4th Bn Royal Sussex - 29th July 1918 - 2nd Marne - Can you assist me in locating the site of this action?

[r.m.willis]

I am visiting the 2nd Marne battlefield area again this May, focusing on the 34th Division action.  Reading the narrative from IL Dick Read's book, "Of those we loved", it mentions the action on 29th, giving clues about the location, but is by no means definitive.  In the incident a shell falls on the CART TRACK, killing the CO, CAPTAIN ANH WEEKES, the padre and RSM SIMMONS.

Would anyone be able to assist me in locating the exact site, as i would like to visit and pay my respects, both there and in the cemeteries where many of these men are buried.

 

Extract of the incident reads as follows:

At dusk we moved off through the shattered villages of ST REMY & BLANZY. We passed a shattered railway embankment (railway Soissons to Chateau Thierry) [black line] & after trailing across a cornfield for a further 500 metres or so.  A minute later D Company were taking over our section of about 250m of front along a fairly deep cut cart track, the bank of which might afford some small protection.

Two French officers greeted us cordially & after pointing out our 1^st objective, a wood dimly discernible in the misty moonlight 700 – 800 metres in front.

In view of the shelling, we were far too crowded in that cart track.  Boniface had to leave D Company to join A Company because a single 5-9 shell had burst right in the track & had killed the acting CO Captain [ANH] WEEKES, the padre[?], and the regimental Sergeant Major [JOHN SIMMONS].  We had French guns behind us & they would start the creeping barrage just before 415am.  In the shattering flame & smoke of salvoes of 75s I caught a glimpse of Boniface as he staggered & clapped a hand to his side.  The guns had started their creeping barrage about 150m short, right on the cart track, which unfortunately was sheltering 2 of our platoons.  We had not started & here I, a 2nd Lieutenant was left with a company at least 25% of which were already out of action.

Now with map & compass, I tried to get my exact position & saw the corner of the wood pointed out to me by the French lieutenant.  This the map told me, was the BOIS DE MONTCEAU [orange shading] & if so, we should soon come upon the PARIS LINE [blue line] system of trenches, which we found quite unoccupied.

 

I wonder if there is actually 2 woods?

IF SOMEONE COULD HELP ME TO LOCATE THE CART TRACK THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.

Also, i've been unable to identify the PADRE, so any help here would also be wonderful.

 

Many thanks,

Richard

[EDWARD1]

This is a map of the 29th at 9pm if it helps from the 34th Div War Diary

[MaxD]

Edward's map is of great use as much of the day is off your extract.

 

 As a starter.  The war diary records the first wood, Bois de Mortceau (sic) as being taken with little opposition at the start of the advance.  The movement continued across the Buegneux to Grand Rozoy road into the Bois de Beugneux (presumably the wood to the north of the road unnamed on your map extract). The wood was taken at 6 am and the advance continued to the Beugneux to Courdeux road (ie further north east off your map).  There was then a withdrawal back to the NE of the wood and a later a further withdrawal to the Beugneux /Grand Rozoy road but as the position was enfiladed from both sides the line was withdrawn again to "the old Paris position" north of the Bois de Mortceau.

 

Weekes and the RSM with 4 privates were all buried initially together and their bodies re buried after the armistice (concentration record on the CWGC site), I don't see a mention of a padre.  It may be that a stroll up the right hand side of the div boundary along the diary route will thro up something obvious?

 

Max

[MaxD]

The 34 Div HQ A&Q return of casualties July 22 to Aug 3 records only two casualties from the Army Chaplains Department, both in the 29-31 July period, one wounded and another wounded (at duty), no deaths.  Perhaps the book has it wrong?  The battalion war diary also does not mention a padre.

 

Max

[r.m.willis]

36 minutes ago, MaxD said:

Edward's map is of great use as much of the day is off your extract.

 

 As a starter.  The war diary records the first wood, Bois de Mortceau (sic) as being taken with little opposition at the start of the advance.  The movement continued across the Buegneux to Grand Rozoy road into the Bois de Beugneux (presumably the wood to the north of the road unnamed on your map extract). The wood was taken at 6 am and the advance continued to the Beugneux to Courdeux road (ie further north east off your map).  There was then a withdrawal back to the NE of the wood and a later a further withdrawal to the Beugneux /Grand Rozoy road but as the position was enfiladed from both sides the line was withdrawn again to "the old Paris position" north of the Bois de Mortceau.

 

Weekes and the RSM with 4 privates were all buried initially together and their bodies re buried after the armistice (concentration record on the CWGC site), I don't see a mention of a padre.  It may be that a stroll up the right hand side of the div boundary along the diary route will thro up something obvious?

 

Max

Thanks Max.  Yes, having visited previously, the Bois de Beugneux is the wood between Grand Rozoy and Beugneux.  Reid's book mentions an attack on a German machine gun post into the wood, using a drainage ditch as cover.  This ditch is still visible today.

[r.m.willis]

1 hour ago, EDWARD1 said:

This is a map of the 29th at 9pm if it helps from the 34th Div War Diary

 

Thanks - I have this one, and the position of my blue lozenge is approximately where your map shows.  I had them positioned to the west of the Bois de Montceau, so had never considered this location.

 

So the cart track could be the dotted line on my map, running NE from Vers Soissons towards Grand Rozoy & then turned 90 degrees NW to finish west of the village.

[r.m.willis]

53 minutes ago, MaxD said:

The 34 Div HQ A&Q return of casualties July 22 to Aug 3 records only two casualties from the Army Chaplains Department, both in the 29-31 July period, one wounded and another wounded (at duty), no deaths.  Perhaps the book has it wrong?  The battalion war diary also does not mention a padre.

 

Max

I couldn't find anyone either, so glad I'm not going mad.

He certainly has one sequence of events wrong.  He mentions Montrembert (Montramboeuf) Farm as part of this route, where he picks up the French guide.  However, this is nearly a ile north of the location / route and doesn't seem to be on the right route, as he would have had to go in a big circle.

But I can forgive Read most things, because his book is really excellent.