknown Green Howards marked as an "Unknown Green Howard" but there might also be some under the normal "unknown Soldier" headstone.

[laughton]

You can check the COG-BR sheets for the cemetery. They are in this folder as a ZIP file:

 

http://www.mediafire.com/folder/5dvqk9hdm4q55/Gordon_Dump_Cemetery

 

You can take the trench map coordinates of the four that were recovered and see if that is the area where you are looking: (i.e. Walshaw)

 

Then go through the rest of the COG-BR documents and look for UNKNOWNS in and around that location and specifically where you think Great Uncle Spence may have been.

 

Any questions, just ask ... have to run!

 

I will need to figure out the missing data in the TMC as it should be 57d._.27.c.8.4 so they missed the letter!

 

[laughton]

Lt. Barnett's page answers that question. It was 57d.X.27.c.6.4. Good job I checked, I would have assumed it was R.27 at Mouquet Farm!

 

McMaster [Albert] 57d

 

[GaryG]

Thanks very much @laughton , I shall get cracking at once !

 

[laughton]

Gary:

 

You tried to trick me! His number was 16052. I checked his medal card, just to make sure it was not the CWGC that had made the error.

 

The four (10th Bn only) that are known to be in this cemetery are here: CWGC LINK

• Thompson: 57d.X.27.c.7.6
• Major: 57d.X.27.c.8.8
• Gray: 57d.X.27.c.6.4 (originally an unknown 4/Middlesex in Grave 4.K.4 - now in the "Collective Grave")
• Walshaw: 57d.X.27.c.7.6

The 62nd Brigade war diary has them on the right in Crucifix trench, with the 1st Lincolns on the right. They were obviously moving south, as they report heavy casualties from the machine gun fire from the direction of Fricourt (war diary page 489 of 656). Appears the 10th Bn was providing carrying parties for the Royal Engineers and the 63rd and 64th Brigades. They pushed out patrols to Fricourt Farm and The Poodles.

 

Richard

 

Edited 8 August , 2018 by laughton

[GaryG]

Richard, sorry for the typo re. his service number,  thank you very much for your assistance its very much appreciated.

Incidentally my works number is 61052 ...spooky or what !

 

Kind Regards

 

Gary

Edited 8 August , 2018 by GaryG

[laughton]

[Indefatigable]

Now that is Spooky!!!!

 

regards

 

Indefatigable