Deciphering war diary - 18Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps

[David Earley]

Can someone help me decipher the place names in this extract from the 18th KRRC war diary?

 

I assume that the first place in CAPITALS is actually Godewaersvelde, but I have no clue about the second - shown as MOULENACKER (or MOULENACHER).

 

David

[Marilyne]

Hi,

 

Godewaersvelde (the fields of Godewaer) is correct. the Flemish people called in Goddsvelde, so the difference in name (the confusion also WRT the writing) is perfectly understandable.

MOULENACKER sounds like a name place… Molen & Akker: molen is a windmill and Akker a field. So a place (or rather a "lieu-dit") called "the field with the windmill", some 8 miles from Godewaersvelde. It won't be found on modern maps, but should be mentionned on older maps, or even trenchmaps.

I guess the reason why it's writen MOULENacker (pronounced moo) is probably because the west flemish pronunciation or the word (funny language)

 

M.

[charlie2]

Meulewalle to the SW of Goedewaersvelde seems likely. Have you tried cross referencing it with the Brigade diary?

Charlie

[David Earley]

12 minutes ago, charlie2 said:

Meulewalle to the SW of Goedewaersvelde seems likely

At about 1 mile, I think this is too close to Godewaersvelde as the battalion diary  refers to a march of about 8 miles.

 

David

[Ron Clifton]

This illustrates, rather nicely, why the instructions for keeping War Diaries specified that place names (and personal names) had to be spelled out in capitals.

 

Ron

[charlie2]

On the trench maps written Moolenacker - 27SE. X.19.a http://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo%3A70093/-/collection

Charlie

[David Earley]

Thanks for finding this for me, Charlie. I have now located it on a modern map, although the farm is now called Cupper Straete (59270 Méteren)

 

David

[Marilyne]

Team work!!!!

[charlie2]

3 hours ago, David Earley said:

 although the farm is now called Cupper Straete (59270 Méteren)

 

Cupper Straete is the name of the road not the farm.

 

[David Earley]

I stand corrected!

David