Le Touret memorial to soldiers with no grave

[leigh]

From the CWGC

The Memorial in Le Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-l'Avoue, is one of those erected by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to record the names of the officers and men who fell in the Great War and whose graves are not known. It serves the area enclosed on the North by the river Lys and a line drawn from Estaires to Fournes, and on the South by the old Southern boundary of the First Army about Grenay; and it covers the period from the arrival of the II Corps in Flanders in 1914 to the eve of the Battle of Loos. It does not include the names of officers and men of Canadian or Indian regiments; they are found on the Memorials at Vimy and Neuve-Chapelle.

Anyone know where Fournes is and where teh 'old southern boundary of the First Army might lie?

Regards

Leigh

[gem22]

Leigh

I think the place you are looking for is now called Veurne; it's near De Panne on the Belgian coast. The other place, grenay, is Bully-Grenay, north east of Arras

Garth

[leigh]

Cheers Garth,

I will investigate.

Leigh.

[Aurel Sercu]

From the CWGC

Anyone know where Fournes is and where teh 'old southern boundary of the First Army might lie?

Regards

Leigh

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thinking that Fournes is the same as Furnes (In Dutch (Flemish) : Veurne) is a commonly made mistake.

Give me a few minutes, and I'll find it, across the Belgian/Franch border.

Aurel

[Aurel Sercu]

There is a Fournes-en-Weppes 3 - 4 km south east of Fromelles and Aubers, halfway on the road Lille - la Bassé, but I'm not sure this is the Fournes you mean. "en Weppes seems to indicate there is another Fournes ?

Aurel

Just found the other Fournes is far more to the south, Département de Gard. So Fournes-en-Weppe must me the Fournes you mean ? 13 km east-northeast of Le Touret.

[leigh]

Cheers for the replys Chaps,

I guess it all suggests a coverage like below,

regards

Leigh

[Paul Reed]

There is a Fournes-en-Weppes 3 - 4 km south east of Fromelles and Aubers, halfway on the road Lille - la Bassé, but I'm not sure this is the Fournes you mean. "en Weppes seems to indicate there is another Fournes ?

Aurel

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is indeed the Fournes referred to in the description of the memorials boundary area. For some more details see:

http://battlefields1418.50megs.com/le_touret_memorial.htm

[leigh]

Thanks Paul,

I just looked at the list on the page you posted, Does it really mean that only 1 Royal Dublin Fus. for the whole of the 'catchment' area 1914-mid 15 is unknown?

Regards

L.

[Paul Reed]

I would say so, because one Battalion was in Gallipoli at this time, and the other was in Flanders and down on the Somme with 4th Division, that did not serve in this sector in 1914/15. I suspect this one name is an officer attached to another unit.