Trench map location

[Trenchfinder1917]

I was reading about a soldier in the 7th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers who referred to a generic practice trench system he saw in May 1916 prior to the Somme, designed to enable men to familiarise themselves with how the ‘real thing’ may look:

     On the last day of May, as a welcome change to the ordinary parades, accompanied by the field kitchens we marched to a place called Dillington Road where the authorities had constructed a model trench system, purporting to convey a realistic idea of the conditions at the front. Our assigned task was to destroy the model and fill in the trenches, and for this purpose picks and shovels were supplied to us. Before undertaking our task we were able to inspect the extensive system of trenches. Speaking from his own experience at the front, the Captain explained the working of the system, the several trench lines, with bays and fire step, dugouts, communication trenches, machine-gun emplacements, company headquarters, and so forth.[i]

 

My enquiry is - has anyone any way of finding out where Dillington Road was, or is it the soldiers' vernacular for somewhere in the British held area?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

---

[i] Gladden, Norman, The Somme, 1916. A Personal Account, William Kimber, London, 1982.

[Michelle Young]

@WhiteStarLine @Howardshould be able to help. 

[Trenchfinder1917]

Thanks Michelle

[Howard]

I did not find Dillington Road in TrenchMapper's 50,000 known points. As names are often mis-spelt in reports, it is worth finding a place name near where that report referred to, then perhaps we could narrow it down. I searched for "ington", in that case TrenchMapper gives a range of possibilities.

If it was in fact in the UK, there is Durrington near Stone Henge. That was an area with practice trenches. There were some in France and Belgium but a bit of extra information is required to start looking.

Howard

[Trenchfinder1917]

Thanks Michelle for forwarding to Howard.

 

Howard, I think you may well be right. I checked the war diary for the 7th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers for May 1916 and no reference to any work parties doing this work. It was a little confusing such a "useful" generic trench system would be filled in so early if the Somme was several weeks hence. So the trench system you suggest would make sense being in the UK. Thank you so much for your input and suggestion. 

[Bob Davies]

On 29/02/2024 at 09:48, Trenchfinder1917 said:

I was reading about a soldier in the 7th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers who referred to a generic practice trench system he saw in May 1916 prior to the Somme, designed to enable men to familiarise themselves with how the ‘real thing’ may look:

There is an interesting web page 'Historic England' which gives some locations and modern pictures of practice trenches. This may help?

@Howard

Screenshot Courtesy of https://historicengland.org.uk/research/current/discover-and-understand/military/first-world-war-home-front/land/practice-trenches/

 

 

[brianmorris547]

Could the place be Millencourt.

7 NFs were in the Front Line on the last day of May 1916. The Bn went to the Somme Area on 10/09/1916. From 17/08/1916 the Bn was in Brigade training in the area of Hennencourt Wood.

Page from WD TNA/Ancestry WO 95/2830.

Hennencourt Wood is shown on this map as are squares V 21 and V 26. More Information in the WDs of 149 Infantry Brigade (50 Div) and the Commander RE. The Bn was involved in practice attacks on trenches. 

NLS map 57 D NE

https://maps.nls.uk/view/101465251

Brian

[Trenchfinder1917]

Fascinating photo, must have been taken early in the day to maximise the shadows. Thank you.

Brian, it may be the reminiscences are wrong in the book date wise?

Edited 1 March by Trenchfinder1917
extra info

[Trenchfinder1917]

Brian, it may be the reminiscences are wrong in the book date wise?

[Don Regiano]

Having re-read the war diary for 149 Brigade (my particular interest is in 6 NF) I doubt they would have been considering plans for the Somme.  They had enough on their plate in Flanders and there is no reference to training as described in the OP.  As Brian said, there was training at Henencourt in August 1916 (also mentioned in 6NF's diary) once they had moved down to the Somme, ahead of the action in September 1916.  I think the suggestion that it might have been UK based is worth following up.

Reg

[Ken Lees]

I think the writer is talking about a location in the UK. He has clearly never seen a real trench.

[Michelle Young]

There is a place called Dillington near Ilminster in Somerset.