Chris round Posted 9 March Share Posted 9 March Hello, I'm trying to find some info on the information in this paper article, id love to know where dead mans lap is, i have been to the cemetery in Bethune, Robert was my great great uncle. Any info would be really interesting, thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 10 March Admin Share Posted 10 March Welcome to the forum. Given that he’s buried at St Patricks Cemetery in Loos, and the date of death, I would say the area he was killed was probably somewhere near the double crassier, which these days doesn't look anything like it did during the war! https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/563312/robert-round/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 10 March Admin Share Posted 10 March Image of war diary ©️ National Archives. Dead Mans SAP not lap. Link to war diary here, free after free registration https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14052708 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 10 March Admin Share Posted 10 March The map referenced in the war diary is 36c SW1 1/10.000. Hopefully, @WhiteStarLineand or @Howard can assist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 10 March Admin Share Posted 10 March Loyals graves mid photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 10 March Admin Share Posted 10 March Robert’s Medal Index Card ©️ Ancestry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battle of loos Posted 10 March Share Posted 10 March Hello Here is an aerial view of the area (double crassier): if it doesn't rain this afternoon, I'll go and take a picture of the grave at St Patrick's. Kind regards michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteStarLine Posted 10 March Share Posted 10 March Hi Chris and welcome to the forum. This topic was discussed a few years back and none of the map experts could actually find the exact sap. However, they mapped out the movement of the battalion and had quite a few maps that showed the many saps in the area and overlays that will help you understand the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris round Posted 10 March Author Share Posted 10 March Thanks so much for the info, we did visit fulwood barracks in Preston and read his war diary, just wish there was more info about the Sap…. These were the photos of the cemetery, the 5 graves were the only ones touching, we imagined this was because they were buried as one if it was an explosion…hopefully he died with his mates though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 10 March Share Posted 10 March Chris Welcome When I was reading about the RE Tunnelling Companies and the RE 1 Div in the Loos area 1916 I first became aware of Harrison's and Hart's Craters. Go on to the search facility and put in Harrison's Crater and there are a number of threads, some of which I have posted maps on. Dead Man's Sap was near Harrison's Crater. See the report of the bombing raid on the German Post at M 5 d 5 6 on the night of 13/04/1916 by 2 Bn Royal Sussex. This map, which shows Harrisons and Harts Craters in M 6 c allows you to get a rough idea of where Dead Man's Sap was. Brian TNA/Ancestry WO 95/1267 (2 Infantry Brigade) and WO 95/1246 (Commander Royal Engineers 1 Div). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteStarLine Posted 11 March Share Posted 11 March If they were throwing bombs into Dead Mans Sap and it was close to Harrison's Craters then it could well be the 2 saps SW of the word Harrison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 11 March Share Posted 11 March Bill The WD of 2 Royal Sussex describes Dead Man's Sap as a few hundred yards to the left (presumably of the German Post). I did think that that was a long way to throw a bomb but the WD seems to indicate that the bomb throwing was a diversion to the raid proper. In the WD of 1 Div HQ there are some more detailed maps (of the Loos Defences - April 1916) and attached to the April WD are Daily Intelligence Summaries. I only looked at 14/04/1916 which mentions the raid but not in any detail. A few hundred yards to the left would put Dead Man's Sap close to Harrison's Crater. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris round Posted 11 March Author Share Posted 11 March Thank you so much for all the replies to this post, it’s giving me loads more information, can’t wait to see what else I can find out now, thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battle of loos Posted 11 March Share Posted 11 March good evening, here is any pictures to my collection with a trench map come from internet about the Harrison's Crater : now it's Lidle entrance near the Béthune Road & motroway A21. michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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