Cameron Highlanders march 1915 - understanding trench map reference

[Griffner]

Hi everyone,

My great grandad's brother, Cpl James Mackenzie, was killed in action at 23 years old in Richebourg L'avoue on April 1, 1915, serving with the first battalion of the Cameron Highlanders, C company. I'm having trouble understanding the trench reference mentioned in the unit's war diary. 

The entry for March 31, 1915 in the unit's war diary says : "Moved into trenches at RICHEBOURG AVOUE in sector D2". They stayed in the same trenches until April 8, when they were relieved by the Coldstream Guards.

When I look at trench maps from around that period, it seems like the D2 sector is too far west to be close to the front line.  It also places the unit in Richebourg St Vaast rather than Richebourg L'Avoue. Am I misunderstanding the grid reference used in the war diary ? The attached map is pulled from the McMaster digital archive (link). Is the "D2" reference more of a colloquial indication that would refer to other trench maps?

 

 

[TEW]

D2 is unlikely to be a map reference and is probably a section of the front line. The front line for the division could be divided into EG. A--E with sub sections EG. A1-A9. These may be based on the line between the forward saps.

Map reference use can be sparse in early 1915, they tended to describe things as being x yards north of the crossroads, windmill, level crossing etc. or x yards northeast of the 'R' of Richebourg based on whatever map they had.

Battalion or brigade diaries would be the best way to identify the D2 sector. They may have a map or describe the sectors in more detail. 

TEW

[Griffner]

Thank you, that's very helpful. Unfortunately I haven't uncovered any trench maps of this area in the 1st Camerons' war diary but I will maybe look into war diaries from units that were in the same area. General trench maps of Richebourg from 1915 do not seem to include this kind of letter scheme. 

[TEW]

It might help to trawl various diaries from Division level downwards.

If you identify which battalions handed over to the 1st Camerons and who in turn took over from them and so on you may find one diary with better detail. Section D2 of a front line could retain that name for months.

TEW