Arne Vandendriessche Posted 27 November , 2021 Share Posted 27 November , 2021 Hey, In Poperinge is a castle "De Lovie". The domain is now used for education and care for children and young people with intellectual disabilities. The domain was used by soldiers for various things during WW1. The domain was located behind the front. A project is now underway for an exhibition about the castle and grounds during WW1. They're trying to collect a lot of information, photos, aerial photos, documents. I will try to collect and pass on some information myself. Anything you can find or have come across about the Lovie is welcome. There must be a lot to be found, because there were large troops. I suspect it was especially busy in 1917. There has been artillery but also groups of the Royal Engineers. The castle was then called "Lovie Chateau". War diaries are also welcome. Arne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 27 November , 2021 Share Posted 27 November , 2021 One of the ASC Siege Park companies my grandfather was in (I think the winter of 1917-18) was headquartered at De Lovie. I'll check the WD and get back to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arne Vandendriessche Posted 27 November , 2021 Author Share Posted 27 November , 2021 Thank you Arne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 27 November , 2021 Share Posted 27 November , 2021 The ASC Coy my grandfather was in at the time was 406 MT Coy. This was II Corps Siege Park ( also called 'B' SAP). The company's diaries are available to download from the national Archives under the reference number WO95/665 (and subdivisions 1,2 & 6). From the way I read them, it suggests that II Corps HQ moved to De Lovie on 17/11/1917. 406 MT Coy took over the Siege Park from XVIII Corps at Alexandra Farm, Elverdinghe on 05/11/1917, and the company HQ was there, until it moved to the Poperinghe - Proven road (Map 27.F.27.b ) on 14th April 1918, remaining there until October 1st 1918. However, it seems as though the Company Senior Mechanical Transport Officer moved in to the area on 02/11/1917, with his HQ at Vogeltje (?Loviestraat?) until moving to De Lovie with II Corps HQ on November 17th. SMTO remained there until withdrawing to Houtkerke on April 27th 1918, as a consequence of the German attack on Kemmel. SMTO is back at Lovie from August 31st to October 8th/12th. Unfortunately, although lorry standings, lorry parks and Siege park workshops are frequently referred to, unlike other SMTO diaries, their locations aren't revealed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arne Vandendriessche Posted 28 November , 2021 Author Share Posted 28 November , 2021 Thanks for the info. I do know of a few places near the Lovie where there have been truck fleets. (27.F.21.c.56.30) (27.F.27.b.87.19) I know that the soldiers went to the Lovie from the first park via the lane that starts on (27.F.21.d.06.55) to spend the night there. Did he have any private diaries of his own? Arne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 28 November , 2021 Share Posted 28 November , 2021 Thanks for the information about the lorry standings. Sorry, no, I have no diaries for him personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 3 December , 2021 Share Posted 3 December , 2021 Arne The WD of 19 Corps A&QMG (WO 95/964/4) in A&Q Summary No 168 dated 08/12/17 has the following: A Field Punishment Camp (Second Army) has been established at F 10 d 9 3 near Chateau Lovie. This Camp is administered by 2 Corps. The WD also has lists of Units dated December 1917 and the same reference F 10 d 9 3 is also shown as the location of the HQ of the Anti Aircraft Group and the Fourth Army Anti Aircraft Workshop. Dai The List of Units also shows under ASC - MT Unit SMTO at St Sixte (Sheet 28) A 1 d 2 5 and T Siege Park at A 15 b 2 3. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arne Vandendriessche Posted 3 December , 2021 Author Share Posted 3 December , 2021 Thank you Brian, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 3 December , 2021 Share Posted 3 December , 2021 (edited) 8 hours ago, brianmorris547 said: The List of Units also shows under ASC - MT Unit SMTO at St Sixte (Sheet 28) A 1 d 2 5 and T Siege Park at A 15 b 2 3. XIX Corps / "T" Corps Siege Park was 884 MT Coy ASC. As it happens, my GF was allocated to them in April 1918 during the great retirement from the Somme back to the Abbeville area. And was with them again in November. Edited 3 December , 2021 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johntaylor Posted 4 December , 2021 Share Posted 4 December , 2021 (edited) Hi Arne, This sounds a very interesting project, and I'm sure you know that La Lovie Chateau was also the headquarters of Fifth Army during the Third Battle of Ypres. General Gough describes it in his book The Fifth Army but says he doesn't believe the "sinister stories" that the owner had some influence with the Germans, which is why it was never bombarded. More interestingly from my point of view, the chateau grounds also housed the headquarters of the Tank Corps, 1st Tank Brigade, and a number of tank battalions during the battle, after they were withdrawn there when their base in Oosthoek Wood was discovered by the Germans. The chateau therefore features in my book Deborah and the War of the Tanks, and I visited with Johan Vanbeselaere (who you may know), although the chateau itself was derelict at the time. I quote from various descriptions by members of the Tank Corps including Evan Charteris (HQ Tanks), Wilfred Bion of E Bn (The Long Week-end), Douglas Browne of G Bn (The Tank in Action), and the War History of F Bn. There are also three amazing photos of officers from D Bn relaxing at La Lovie (as they called it), taken by the official photographer Ernest Brooks and available from the IWM - see thumbnails below. We provided information on the men shown in one of these photos for an article which appeared in a number of national newspapers: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3824281/British-soldiers-survived-Ypres-happened-went-home.html The IWM have original glass-plate negatives of these photos which are extremely detailed - one of them is blown up to cover a wall at the new Deborah Museum and is incredibly effective, so you could also consider doing the same thing for your exhibition. All the best, John Edited 4 December , 2021 by johntaylor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 16 December , 2021 Share Posted 16 December , 2021 Arne The War Diary of 177 Tunnelling Company RE in 1915 (WO 95/404/6) records that the Company HQ was on the Poperinghe - Proven Road opposite the entrance to Chateau Lovie. The Company was employed working on tunnel dug outs in the Ramparts of Ypres, south of the Menin Gate. There are plans of these dug outs in the 1915 and 1916 (WO 95/404/7) War Diaries. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arne Vandendriessche Posted 17 December , 2021 Author Share Posted 17 December , 2021 Thanks Brian, That was the company that dug a test tunnel not far from the Lovie. Arne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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