Berry-au-Bac French National Cemetery

[laughton]

This relates to the Battle of Aisne in the latter part of May 1918. I stumbled upon the draft of the text for a book that had reference to the attack on the aerodrome of the 52nd Squadron at Fismes (north-northwest of Reims). I noticed that two (2) of the men on the Arras Flying Services Memorial appeared to be ground crew, lost on 27 May 1918 at the same time as the two (2) airmen who are buried in this cemetery. Could the ground crew be here as well?

 

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The cemetery was formerly called the Cimetiere Militaire de Moscou. The Commonwealth graves from the 1914-18 War were all brought in after the Armistice. Of these, over half from the 1914-18 War are unidentified. All fell on the 27th-29th May, 1918, in the Battle of the Aisne. In the north-eastern part is a plot containing the graves of two unknown British soldiers of the 1939-1945 War and 29 British graves of the 1914-1918 War.

 

I have collected the CWGC documents for the cemetery. The case is unique in that the graves of ALL UNKNOWNS were exhumed for identification, not just the Officers.

• Berry-au-Bac French National Cemetery Shared MediaFire Site
  • GRRF 2230664-2230667
  • COG-BR 1971881-1971886
  • SPEC-EXH 2230668-2230689

BEAUMONT Second Lieutenant C C A 27 May 1918 BERRY-AU-BAC FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY 23/24. VIEW RECORD Royal Air Force 52nd Sqdn. WHITEHOUSE Second Lieutenant FRANK 27 May 1918 Age 19 BERRY-AU-BAC FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY 23/24. VIEW RECORD Royal Air Force 52nd Sqdn. COFFEY Lieutenant (Wireless Tech) CHARLES REAY 27 May 1918 Age 24 ARRAS FLYING SERVICES MEMORIAL VIEW RECORD Royal Air Force 52nd Sqdn. CRICHTON Corporal (Mechanic) 49182 GEORGE ANDERSON 27 May 1918 Age 22 ARRAS FLYING SERVICES MEMORIAL VIEW RECORD Royal Air Force 52nd Sqdn.

 

The text formed part of the war diary of the 2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment for 27 May 1918, which I was checking because there was an Second Lieutenant of the regiment, with M.G.C. collar badges, missing on that same day. I am still working on that (this topic and post)!

 

Here is what is said about the 52nd Squadron:

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The aeroplanes of No. 52 Squadron R.A.F. the only British squadron in the area, had not been able to furnish any assistance. Flying over the battlefield to report the German advance and find targets for the artillery they encountered opposition at once from low-flying enemy machines ahead of the troops, and could not hold the field. Their aerodrome at Fismes was systematically shelled with increasing severity as the day went on; so in the afternoon the squadron was forced to move back to Cramaille (10 miles S.S.E. of Soissons).

 

The documents did not reveal the presence of the ground crew. I presume their remains are somewhere in the area, if they were lost in the shelling of the aerodrome. There are no additional details on the Casualty Cards for either Lieutenant Coffey or Corporal Crichton.

 

Armstrong, Cotton and Lewis of 73rd Squadron are also missing in the area of Fismes and appear on the list and map being assembled for all the missing airmen in the Reims sector in May-July 1918 (see this topic and post). This is becoming a tangled but fascinating web for the 1918 Battle of Aisne and Battle of the Marne! Something completely new for a Canadian, as we had no forces in that area (other than Canadians serving in the RAF or attached to a British Army unit).

[laughton]

@fetubi I will check with Trevor to see if he has any other details about the bombing of the aerodrome or the fate of the casualties.

 

Beaumont and Whitehouse are on page 177 of The Sky their Battlefield II for RE8 number B5147. Although originally unknowns, they were recovered and identified, having been found at Berry au Bac 296.2 x 224.5 (COG-BR 1971884). Using map 31 Fi 190 we find the remains were just south of the Aisne River, due east of Berry au Bac. I would place that about where you see the word "Submersible" on the map (red arrow).

 

 

My assumption would be that the ground crew of Coffey (wireless) and Crichton would have been at the aerodrome at Fismes. I do not know if Lieutenant Coffey would be wearing anything to designate him differently than the air crew? Crichton, I presume, would be wearing NCO kit with corporal stripes and 52 Squadron markings. I have not found any burial records that match those details. Logic tells me that if they were found and buried, it would have probably been a German grave, as Chris reports "the German attack succeeded in pushing the Allies across the Aisne and down as far as the Marne at Chateau Thierry, capturing the towns of Soissons and La Fere-en-Tardenois as they did so" (LLT Aisne).

 

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[fetubi]

Hi Richard,

A few months ago I have found out more about Lt Coffey, and by implication, Cpl Crichton, and inserted it into my entries. It would have almost certainly come from an AIR1 file in TNA, which I photographed last Summer - I found many files of Correspondence about Missing and Dead,associated with Brigade level searching for any news or detail of lost men, through 1917-1919. I normally add my photo number to the additional notes, but not this one... but you can rely on it.

 

It reads like Lt Coffey was killed there and then, and the others left in haste. I expect he was further blown apart and his remains lost, as the bombardment continued. It's tragic - like all the others.. The new information is in blue.  Trevor

                                            52 Sqn

** enemy shelling a'dr? (Lt CR Coffey CdG with Palm KIA NKG) Was Chief Wireless Operator with 52 Sqdn.  Following the Spring Offensive in 1918, 52 Sqdn was told to leave their position and move away from the fighting.  When the site was clear of personnel, equipment and planes the last few officers would leave by car.  Coffey was hit in the head by shrapnel while climbing into the car. ▲

            52Sqn

** (Cpl GA Crichton Kld NKG) enemy bombing of a'dr?, related to above?