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Trench map verification


david murdoch

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Can someone please confirm the grid references on the attached trench map. Ten Tree Alley just south of Serre. The map area is 57 NE. I'm looking to pinpoint two machine gun positions (from a war diary entry) Square K36D. References are K36 D 24.25 and K36D 45.25. These were behind Ten Tree Ally on 13th February 1917 (which had just been taken) and close to where Ten Tree Cemetery is now. I looked up on the trench map locater, but if someone with good knowledge could positively identify the smaller boxes on the grid I'd be very grateful. There are some HLI casualties in Ten Tree from 12th and 13th February but two MGC(M) killed when the gun at  24.25 was overrun during German counter attack were never found (and also not in Ten Tree as unknowns). 

Best Regards David.

post-2705-1236535301.jpg

Ten Tree.jpg

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37 minutes ago, david murdoch said:

K36 D 24.25 and K36D 45.25

Hi David, you've quoted the wrong map sheet.  Serre is in Sheet 57d.  Here are your two points, just south of Serre, courtesy of tMapper and National Library of Scotland.

image.png.9f264155a837859034131fae1c1d7605.png.

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5 hours ago, WhiteStarLine said:

Hi David, you've quoted the wrong map sheet.  Serre is in Sheet 57d.  Here are your two points, just south of Serre, courtesy of tMapper and National Library of Scotland.

image.png.9f264155a837859034131fae1c1d7605.png.

 That's great  - I'm not up to speed on trench map grid references. Background behind this is the two guns belonged to 1st Motor Machine Gun battery. They were set up there to repel  any counter attack on Ten Tree Alley but on their own with no infantry cover. Unfortunately when it came  they had friendlies in their line of fire and the German got within bombing distance before they could shoot.. The section officer and No.2 gunner were killed at 24.25 and  the No1. gunner badly wounded but managed to shoot one German over the gun with his revolver. The gun was captured off it's tripod and carried off. There is a detailed report in the war diary. The rest of the gun team (ammo carriers) were in a shell hole a little bit back but only had their revolvers to shoot back with. The other gun had the same issue but they managed to get it clear and back to Lager Alley nearby. There is no mention of their motorbikes so presumably left to the rear. The two dead were likely buried in battlefield graves in the following days as the Germans were pushed back, but they have never been recovered.

Just been for a quick ground level look on Google earth!

Edited by david murdoch
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