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Remembered Today:

Quarry Trench Location


stevie1944

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Hello, Can someone please help me identify the location of QUARRY TRENCH east of Souchez? The 12th Bn., Royal Scots were on the line here in early September 1916. The War Diary for the 12th Bn RS lists their location as "Carency III (Souchez) Trenches. In the war diary for the 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division, for the date 6 September 1916, under the heading "Carency 3" it states, Between 11.a.m. & 12 noon enemy sent over about 12 4.2" shells, 12 77mm shells and several rifle grenades. One of the 4.2" shells landed in the QUARRY." It also states, for Carency 3, "Work continued on HOLLOWAY, Front Line, CENTRE & LEFT PICQUETS, PELLETIER, IRISH ALLEY & RIVER ALLEY." I've been able to located most of these trenches on the map below, but no luck finding QUARRY TRENCH. I assume it is one of the unmarked minor trenches on the map, but which one? In the book "Rats Alley: Trench Names of the Western Front 1914-1918, there is a QUARRY TRENCH listed as existing at map coordinates 36cSW1 Lens Md3.Can someone please assist me in locating this trench?

 

Any assistance would be much appreciated! Regards, Steve
 

[Givenchy 36c.SW.1].jpg

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You've mistyped the reference - it should be M3d. See map (poorly marked up by me!)

Capture.JPG

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Steve

I don't think the reference in Rat's Alley is to the quarry referred to in the Brigade diary. My best guess would be the quarry at 36CSW M 8 b 3.7. This is at the east end continuation of River Alley and earlier in the diary mention is made of constructing steps in River Alley; (which maybe could have been leading out of the Quarry)?  The quarry can still be seen in outline on Google maps.

 

Peter

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7 hours ago, petwes said:

Steve

I don't think the reference in Rat's Alley is to the quarry referred to in the Brigade diary. My best guess would be the quarry at 36CSW M 8 b 3.7. This is at the east end continuation of River Alley and earlier in the diary mention is made of constructing steps in River Alley; (which maybe could have been leading out of the Quarry)?  The quarry can still be seen in outline on Google maps.

 

Peter

Peter, in the 27th Brigade war diary the entry for 26th August references "new tench in rear of TALLANDIER continued. QUARRY completed with duckboards & hand rail. Traverses in HOLLOWAY continued. Sounds like you are correct - they are fortifying the QUARRY into the trench system.

 

I'm a little rusty with trench map coordinates, but 36cSW M.8.b.3.7 puts the location of the quarry near Fosse de Bethune, about 7km north of the other Carency 3 trenches at 36cSW S.8.b.7.5 (Irish Alley). Am I referencing the incorrect sheet?

 

Also, there is a line item in the trench names for "Quarry [trench]" - 36cSW3 s.27.a. - this is closer to the other Carency 3 trenches. Could it be possible the 12th RS were posted closer to Vimy Ridge? I wish the war diary for the 12th RS was more descriptive.

Edited by stevie1944
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Steve,

My stupid mistake, of course I meant S. And I've just realised that looking at the river valley and the contours the steps referred to in early September would be rising up into the quarry which would have been cut into the uphill slope.

image.png.758cbf22e7149085d4fd729be48b1f0d.png

 

Peter

Edited by petwes
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2 minutes ago, petwes said:

Steve,

My stupid mistake, of course I meant S.

image.png.758cbf22e7149085d4fd729be48b1f0d.png

 

Peter

Peter, No worries - I transposed coordinates in my original post! Thank you for pointing out the quarry was an actual quarry and not a trench. I will have to check and see if it is identified on later maps. - Cheers! - Steve

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Thanks for your help Peter!

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Peter, here is the trench map from 10-2-17. It clearly shows the new trench system in the quarry. You were spot on!

[Lens] 36c.SW - Quarry.jpg

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good morning,

 

here is an overlay of the map and satellite image  :

 

souchez.jpg.1818868c7de04c5de1838e8fff50a114.jpg

 

regards

 

michel

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2 hours ago, battle of loos said:

Thank you Michel!

 

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