South African Forces at Ypres

[JustinL]

Here's a late addition to the list of recommendations made to Kathie for her forthcoming visit to France.

Major & Mrs Holt's Battle Map of the Ypres Salient available from Naval & Military Press.

Surely a real bargain at £3.

[Kathie]

Justin, thanks for thinking of me. I have the book but you are right to remind me. I have just bankrupted myself in the past five minutes placing an email order for the Belgium and the French IGN maps - with the exchange rate I am spending several days salary on the maps chosen. But one only travels once. So at least I have those. Now I am rethinking my commitment to ordering the WH Smith ones - perhaps I will wait till I get there. I have found the topography book and it might be cheaper to order that from Amazon. Still I have some time.

Thanks

Kathie

[Kathie]

P. S. Justin, I havent forgotten that I am hunting up ancestors in Pretoria when I eventually get there. You are onl my list. Probably in late May.

Kathie

[JustinL]

Kathie,

This hobby is certainly not cheap. But I keep telling myself what hobby is cheap these days. And in Dublin nothing at all is cheap!

I have held off buying maps because I do not know which ones to buy, and like you would probably need several; one set covering the targets and another covering the artillery positions.

When you say you have the book, do you mean Major & Mrs Holt's Battlefield Guide? Is it any good?

I shall keep plugging away with the research of that sector of the Ypres battlefield. If I come across anything referring to the South African Brigade, I'll let you know. Are the movements/actions of the 9th Division in general of interest?

It's good that you mentioned my request for look-ups in Pretoria. There is no need for that now, thank you. I obtained my great-uncle's complete service record from the Documentation Centre in Johannesburg. An excellent service and completely free!

However, there is one, hopefully easy, favour you could do me please. I understand that the appendices of the book The History of the SA Forces in the Great War cover the heavy artillery. Is there much/any info on the 71st Siege Battery?

Have a nice weekend in the late summer (?) sunshine,