Private Herbert James Roberts, #G/29541, 2nd Bn. Middlesex Regiment

[BLCHS]

We are tracing the history of all those who were lost in WW1 from the village.

Looking at Herberts CWGC data he has a grave concentration of grave return, relocating from St Jean to New Irish Farm. The new Irish Farm Cemetry info gives this information.."ST. JEAN CHURCHYARD, containing the graves of 44 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in May-December, 1915".

Herbert is listed as dying on 30 July 1917.

Can anyone help work out the stamps and additional information at the top of the concentration of grave return?

Using the National Library of Scotland trench map database I find no correlation between the reference "28NW, c21.c2.2" or "28NW, 21.c2.2" to the maps location of the (old) church at St Jean (Sint-Jan)?

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/452984/herbert-james-roberts/#&gid=2&pid=1

[WhiteStarLine]

36 minutes ago, BLCHS said:

to the maps location of the (old) church at St Jean (Sint-Jan)

Sorry, I don't understand this bit as it looks good to me.  28.C.21.c.2.2 is New Irish Farm and was in 1921.  I can't see the word church on the COG-BR but that might be my eyes.

It's certainly in accordance with Messer's map:  Edition: 3 Feb 1917 Annotated with disinternments and cemeteries. Marked AAM on reverse. From Messer collection.  Id: m_5_000756

[WhiteStarLine]

Herbert was KIA in 1917 and ultimately exhumed close to Hellfire Corner (I.10.d.0.3), so he was not one of the 44 1915 casualties relocated from Sint Jean.

[jay dubaya]

It's quite clear where Roberts was recovered from, an unmarked grave at I.10.d.0.3 near Hellfire Corner. The St Jean reference at the top of the CoG-BR is an area filing code for the documents.

[BLCHS]

Thanks guys, excellent information as always.

 

Along with the concentration of grave return and some other documents we had the grave at Hellfire Corner just could not see any reason for a grave St Jean... by 30 July 1917 I doubt there was anything of St Jeam still there.

I have a regiment diary copy, this puts him at Hellfire Trench, with the Bn. heading to Railway Wood. My old notes have Polygon Wood as the objective but looking at in now that seems a bit over-optimistic!

Edited 15 April by BLCHS