Dawn W Posted 22 July , 2020 Share Posted 22 July , 2020 George Leacy was part of the 1/KRRC and landed in France on 8th April 1915. I've worked out that he probably sailed into Havre on the Marguerite or Empress Queen at 3:30am on the 8th April (Base Landing Officer Diary) and that these reinforcements are also noted in the Havre Base Commandant Diary. From the KRRC diaries a draft arrived on the 11th April - presumably he was among them. My question is how did he reach the front line? There is nothing noted in the 6th Infantry Brigade HQ or the HQ Branches & Services (General Staff) Diaries. Presumably this march/transportation would have been recorded somewhere in the diaries? Thanks in advance, Dawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 22 July , 2020 Share Posted 22 July , 2020 4 minutes ago, Dawn W said: My question is how did he reach the front line? In the vast majority of cases the only reference to drafts is something like 'Lt Atkins and draft of 30 men arrived from base'. What happened with the draft on the way was not something that they'd record in the battalion war diary (in most cases) as the diary was for the use of the battalion's day to day activities at the front. Higher diaries also rarely record more than the same level of information. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn W Posted 22 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 22 July , 2020 Thanks for your swift answer. I was assuming that, given the amount of detail in all the diaries I've read, that this would recorded somewhere. Just being hopeful. Dawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 22 July , 2020 Share Posted 22 July , 2020 (edited) f you read the WD from beginning it may give details of what happened on landing to original battalion.The base depot may be named. Edited 22 July , 2020 by johnboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn W Posted 22 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 22 July , 2020 The original battalion arrived in Rouen (via Havre) and went to a rest camp outside Rouen - presumably a base depot? They then moved by train to the frontline. I'm assuming that train was possibly not an option in Apr 1915 and that this draft would have walked. I'm surprised that no one was keeping tabs on which draft was moving where and when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generalist Posted 24 July , 2020 Share Posted 24 July , 2020 On 22/07/2020 at 17:04, Dawn W said: The original battalion arrived in Rouen (via Havre) and went to a rest camp outside Rouen - presumably a base depot? They then moved by train to the frontline. I'm assuming that train was possibly not an option in Apr 1915 and that this draft would have walked. I'm surprised that no one was keeping tabs on which draft was moving where and when. 1/KRRC was with 2nd Division, who seem to have been around Neuve Chapelle / Givenchy in April 1915. This is about 250km / 150mi by foot from Le Havre, assuming he went direct and didn't go via a base depot somewhere. Given this, I think "by train, at least most of the way" is the most likely answer for the 1915 draft, if it only took three days? Andrew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 24 July , 2020 Share Posted 24 July , 2020 I'm assuming that train was possibly not an option in Apr 1915 and that this draft would have walked. \Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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