JHB Posted 28 November , 2019 Share Posted 28 November , 2019 Hi all, Looking for some assistance with a French map reference. My great uncle (Pte C.F. Briggs) was killed on 24 Jul 1918 as part of attack with the 1/1 Herefords. He was re-buried at the Raperie British cemetery which I will hopefully visit next year. From what I have read they came under extreme MG fire in corn fields near Tigny. I would like to identify an approximate location of his original burial site which is shown in the "Concentration" document below. Any insight or guidance much appreciated. Thank-you JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 29 November , 2019 Share Posted 29 November , 2019 I've never quite got my head around the French map coordinates so here is my novice attempt. The map you need (complete with the all important edges) can be found in the 34th Division HQ WD. The reference given on the CoG Report 180.3 x 284.10 fits with the area around Tigny, we read 284.10 as 284.1 which would put it around a 900m to the south of Tigny and around 1000m east of Parcy Tigny (this location looks like it may be on the road which runs south out of Tigny). You may be aware that there was Hereford British Cemetery on the road from Parcy Tigny to Tigny, the reference I have for this cemetery is 179.3 x 284.2 so it would appear that he wasn't buried in the cemetery, I have identified 23 who were originally buried there, 21 of the Hereford's. I can't access any editing software so I've just spent the last half hour drawing lines on my screen with a ruler and a dry wipe marker over the map posted below, so I hope Howard or Justin will be along soon and I'm sure will offer a better answer than I can. The reference to Oulchy le Chateau is a sub map and likely to be more detailed of the area. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHB Posted 29 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 29 November , 2019 Thanks J! Had a laugh at your description of screen drawing! Yes this seems about right, great to have a full map to examine now. Can you tell me what your reference to "34th Division HQ WD" means? Is that accessible online? Cheers JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 29 November , 2019 Share Posted 29 November , 2019 It's the 34th Divisional Headquarters War Diary and if you have subs for ancestry the diary for January - August 1918 can be found here, the map is indexed to image 731 13 minutes ago, JHB said: Had a laugh at your description of screen drawing! It sort of works.......don't use a sharpie! J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neill Gilhooley Posted 29 November , 2019 Share Posted 29 November , 2019 A map entitled Oulchy-Le-Chateau is in the 15th Division War Diary (Ancestry link), detail here (with my text showing 180 and 284 grid lines): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 29 November , 2019 Share Posted 29 November , 2019 12 hours ago, jay dubaya said: I can't access any editing software JW, If you use Windows, you will have Paint installed, and you can draw lines, crop and re-size images quite easily with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 29 November , 2019 Share Posted 29 November , 2019 I was using a new iPad which was completely app free at the time, but yes I’m a big fan of MS paint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHB Posted 30 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 30 November , 2019 16 hours ago, Neill Gilhooley said: A map entitled Oulchy-Le-Chateau is in the 15th Division War Diary (Ancestry link), detail here (with my text showing 180 and 284 grid lines): Thanks Neill! The map is great. Unfortunately because my Ancestry subs is to the AUS site your link doesn't work. I can however get to a variety of war diaries but am having trouble finding the map you have added. Could you provide more detail on the 15th Division? There is a listing for "Various Infantry Brigades (15th Division)" which has a few diaries within. Cheers JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 30 November , 2019 Share Posted 30 November , 2019 JB, it’s the 15th Divisional HQ diary which runs from July 1918 to March 1919, the map is indexed as image 118....I’m guessing you have the same drop down menus as we have here in the U.K. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neill Gilhooley Posted 2 December , 2019 Share Posted 2 December , 2019 Thanks Jay - I'm not 'in' at the weekends. Hope JB has found it. p.118/516 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHB Posted 2 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 2 December , 2019 Thanks very much Jay & Neill. Have successfully downloaded the map in question, now to do some Photoshop line work and come up with a spot. Will hopefully be visiting the area next year and in addition to the Raperie Cemetery where he is at rest it would be fitting to see the area of the final action. Note I didn't say "good" as I'm sure it will be a poignant moment but something I feel the need to do (as I'm sure many have done). Thanks again, what a brilliant forum of help this is! Cheers JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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