Visiting Favreuil near Bapaume & Solferino near Ypres

[Paul1967]

Hi - I am visiting 2 locations in particular over 11th/12th/13th August. 10th & 14th are travel days. I will have my car and my 15 year old son will be travelling with me. I am not sure of itinery yet and would like to include something like a tour or additional sites to visit that are specific to the times, units and locations of those mentioned below so any tips to make the most of it are appreciated.

 

Jean Auguste Le Lievre died 2nd April 1918 and is buried in Favreuil British British Cemetary - he served as Able Seaman in Hawke Division Royal Naval Reserve.

 

Alfred George Matson died 6th Novmber 1917 and is buried in Solferino Farm Cemetary, near Ypres. He served as Gunner 144th Seige Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.

 

Thanks

Paul

 

 

[horatio2]

JA LeL was one of 47 reinforcements who joined Hawke Battalion out of the line at PENIN (NW of Arras) on 27 Sep 1917. The battalion moved to operations at Passchendaele in early October. The had just taken over the front line SE of POELCAPELLE on the evening of 31 Oct when he was gassed - one of 32 ratings gassed by German shelling according to the war diary.

When he rejoined Hawke Battalion on 9 Jan 1918 the battalion was in the front line on Welsh Ridge (Flesquieres salient). After a week-long fighting withdrawal back to the River Ancre took place in late March as the Germans launched Operation MiCHAEL. On 27 Mar they were fighting around ENGLEBELMER when JA LeL was reported missing (but he may have been wounded and captured earlier, before the RND drew back across the River Ancre on 26 Mar). The war diary records 80 missing for 22 - 29 Mar.

For more detail try and get "The Hawke Battalion" by Douglas Jerrold. It is available in paperback reprint.

[Paul1967]

57 minutes ago, horatio2 said:

JA LeL was one of 47 reinforcements who joined Hawke Battalion out of the line at PENIN (NW of Arras) on 27 Sep 1917. The battalion moved to operations at Passchendaele in early October. The had just taken over the front line SE of POELCAPELLE on the evening of 31 Oct when he was gassed - one of 32 ratings gassed by German shelling according to the war diary.

When he rejoined Hawke Battalion on 9 Jan 1918 the battalion was in the front line on Welsh Ridge (Flesquieres salient). After a week-long fighting withdrawal back to the River Ancre took place in late March as the Germans launched Operation MiCHAEL. On 27 Mar they were fighting around ENGLEBELMER when JA LeL was reported missing (but he may have been wounded and captured earlier, before the RND drew back across the River Ancre on 26 Mar). The war diary records 80 missing for 22 - 29 Mar.

For more detail try and get "The Hawke Battalion" by Douglas Jerrold. It is available in paperback reprint.

 

Thanks for the info. Did that info come from the book - I have just ordered one from Amazon. From your description he may well have been gassed in the same area or battle that took Alfred George Matson. I wonder if they were in the same area at the time ?