Photographic records of the front where ulster tower stands

[Steviebullsatatter]

A couple of years ago whilst on western front battlefield tour we stopped just past the Ulster tower and most of the party went up ulster tower. I made a b-line for a farmer's ploughed field to the left of the tower when viewing the tower from the road. I ,as many others have done over the years wanted to scour the field for something ww1 related to take home to remember my trip.

There was an unploughed area just off the road  around a square metre in size that I went to see first. It was what looked like, a gun emplacement of some sort with reinforced concrete left there as a reminder .It made me begin to wonder just what that area would have looked like, assuming it was the German front line area .

Any pointers would be appreciated folks. 

Steve 

[Dave1418]

Hi

try searching Popes nose Thiepval and you should find various threads here and do the same on the internet 

D

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

15 hours ago, Steviebullsatatter said:

There was an unploughed area just off the road  around a square metre in size that I went to see first. It was what looked like, a gun emplacement of some sort with reinforced concrete left there as a reminder .It made me begin to wonder just what that area would have looked like, assuming it was the German front line area .

 

Are you talking of the concrete base where the red cross is ? >

 

[BIFFO]

some one told me  that the road in front of ulster tower used to be a trench line true ?

[WhiteStarLine]

21 minutes ago, BIFFO said:

some one told me  that the road in front of ulster tower used to be a trench line true ?

Hi Biffo, many trench lines dug there over the course of the war:

[Steviebullsatatter]

Fascinating stuff guys!

Tom..yes that's the one - where the cross is 

Steve 

[Doug504]

In preparation for the centenary celebrations whilst enlarging the lay-by in front of the Ulster Tower the remains of three were found.

 

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/first-world-war-centenary-still-in-his-kit-an-inniskilling-fusilier-found-after-97-years-30481317.html
 

Th e Red Cross does not indicate the Pope’s nose, close, but you were probably at a point 100m north into the field?

 

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

1 hour ago, Steviebullsatatter said:

Fascinating stuff guys!

Tom..yes that's the one - where the cross is 

 

 Steve - Not a war relic I'm afraid. Its the base for the original location of the Orange Order Memorial which was / had to be relocated to a more "discrete" position down towards the rear and side of the tower (within the site boundary). In it's original location it was prone to "accidental damage". How to put this ?! - Well Lloyd George reputedly said that "If we find a solution to the Irish problem, the Irish will simply invent a new problem" - so call it an "Irish problem."

 

On top of the bigger picture (discussion / mention of which will be forbidden) - 36th Div was referred to in some quarters during WW1 as "The Political Division" (See James W Taylor's histories of The Royal Irish Rifles during The Great War). Jump forward a good number of decades and the placing of the OO Memorial in a prominent and public position on the Somme was possibly not best thought-through (?).

 

nb - when Mill Road Cemetery was constructed to the eastern side of the tower circa 1923-4 there was still a complete German reinforced concrete bunker to be removed. it was between the NE end of Plot 1 Rows G & F and Plot VI.

Tom

 

[Steviebullsatatter]

Thanks for getting back to me and for supplying very edifying information. 

Very interesting. 

Steve 

[Steviebullsatatter]

Been searching online for a photo of the orange order war memorial but cant seem to locate anything. 

Can one of you clever chaps point me in the right direction please. 

Steve 

[stripeyman]

I remember it as a not very tall, black, pointy obelisk.

[Steviebullsatatter]

Thanks stripy 

Do you  think  that there are any pictures out in the space of cyber 

[Michelle Young]

There is a photo on page 136 of the Battleground Europe Book Thiepval by Michael Stedman 

[Michelle Young]

https://images.app.goo.gl/qhh8tJoGQ8toQsQQ7

 

or a google search found this 

[Steviebullsatatter]

Michelle, you are a star...

In this virtual pub I'm living in, I'm just buying you a drink..I'm going to email it to you lol

Thanks again 

Steve 

[Michelle Young]

Mines a g&t please Steve! 

[Steviebullsatatter]

On it's way

Cheers!