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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Postcard Watou


Arne Vandendriessche

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Hello everyone,

I came across this postcard: https://digitalstatelibnc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15012coll10/id/1550
Underneath it is written:
First Battalion, 119th Infantry, Thirtieth Division, entering trenches. Watou area, Belgium, July 9, 1918
I would like to know where and when they were in watou.
So I'm going to look for the WD of that unit.
But I'm not quite sure what to enter on the National Archives website to find the WD.
Can someone help me?

Attached is the postcard.

Greetings Arne

 

Watou ww1.jpg

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Thanks,

But what do I have to enter on the website of the national archive to find the war diary?

Arne

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Hello Arne,

I have no idea how you would be able to source a war diary for an infantry regiment of the American Expeditionary Force in WW1. 

I wish you well with your endeavour.

Regards
Keith

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Hey,

I already know that that group went to Road Camp at Watou on July 2, 1918.

I can't find this anywhere on a map.

Here the refrence to Road Camp: this Regiment with the other units of the Division, on the 2nd day of July, 1918, proceeded by marching to the Roozendaal and Road Camp Areas, near Watou, Belgium.

 

 

 

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Arne

On the map I posted on your thread about Battye Farm (Sheet 27) in K 18, between Watou and Abeele "In Het Roozendaal Cab". 

There is an earlier copy of Sheet 27 in the WD of 11 Div HQ General Staff (WO 95/1788/1-3) (Ancestry p 345 & 346/557) and K 18 shows Roozendaal. The WD of 11 Div HQ GS also has lists of Unit locations, as an example see p 450/557. 

Brian

 

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Rozendaal is located here.
I'll check if I can find maps with "Road Camp" near Rozendaal

Thanks everyone
Greetings Arne

 

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They were Lewis machine gunners.
I found another photo.
This one is well known and puzzles have already been made of it.
Attached is the other photo.
 

Greetings Arne

Lewis machine gun soldier Watou.png

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Hi,

I found 19 more photos.
Too big to post I think.

If you want to see them I can try to send them one by one.

 

Greetings Arne 

Edited by Arne Vandendriessche
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Arne

The July 1917 WD of 18 Corps Adjutant and Quarter-Master General (WO 95/954/2 page 7/95) has this map which shows the Brigade areas in The St Jan Ter Biezen B Area. Note the position of J Brigade Group north of the road. On page 87/95 there is this list of Brigade Groups and this shows that J Brigade Group was re named Road Camp. The map is shown later in the WD with the new camp names.

Brian

002.JPG

003.JPG

Edited by brianmorris547
typo
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Hey,

Road camp is not located at Rozendaal. The group is split into two parts, one group to Rozedaal and the other to road camp. Road camp was located at 27.F.25.c and d
I found a map with "Road Camp" written above that camp (probably an adaptation of the map).
This is attached.
There was a training trench and a lot of barns.
Also attached is an aerial photo of 1918 taken above road camp.

Greetings Arne

 

 

Road Camp 2.png

Road Camp 1.png

Edited by Arne Vandendriessche
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