Rachd Posted 26 October , 2020 Share Posted 26 October , 2020 Evening Can I ask for help in trying to understand an abbreviation. I am transcribing the diary of Rev. James Arthur Herbert Bell, Chaplain to the Forces. He deployed to Belgium in May 1918 and was attached to the 1st West Yorks. He was based at Nine Elms, near Poperinghe. In his diary he refers to going "to B.B.C." but I'm at a loss to interpret this. Below are a couple of examples Any suggestions welcomed! Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 26 October , 2020 Share Posted 26 October , 2020 Somethng..Something... Church? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 26 October , 2020 Share Posted 26 October , 2020 Yes, C could be church. Assuming Vlam. is Vlamertinghe, perhaps B.B.C. is also a town or village nearby? BusseBoom Church? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 26 October , 2020 Share Posted 26 October , 2020 That's better than anything I could come up with. I was trying to work out where he would travel to, via Vlam, to get to "BBC", assuming he was definitely based at Nine Elms at the time. Maybe a few more extracts would reveal more clues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 26 October , 2020 Share Posted 26 October , 2020 Think it definitely refers to a church an hour to an hour and a half away by cycle from starting point. Last line reads Sat 18 off 9.30. on cycle to BBC for service at 11. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 27 October , 2020 Share Posted 27 October , 2020 Could one of the B's be Brandhoek? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 27 October , 2020 Share Posted 27 October , 2020 We know he was with the 1st Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment in May 1918, (18th Brigade, 6th Division) and he was carrying out all the duties expected of a CF. The IWM synopsis of his diary usefully comments "travelling to and from the frontline at night to visit the troops and his concern when his Commanding Officer wished to keep him from doing so, visiting Casualty Clearing Stations, the difficulties of organising and carrying out church services due to the continual movement of the Battalion, helping out at a Dressing Station, collecting the dead from the battlefield and conducting funerals" There is no doubt in my mind that B.B.C. is the location of his church services. The IWM comment "carrying out church services due to the continual movement of the Battalion" is telling. In my experience company Church Parades are usually held in a convenient building/the field. I cannot see sub-units regularly transiting to a single geographical location for Church Services which, I would offer, perhaps rules out B.B.C. as a permanent feature. This leads me to suspect that B.B.C. is his personal "unofficial" abbreviation for something known to him but transient. We know Battalion's regularly rotated through various camps so my guess is this refers his personal abbreviation for the Battalion's movable HQ/admin focal point/Base Camp. I read as something "non-military" in this ......... perhaps Battalion Base Camp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachd Posted 27 October , 2020 Author Share Posted 27 October , 2020 Many thanks everyone for the replies. Some food for thought. In re-reading the diary I find an earlier reference to Belgium Battery Corner and its ADS. I wonder if he was visiting them? Hence the reference to holding services there. In addition Herbert has a diagram of the layout of the cemetary there at the back of the diary. As well as the West Yorks , Herbert was chaplain to the 18th Field Ambulance, a Trench Motor Battery and MG Section. I wonder if the 18th FA served Belgium Battery Corner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 27 October , 2020 Share Posted 27 October , 2020 1 hour ago, Rachd said: In re-reading the diary I find an earlier reference to Belgium Battery Corner and its ADS. I wonder if he was visiting them? That's a good one. (Belgian Battery Corner) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachd Posted 27 October , 2020 Author Share Posted 27 October , 2020 Good spot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 27 October , 2020 Admin Share Posted 27 October , 2020 The 18th FA was not at Belgian Battery Corner in May 1918. But the ADS was https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/8900/BELGIAN BATTERY CORNER CEMETERY/ The War diary of the 18th Brigade, 6th Division identifies Belgian Battery Corner as the Battalion HQ of the ‘Right Battalion’ it appears from a sketch plan all the Battalion HQ were located along the road nearby. If you have access to Ancestry the sketch map is here or you can download the diary from TNA There are also references elsewhere to support troops being held in the vicinity so close enough to the front but not on the front line, much as described in the post above it seems to have been a busy location. It was on one of the main roads out of the town of Ypres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachd Posted 28 October , 2020 Author Share Posted 28 October , 2020 That’s great thanks. I think it confirms things. thank you again everybody who’s helped, it’s much appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 28 October , 2020 Share Posted 28 October , 2020 FWIW when I visited last year the remains of the building that was part of the ADS at Belgian Battery Corner has been demolished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 28 October , 2020 Share Posted 28 October , 2020 Belgian Battery Corner - nice spot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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