Bombing of Steenvorde 3rd Sept 1917

[Tim Hill]

Hi All

 

I am researching the stories of the men who are remembered on our village War Memorial (Newton St Loe, near Bath), and there is a man listed there who was killed in an air raid. He was Pte Herbert Jose of No 2 Water Tank Company ASC, who was killed alongside three other men (Cpl Leslie Wilshaw, L/Cpl Arthur Cuss and Pte Sydney Smith) of the same unit when a shop in Steenvorde that was being used as the unit HQ was bombed at 3.30 a.m. on 3 September 1917. 

 

The 2 WTC Diary contains a history of the unit written at the time and this describes the events of the night - it says that they were the 'object of attack by enemy aeroplanes' and that rescue work was delayed by 'Hostile machines still hovering overhead' - the wording rather implies a targeted raid by more than one aircraft rather than a random 'chance' dropping of a bomb. 

 

While I have the British side of the story, so far I have been unable to find anything relating to the raid from the German side. I am trying to find the unit(s) and aircraft type(s) involved, and the operational diary entry for the raid if that document still exists, but I have no real experience of researching German records.

 

Is there anyone on the Forum with a knowledge of German air operations who may be able to point me in the right direction?

 

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

Kind regards

 

Tim Hill 

[sdparker]

Hello Tim,

In his book Above Ypres-The German Air Force in Flanders 1914-1918, Bernard Deneckere quotes

a report from German HQ. Kampfgeswader 1 and 4 dropped 6,600lb of bombs on St Omer,Dunkirk,

Boulogne,Dover,Calais and the ammunition dumps at Bailleul, Audruicq and Hazebrouck.

Oberleutnant Krausser and Unteroffizier Schonemann of Schusta 23 deserve a special mention.

On the nights of 2/3 and 4/5 September they made four bombing sorties and dropped 2,200lbs

of bombs.

Steenvorde is not far from Bailleul or Hazebrouck, so could some of these bombs have been off

target.The units above may be a starting point for your research

Regards

Geoff

[Tim Hill]

Hi Geoff

 

Thanks for coming back on this. I had picked up on the St Omer raid but according to the reports that I had read that happened around 10.15 so it seemed like a long delay before the bombing of Steenvorde, but I hadn't really twigged about the other targets that night. I'll get hold of a copy of the book that you mention and follow it up from there. 

 

I really appreciate your help.

 

Kind regards

 

Tim

[TEW]

While researching air raids around 2/9/17 for information on wounded men I trawled every available diary within a division for about 20 divisions. That was a lot of diaries! What I did pick up on is that the same enemy bombing event EG 3 bombs dropped on X Camp at 2.30am could be reported with great disparity or not at all. Some units believed they had been specifically targeted while a neighbouring unit would report that aircraft on bomb runs to the coastal areas, Dunkerque etc bombed them randomly while returning and just happened to spot a fire in camp. Not wanting to land with bombs still on board.

Units that suffered significant casualties & deaths were camped 100 yds from another unit who reported the same incident as 'no one injured'. Some deaths it seems were caused by AA fire although that again depends on which diary you read.

Were 2 WTC a divisional, Corps or L of C unit?

TEW

[TEW]

I can see now that 2 WTC were Army troops.

From the research I did I can add;

ADMS of 23rd Division. Sept 3rd, 4.10am Enemy Aircraft flew over Steenvorde and dropped 5 bombs, 1 destroyed a house.

13th DLI. Sept 2nd, moved to Steenvorde, bombs dropped night 2/3rd near Steenvorde.

25th Div. General Staff. Sternvorde. 2nd Sept. Extensive bombing of back areas. 3rd Sept ditto.

 

There was a full moon 1st Sept but the night was overcast. Night of 2nd/3rd much clearer. General Staff of 42 Div at Brandhoek referred to the night of 3rd Sept as having an 'excellent bombing moon'.

TEW

 

[Tim Hill]

Hi TEW

 

Apologies for not replying earlier - I am just picking this up in my lunch-break at work! Your research sounds both exhaustive and exhausting.... 

 

The history in the 2 WTC diary says that they were the 'Object of attack by enemy aeroplanes, one large aerial torpedo falling onto the Company office at 3.30 a.m. This completely wrecked the large double fronted shop which was being used as an office, buried two NCO's and eight men. A rescue party was immediately organised which, owing to the presence of the Hostile Machines still hovering overhead had to work by the light of the waning moon'. 

 

The actual daily entry in the diary is very brief - 'Bomb dropped on Company Office by enemy aircraft killing 4 of the personnel and destroying nearly all of the Company records'. 

 

The two descriptions both refer to 'bomb' in the singular which might perhaps imply a 'stray' or jettisoned bomb, but then there is the reference to the aircraft 'hovering' (I assume circling) overhead which is what made me think that it may have been more targeted. I wonder if the 'house' that was recorded in the 23rd Div record was actually the shop that was being used as the office - from the info that you have provided it certainly sounds like Steenvorde was intentionally targeted that night.

 

Thank you for checking this out for me - it is very much appreciated.

 

Kind regards

 

Tim

[TEW]

Realised after posting that Steenvoode is hardly en route to Calais etc. Does seem that Steenvoode had numerous HQs but that implies the enemy knew that and the locations. Hovering aircraft could be more than one passing overhead being mistaken for one going in circles. 

TEW