Tony Styles Posted 5 October , 2023 Share Posted 5 October , 2023 On the recent Wolverhampton WFA branch tour I did a talk about Spr. 59287 William Haviland, 82nd Field Company, Royal Engineers, one of the nine brave men. I conducted the talk at the memorial on the 8th September 2023. The talk went well in 30°C heat, but what was not well was the condition of the memorial itself. It was in a dirty and dilapidated state. The memorial is in desperate need of a clean and TLC. I have written to the Royal Engineers in an effort to find out who is responsible for its upkeep but i have received no response. Would anyone on the GWF have any idea who might be able to point me in the right direction to have the memorial cleaned please…? I have attached the only surviving photograph of William Haviland looking very dapper for a point of reflection… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 5 October , 2023 Admin Share Posted 5 October , 2023 Accord to this, the commune of Bazentin are responsible. Good luck trying to get an answer from anyone at the Mairie; in my experience, when I’ve contacted Marires in the past, I’ve never heard back. https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/private-memorials-on-the-western-front/nine-brave-men/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Styles Posted 5 October , 2023 Author Share Posted 5 October , 2023 Thank you Michelle, I’ll email the Marie & make ‘em fed up of me… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyK2479 Posted 7 October , 2023 Share Posted 7 October , 2023 We paid our respects a few weeks ago as we cycled from High Wood back towards Pozieres. Must admit, as a former Sapper myself, it was quite disheartening to see the state the memorial was in. My wife commented on our two visits by bike to the area, it was the least looked after memorial we passed/stopped at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Styles Posted 7 October , 2023 Author Share Posted 7 October , 2023 Thank you for taking the time to visit the memorial. I myself took a photo or two but I haven’t forwarded them onto the family as seeing the state of it might’ve been upsetting for them. I’m trying to give the French a nudge to give it a clean but no joy as yet… thank you for your service… Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyK2479 Posted 7 October , 2023 Share Posted 7 October , 2023 This is how the Memorial looked in September when we visited. Said we would meet in the Squadron Bar in the sky one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Styles Posted 7 October , 2023 Author Share Posted 7 October , 2023 Thank you for visiting, the more pristine Poopy Cross on the right was put there by me on the 8th September. Lest we forget… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Beckett Posted 8 October , 2023 Share Posted 8 October , 2023 I took this photo when visiting in 2003 with Tom Morgan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Styles Posted 8 October , 2023 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2023 Looked very nice then, mind you that was taken 5 years after it was rebuilt after a farmers tractor had all but demolished it… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrounder Posted 8 October , 2023 Share Posted 8 October , 2023 Hi all I have it on good information that the memorial was rebuilt in the 1990’s by the RE Apprentices College at Chatham and for them to periodically refurbish it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Styles Posted 8 October , 2023 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2023 Outstanding…! Thank you for that valuable piece of information, I will try and prod them with an email before the end of the day… 👍👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 8 October , 2023 Share Posted 8 October , 2023 (edited) This note is in the WD of 82 FC of 19 Div. I first noticed it some years ago when I was going through 1916 RE WDs to look for other ranks named. I saw the monument when I visited Bazentin some years ago. There is a good account in the WD and all the casualties are named. I commented about this on another thread some years but I can not find it at the moment. Brian TNA/Ancestry WO 95/2069 Edited 8 October , 2023 by brianmorris547 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Styles Posted 8 October , 2023 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2023 Thank you Brian. I do have the WD for the 82nd & this note. It was in my talk on the 8th Sept. What I also have is a copy of the letter Major Butterworth sent to all the next of kins of the 9 which he personalised. I attach it below for yours & anyone who’s interested in the story of the 9 BM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 8 October , 2023 Share Posted 8 October , 2023 Thanks for that. See this old thread. It is not the one I was referring to. Brian https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/187226-nine-brave-men-memorial-damage/#comment-1828538 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Styles Posted 8 October , 2023 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2023 Thanks again Brian, I have got this but I remember when putting everything together I was lucky to stumble across it. For yours and all those taking an interest in this I have today emailed the RE Apprenticeship College attaching a photo of the memorial’s condition. Thank you all who have helped put me in the right direction (hopefully) to get the memorial cleaned. Fingers crossed… Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandy hall Posted 8 October , 2023 Share Posted 8 October , 2023 https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/HSHWallace?utm_term=BJJ85ZQnk just seen this on Twitter, I have no connection to the Just Giving page, but looks like it could be good news for the Nine Brave Men if enough money is raised. Mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Styles Posted 8 October , 2023 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2023 I hope it doesn’t come to that Mandy. I’ve been told on here today that the responsibility for upkeep of the 9 BMM is with the Royal Engineers Apprenticeship College in Chatham Kent… I’ll wait for a reply to my email and keep everything crossed 🤞 Thanks though… Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyK2479 Posted 10 October , 2023 Share Posted 10 October , 2023 I know the Apprentices College used to be at Chepstow, but may have moved to Chatham, which in my time was the RSME (Royal School of Military Engineering). 9 months there on a Trade Course contained almost as much BS as Basic Training!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Styles Posted 10 October , 2023 Author Share Posted 10 October , 2023 Hi Andy, thanks for that, I’ll wait for a few days see if I get a reply, if I don’t I’ll reevaluate. I’d like to think I could take my power wash out there & clean the memorial myself… Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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