Murray Posted 5 January , 2019 Share Posted 5 January , 2019 Could anyone tell me where the 5th Field Survey Company RE were between 25-30 Sept 1916 and what role they had? My Great Great Uncle was with the Bedford’s, attached to 5th FSC when he was killed however I’ve not been able to establish much at all about this mysterious unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 5 January , 2019 Share Posted 5 January , 2019 (edited) Hi Murray, Welcome to the forum. As a general reference there is this - link. Regards Chris Edit: The RE museum appear to have a summary war diary for a short period of time. I don't quite understand the date range associated with their listing though, and don't know what level of detail it would show. RE Library-War-Diaries-WW1.pdf Outside your date range, there is also this, which might give you an indication on the kind of activity that he was involved in. Edited 5 January , 2019 by clk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battiscombe Posted 5 January , 2019 Share Posted 5 January , 2019 Looking at Chasseauds 'Artillery Astrologers' it looks like the unit would have been doing several things as several sections had different duties.. being only formed in July 1916 - some on flash spotting locating enemy batteries, some sound ranging 'R section', some 'Observation groups' ,,and some in various surveying duties.. Its commander Capt Keeling was badly wounded 'in the autumn' while inspecting an observation post near Pozieres, i see.. and they seem to have been around battle of Flers-Courcelette [c.15th Sept) and Thiepval [taken 26th September]. Diary appears to be WO95/492 is there any knowledge of what might have taken him to the unit - in term of specialist skills ..[as contained collected many sorts of surveyors/printers/draughtsmen/engineers etc] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SapperBoo Posted 5 January , 2019 Share Posted 5 January , 2019 I have a copy of the War Diary - it only covers the period January 1917 to April 1919. What is his name? I can not find any Field Survey Company deaths for that period on CWGC site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Posted 6 January , 2019 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2019 My Great Great Uncle was Cpl Robert Thorpe, A Coy, 7th Bn, Bedfordshire Regt (service no 14302) who was apparently attached to 5 FSC when he died of wounds on 29 Sept 1916. He was laid to rest in the small cemetery at Achieux. Unfortunately this is the only information I have relating to the circumstances of his death and what he was doing at the time. My assumption was that as an infanteer he was possibly part of a protection party of some kind. I believe that A Coy suffered losses around the Schwaben Redoubt on 27-28 Sept, however this is all I have to go on at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 6 January , 2019 Share Posted 6 January , 2019 Murray Welcome The Register of Soldiers Effects shows that he died of gas poisoning in France or Belgium. No further details. There is a list of casualties of 7 Beds for the Ops at Thiepval and Schwaben Redoubt in late September 1916 in the Unit WD but he is not shown on it. The WD of 54 Infantry Brigade also has reports. How do you know that he was with 5 Survey Company RE. He may have been attached to one of the Special Companies RE if he was gassed. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SapperBoo Posted 6 January , 2019 Share Posted 6 January , 2019 Have a look at the Grave Registration Report. It seems 2 others, Pte Crerar and LCpl De Swart were also attached to 5 FSC when they died. Pte Crerar also died as a result of gas. I think all three were attached to 5 FSC rather than assigned as a protection party. My guess would be a Flash Spotting Team that was subject to a gas attack. Chasseauds 'Artillery Astrologers' might give a clue as to where the Flash Spotting posts were around that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battiscombe Posted 6 January , 2019 Share Posted 6 January , 2019 Looking again at Chasseaud it looks like various groups would have been quite widely distributed in Courcelles-Colincamps-Thiepval area.. there was an OP at Colincamps windmill and sound ranging forward posts at Auchonvilliers and Hebuterne about this time, for example.. ... the unit may appear in XIV Corps and maybe VIII Corps and Corps Signal diaries - Acheux was VIII Corps collecting station it seems. That they were caught by gas certainly seems likely. I cant see service records for any others of the casualties, which might have assisted.. Interesting problem who these 'attachees' were though.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 7 January , 2019 Share Posted 7 January , 2019 Murray I missed it on the CWGC site. I found it when I pressed the arrow on his page which gave further details i.e. parents address. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Posted 7 January , 2019 Author Share Posted 7 January , 2019 1 hour ago, brianmorris547 said: Murray I missed it on the CWGC site. I found it when I pressed the arrow on his page which gave further details i.e. parents address. Brian Many thanks Brian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Posted 7 January , 2019 Author Share Posted 7 January , 2019 12 hours ago, SapperBoo said: Have a look at the Grave Registration Report. It seems 2 others, Pte Crerar and LCpl De Swart were also attached to 5 FSC when they died. Pte Crerar also died as a result of gas. I think all three were attached to 5 FSC rather than assigned as a protection party. My guess would be a Flash Spotting Team that was subject to a gas attack. Chasseauds 'Artillery Astrologers' might give a clue as to where the Flash Spotting posts were around that time. I had actually seen the Graves Registration Report but hadn’t picked up on the fact that Pte Crerar had been with 5 FSC and died the very same day. Another step closer...thanks Sapper Boo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Posted 7 January , 2019 Author Share Posted 7 January , 2019 12 hours ago, brianmorris547 said: Murray Welcome The Register of Soldiers Effects shows that he died of gas poisoning in France or Belgium. No further details. There is a list of casualties of 7 Beds for the Ops at Thiepval and Schwaben Redoubt in late September 1916 in the Unit WD but he is not shown on it. The WD of 54 Infantry Brigade also has reports. How do you know that he was with 5 Survey Company RE. He may have been attached to one of the Special Companies RE if he was gassed. Brian Hi Brian. Can you tell me where I can find the Register of Soldiers Effects? Don’t know that I have come across it yet. On 05/01/2019 at 22:43, clk said: Hi Murray, Welcome to the forum. As a general reference there is this - link. Regards Chris Edit: The RE museum appear to have a summary war diary for a short period of time. I don't quite understand the date range associated with their listing though, and don't know what level of detail it would show. RE Library-War-Diaries-WW1.pdf Outside your date range, there is also this, which might give you an indication on the kind of activity that he was involved in. Thanks Chris. I’m actually planning a trip to the museum at some point, so will look it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Owl Posted 7 January , 2019 Share Posted 7 January , 2019 1 minute ago, Murray said: Hi Brian. Can you tell me where I can find the Register of Soldiers Effects? Don’t know that I have come across it yet. This is available via Ancestry. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Posted 7 January , 2019 Author Share Posted 7 January , 2019 7 hours ago, Old Owl said: This is available via Ancestry. Robert Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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