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Looking for a grave/memorial please, France & Flanders


Sarahc5

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Hello 

 

These are my Great Grandfather's details and I am hoping to find out where he was buried or where his memorial is please.  

Many thanks in advance

 

First name(s) Robert

Last name Thatcher

Service number G/10637

Rank Private

Regiment Royal Fusiliers (City Of London Regiment)

Battalion 4th Battalion.

Battalion details -
Residence Marylebone

Birth place-
Enlistment place Marylebone

Death year 1916

Death day 14

Death month 7

Cause of death Killed in action

Death place France & Flanders

Theatre of warWestern European Theatre

 

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Hi Sarah, in 1919 six bodies were exhumed from the field south of Caterpillar Wood, including your grandfather. 

image.png.fad5f5a0fb05b264d007eb0803b8fb7c.png

 

The LHS pin shows the exact location, the Street View image (and lat/lon) is from the road looking north with Caterpillar Wood in the distance and the RHS has a trench map from 21 July 1916.

 

image.png.0411a8cf50a9c7fb65b5158dfa8f8f05.png

Courtesy National Library of Scotland and tMapper preview

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  • 2 weeks later...

War Diary Page 167 of 503

 

On 13 July 1916 the 4th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (see - 3rd Division, 9th Brigade) moved into position at 9:30 pm south of Marlborough Wood 57c.S.20.d.8.9, where they dug in and formed the Brigade Reserve.

 

The following day, 14 July 1916, the Brigade attacked Bazentin-Le-Grand 57c.S.15.a.95.15 at 3:25 am. The Brigade reached all their objectives by 12 noon. During this time the battalion furnished working parties and carrying parties for the remainder of the 9th Brigade. Casualties were 5 Officers Wounded and 41 Other Ranks killed and wounded. Three (3) companies did move up in support to the front line.

 

The remains were recovered from 57c.S.26.b.8.10, s0 about 500 yards behind their location on the 13th. It may have been a battalion or brigade burial ground.

 

Thatcher.jpg.2ecca656d56d94ffb4c29fd1285f37c5.jpg

 

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On 06/02/2020 at 13:02, WhiteStarLine said:

Hi Sarah, in 1919 six bodies were exhumed from the field south of Caterpillar Wood, including your grandfather. 

image.png.fad5f5a0fb05b264d007eb0803b8fb7c.png

 

The LHS pin shows the exact location, the Street View image (and lat/lon) is from the road looking north with Caterpillar Wood in the distance and the RHS has a trench map from 21 July 1916.

 

image.png.0411a8cf50a9c7fb65b5158dfa8f8f05.png

Courtesy National Library of Scotland and tMapper preview

Wow, thank you so much!  What a find.  Sorry, I somehow missed the notification and have only just seen this.  How did you find this out?  

So was he exhumed from Caterpillar Wood and then buried at Dantzig Alley Cemetary? 

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7 hours ago, laughton said:

War Diary Page 167 of 503

 

On 13 July 1916 the 4th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (see - 3rd Division, 9th Brigade) moved into position at 9:30 pm south of Marlborough Wood 57c.S.20.d.8.9, where they dug in and formed the Brigade Reserve.

 

The following day, 14 July 1916, the Brigade attacked Bazentin-Le-Grand 57c.S.15.a.95.15 at 3:25 am. The Brigade reached all their objectives by 12 noon. During this time the battalion furnished working parties and carrying parties for the remainder of the 9th Brigade. Casualties were 5 Officers Wounded and 41 Other Ranks killed and wounded. Three (3) companies did move up in support to the front line.

 

The remains were recovered from 57c.S.26.b.8.10, s0 about 500 yards behind their location on the 13th. It may have been a battalion or brigade burial ground.

 

Thatcher.jpg.2ecca656d56d94ffb4c29fd1285f37c5.jpg

 

Thank you ever so much.  I don't know how you guys manage to find all of this.  I am so grateful for the information.  

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Hi Sarah, I  should have explained more thoroughly what I did.  First I followed the link to CWGC gven by Horatio in post #2.

On 06/02/2020 at 09:16, horatio2 said:

From there click on https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/548428/thatcher,-/#&gid=null&pid=1 and this will give the Concentration tab (centre tab).

image.png.0c0756d0a83f163a6b2261e817384985.png

 

This page gives you the 2 things you want - the Reburial cemetery at the top (Danzig Alley) and the approximate map reference where the body was found (Sheet 57c S.28.b.8.10).  As  you correctly surmised, the exhumation was the approximate place where the body was recovered.

image.png.4d5729f4a66f989cb926cff1f9ddd8b1.png

 

Then go to a site that converts this grid to a modern reference, such as http://preview.tmapper.com.  You can either copy and paste 57c.S.28.8.1 or use the wizard to guide you step by step:

image.png.fd3add5f469c382abfdeafba04a8ef17.png

 

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