Bois Francais - Mine Exploded 7/9/15

[flintman]

Good Afternoon again  

Forum help would be much appreciated here.
I know this area well  but not where Point 77 is or which Crater to look at when I visit.
One map I have found does show Point 77 but it’s so very small scale and increasing size just blurs the image. 
 11th Royal Fusiliers lost 5 men here between 7/9/15-8/9/15. 
A small but successful operation was carried out when British detonated a mine opposite/near to  point 77 on the night of the 7/9/15. Bois Francais. 
The British line advanced to the edge of this crater 7/9/15 - 9/9/15 as a result. 
I would ask for any help in establishing:

1 Which Tunnelling Company lay the mine and exploded it ?

2 A crater map and Trench Map extract which identifies / locates the crater and Point 77 for the purposes of a visit to the Crater  

NB: I have seen the small map showing Point 77 in Jonathan Porters excellent book on Mametz which relates I think to a later similar event involving the 11th RF on 5/10/15. This is useful but my interest lies in this earlier event  on the 7/9/15. 
I also have a copy of 11th RF War Diary and the 18th Div History but neither helps me locate the crater involved. 

Once again, many thanks for your time and any help with my request. 
Clive  

 

 

 

 

 

[flintman]

Hello Forum. 

Please Note:

I have just received a really clear map courtesy of Brian Morris on my other thread today ( The Halt Mametz) which locates Point 77 so please don’t go to any trouble on this part of my request unless you have a different interesting map. 
Help still needed on:

1. Which Tunnelling Company laid and exploded the mine ?

2.  Crater Map identifying the crater in question and which will enable me to find  it when I visit. ( I know there are a lot up there !) 

Thanks 

Clive 
 

 

[brianmorris547]

Clive

This is a cropped version of the other map I mentioned on your Mametz Halte thread.

From the 1915 War Diary of 13 Infantry Brigade (5 Div) WO 95/1552. (Ancestry Filmstrip Piece 1552 p 146. It shows Bois Francais and Bois Allemand,

[brianmorris547]

The War Diary of 18 Div HQ General Staff for September 1915 (WO 95/2015) mentions the German and British blows and there is a summary of mining activity in Appendix 8. Also on 23/09 the WD records that Captain Alabaster of 179 TC visited the Div HQ. 

Appendix 8 names two REs on 14/09 who were dug out. Cpl Robins and Sapper Emerson who was dead when he was recovered. This is Thomas William Emmerson 102789. SDGW and the RSE shows that he was 178 TC.

The 1915 War Diaries of 178 TC (WO 95/405/1) and 179 TC (WO 95/244/7) can be downloaded free from The National Archives.

Brian

[Howard]

If you look on TrenchMapper you will find 174 maps that cover Bois Francais.

If you start with map ID=m_001973 that will take you to the right place and put all 174 maps in the menu on the left.

Right click, choose Map ID Jump and initially use m_001973.

Howard

[flintman]

Hi Howard. 
Thanks for this advice. 
I will have a look at this. 
Clive 

[DazW]

Thomas William Emmerson was my Great Grandfather 

[flintman]

Hi DazW,

I hope you have found some of the information provided above  of interest. 

I will out of respect add this information to my own file for when I visit the location again. (Nothing planned at present) 

Thanks for the additional information.

Clive 

[DazW]

1 hour ago, flintman said:

Hi DazW,

I hope you have found some of the information provided above  of interest. 

I will out of respect add this information to my own file for when I visit the location again. (Nothing planned at present) 

Thanks for the additional information.

Clive 

I did, thanks Clive 😊  my Great Grandfather's War Records were destroyed in 1940 when the Germans bombed the National Archives.

 

I'm planning on writing a book in the RE so source material is great.

 

Should you require any info on Thomas, please let me know.