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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Cuinchy


Alan_J

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Would the Raiklway Triangle be more likely in the area to the RIGHT of the brickstacks on that map? The railway runs along the western edge of the canal and then there is a triangle of railway sidings to take the line to the left of Auchy lez la Bassee?

Why would roads be referred to as RAILWAY Triangle when there are rail tracks no too far away?

Yeah I see the place you suggest. My only concern with this is would that not have been behind enemy lines, sorry I'm not up on where the lines where, but I do remember seeing a map with both lines coming down around the area of the brickstacks and it would look like that this is just to the right of the enemy line.

To be honest I'm just really confused.

Thanks for the reply

Tara

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  • 3 years later...

Not sure if anyone is still monitoring this thread but just in case I have a scan from the diary of the 11th Field Coy RE who helped develop this area in 1915. At that time the British held the western brickstacks and the Germans held the eastern brickstacks. In a coordinated attack in February the British pushed back the Germans and took over an area that became known as the Railway Hollows - there's no mention of the triangle during this period.

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  • 3 months later...

Here's a scan from an earlyish (1915 - unsure of month but probably March - June) 1:40,000 scale map of the Cuinchy area.

This scale (with possibly some 1;20,000 scalers) would have been taking over from the 1:80,000 scale maps for the infantry in this area by October 1914.

Dave.

Hello Dave,

Would you be able to scan a little to the right of this to show the area up to the railway junctions. I am particularly interested in the counter attack that 2 Royal Sussex mounted at 2200 hrs on 31 Dec 14 to recover the 2KRRC Op and machine gun emplacement that was lost that afternoon.

Many thanks.

Robin

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  • 7 years later...

Im researching a family member Jack Keech 6996 Dorestshire regiment killed 13th October 1914 at Pont Fixe, does anyone have a location for the men on that day.

Thanks

Terry 

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Hi Terry and welcome to the forum, the dispositions of all units on that day are given in "Military Operations France and Belgium Ypres 1914, part ii", freely downloadable from archive.org at https://archive.org/details/3edmilitaryopera02edmouoft.  A brief extract from 13 October is:

 

Quote

The Dorsets had managed to advance, but their left and rear were exposed when Givenchy was lost. The enemy, taking advantage of this, attacked, and assisted by enfilade fire from machine guns on the railway embankment south of the canal—where the Dorsets thought the 13th Brigade to be—brought fire to bear from all sides. The battalion was forced to retire, losing Lieut. - Colonel L. J. Bols, wounded, and four hundred casualties, of whom 130 were killed. 1 A section of the 11th Battery R.F.A. with them, had every man wounded and was unable to bring away its guns ; another section of the same battery, actually in Givenchy village, fired to the last moment but got clear. The Dorsets went back four or five hundred yards to a position abreast of the canal bridge known as Pont Fixe, rallying on two companies of the Devons, the divisional reserve, whilst the Bedfordshire withdrew to the road running north from this bridge to Festubert. From this new line the enemy failed to dislodge the British. 2 Northwards a successful advance of the 14th Brigade came quickly to an end, as, soon after 3 p.m., it was ordered to send the two companies of the Devons, in brigade reserve, towards the 15th Brigade.

 

The attack of the 3rd Division in co-operation with the French 7th Cavalry Division had made little progress, as the slow advance of the latter exposed the 8th Brigade to counter-attack. The casualties of the II. Corps for the 13th were very nearly a thousand.

 

Pont Fixe is shown in this 1915 map:

image.png.45f73a7c8cf7c36b711daa7e13ff87e6.png

 

On a modern map, this can be seen at:

image.png.9ad7f4e3374372a0fc34203d30000ce6.png

 

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