Locations

[andrew pugh]

Good Evening All

I wonder if someone can help.I have been doing some of my research on 2 Royal Fusilier Battalions during the German Spring Offensive of March 1918.One of them is the 24th Battalion.I noticed that there are 3 men with named graves in Delsaux Farm Cemetery.The 3 men belonged to the 24th Bn, They are Baldock J E G/68672 killed 25/03/1918. Hall W G G/75174 killed 25/03/1918 and Park J H G/75198 also killed 25/03/1918.They all have Believed to be Buried Near This Spot.I know that it was total chaos during this period,and positions that the British troops held changed rapidly. I noticed that these 3 men were killed on the 25/03/1918 and are buried in Delsaux Farm,but on the 25/03/1918 the remnants of the 5th Brigade which included the 24th Battalion were much further to the west. On the night of the 24th/24th March they were well past Beaulencourt near Ligny Thilloy and Le Sars. How can this be?They could not have held out that long in that area Your Thoughts would be most welcome.Kind Regards

Andy 

[EDWARD1]

The 24th War Diary month end has (unusually )the list of OR`s missing wounded & killed for the month of March. Baldock is listed missing 24/3/18 and Hall & Park 25/3/18.

24/3 9am retired to a position between BARASTRE and HAPLINCOURT (between 2 1/4 and 3 1/4miles from Buegny) 4.35am retired to new position astride the road from VILLERS Au FLOS (3 1/2 miles from Buegny). All troops that could be got together formed a line just SE LIGNY-TILLOY (6miles from Buegny)

Baldock would have disappeared between the above points.

25/3 2.30am withdrew along BAPAUME-ALBERT ROAD. 10am took up front line position between PYS and LE SARS (8miles from Buegny). Troops retired from NW side of LE SARS 

About 6pm the line was forced and retired through BEAUCOURT 

Hall and Park would have disappeared between the above points.

 

[andrew pugh]

Hi Edward

This is my point,If they are recorded as being killed on the 25/03/1918,in which case their battalion would have been in the area of Ligny Thilloy and yet they are buried (Believed to Be) in Delsaux Farm Cemetery Beugny some 6 miles further to the east.. In the 24th battalion war diary Appendix there is a typed narrative compiled by an officer which contradicts what the daily account says in the war diary.As you stated in your thread, basically they retired to a new position astride the road from Villers au Flos on the Bapaume  to Perrone Road.This did not happen.He states the following; The enemy advanced rapidly and by 5.30 pm had compelled troops of the brigade holding the RED LINE to retire to avoid being completely surrounded.It was at first intended to hold the line of the Bapaume-Perrone road astride the road from Villers au Flos, but owing to the rapidity of the enemy advance further south this was not possible and the retirement was continued to Ligny Thilloy where a line was formed S E of that village. 

Kind Regards

Andy 

[laughton]

Plot 3 Row B is concentrated graves after they removed the German graves. Get the COG-BR documents from Andrew at the CWGC. They may have been "brought back" and buried by the Germans - many were.