Trench map Miraumont to Contalmaison poss 1918 & relating to WRR

[tallpoppy]

I am posting two photos of a part of a trench map which we believe belonged to my husband's grandfather, a corporal in 2/5 West Riding (Duke of Wellington's) Regiment. He was injured 9/10th November 1918 and we are not sure if this map relates to where his battalion was then, or if it is from earlier in the war. The trenches and their names have been carefully inked onto the map. I hope that some of you find it interesting.

[TEW]

62nd Division were much further East in Nov 1918.

They must have been around Miraumont & Achiet le Petit Feb/March 1917. My interest lies with another brigade of 62nd Division so I'm not that familiar with the disposition of 186 Brigade.

Their diaries can be downloaded free, just register, add to basket, checkout, agree to T&Cs and download.

Early diary

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7355399

Late diary

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7355400

You'll have to read through and hopefully match locations up.

There are some annotations which look more signals related than infantry but time will tell.

TEW

[TEW]

Centre of map 2, in Mametz Wood. It seems to say 2nd IB. 2nd Infantry Brigade were near Bazentin le Petit in Aug 1916 and actually in Mametz Wood in Sept 1916.

Can't really make any connection between 2/5 West Ridings and 2nd Infantry Brigade. 62nd Division didn't arrive in France until Jan 1917.

TEW

[brianmorris547]

And 2/5 amalgamated with 1/5 in January 1918. The WD for 5 Bn records 77 wounded on 10/11/1918. Check your man on the Medal Rolls it should tell you if he served in another Bn before 2/5. The map relates to 1916.

Brian

[TEW]

1st Division's  Divisional Signal Company diary WO95/1255/3 for Aug & Sept 1916 does seem to be matching up quite well with the coloured lines and Test & Junctions on your map. Especially on the blue line & M7/M8, they describe digging a trench here for buried cable. Another trench into Mametz Wood for cable to connect a Brigade HQ.

No reason really for a Corporal in the infantry to have such a map, perhaps he helped himself to a memento at some point.

TEW

[tallpoppy]

Thank you TEW and Brian for your insights. It may indeed be that he helped himself to a memento at some point. Or it might have come into our family from somewhere else. The match to 1st Division signal company Aug/Sept is interesting, and I’ll try to follow that up. Will also look at the medal rolls for alternative Bn.

Really kind of you both and much appreciated, it’s really helpful to know that the map dates from 1916, thank you.

Jane

[TEW]

I see now that's it's a composite map with only about a third of the eastern side of 57d SE and the western part of 57c SW. Looks custom made for a particular task.

Would be interesting to take the map refs and text descriptions from the signals diary and plot them onto these photos.

TEW

[brianmorris547]

Thinking that the gentleman may have previously served in another WRR Bn the only TF Bn I could find on the Somme in 1916 was 4 Bn of 49 Div. The WD of 49 Signals Co RE records that the Co was mainly in Thiepval Wood in August and in Blighty Valley in September. No map references to compare though.

Brian