Hamoeke??,Kes???l,Reniug?

[ackimzey]

Still working on transcription of my Great Uncle's diary and have more problems with places. Quoting from the diary:

24 april 1918

At night, 11:30 oclock, left for new location. Stopped for the night about 1 1/2 miles north of Abeele.

25 april 1918

Left at 9:30 for Hamoeke????. Arrived about 11:15 am. At 12:30 pm had orders to move at once as bosche had captured Ke????? [ the Ke and the last letter L are clear but cant make out the middle, more help please]. Left at 3 pm for battery position near Reniughelsh???? [also can't find, may be spelling]

26 april 1918

Ready for breakfast when a HV (what does this stand for??) got a direct hit on our house. Buried 1 more but no one hurt. Officers were all covered by dust and glass. Left here & went to funk???? holes in a field. I stopped a big piece with my tin hat. very cold in the holes and nothing to eat but bully beef & tea. Left late in the pm for a new position. much quiter. good dinner and good sleep.

The diary runs through Oct. 14, 1918. On oct. 16 he was hit and killed by schrapnel while dressing a wound in the field.

If it weren't for the help I've found on this forum, my transcription would be full of "??????" and i might just give up.

I appreciate any suggestions.

Ann Kimzey

[Tom Morgan]

Not sure about about "Hamoeke" but the other places would be Kemmel and Reninghelst.

HV = High Velocity Shell

Funk Hole is right - a shallow dugout or shelter

Tom

[roel22]

Kemmel and Reningelst fit perfectly, also looking at the German advance that was going on in this area at the date you mention.

As far as 'Hamoeke'; I'd go for Hamhoek, an area just north of Poperinge, and close to both Abeele (the starting point) and Reningelst.

regards

Roel

[7:29am]

i have just had a look at multimap, could the 'Hamoeke' be helhoek which is about 5km NE of Abele, and marching about a 2 hr hike? from there they were ordered towards where the enemy were at Kemmel?

[Tom Morgan]

I spotted Helhoek when I was looking at the map, Jim, and thought that might be the place. Roel's "Hamhoek" looks likely and he describes it as an "area" north of Poperinge. If it is a local name for an area, and not the name of a village, that could be why we can't find it.

Tom

[7:29am]

I spotted Helhoek when I was looking at the map, Jim, and thought that might be the place.  Roel's "Hamhoek" looks likely and he describes it as an "area" north of Poperinge. If it is a local name for an area, and not the name of a village, that could be why we can't find it.

Tom

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep your probably right and i bow down once again to the voice of the "Sabios"

[Tom Morgan]

Sorry Jim, didn't mean to close you down at all. I was just thinking out loud about why I couldn't find Hamhoek on the map. The discussion is still open! I was thinking that an area north of Poperinge seems a long way to go from Abeele, and it also seems a bit out of the way. I agree with you that Helhoek seems more in keeping with Ann's great-uncle's movements.

Tom

[7:29am]

No offence taken what so ever, just seems quite a long distance to march in so little time.. and Helhoek seemed to fit better, but the spelling is along off i agree..

[ackimzey]

Hi, Jim and Tom

My great uncle had spelled the "H..." town once, crossed it off, the written another version. Actually Helhoek is closer to his first spelling and I probably should have included it in my original post. I looked at a map and Helhoek seems to be in the right place.

Hope y'all will stick with me....I'm working on "May" and the diary goes through Oct. 14....

Thanks again, Ann

[Malcolm]

Ann,

Will this help?

Aye

Malcolm

[CROONAERT]

Just for reference....

...map showing location of "Hamhoek"

[Aurel Sercu]

Just to confirm a few things in previous postings.

I don't have the trench map right here, only a modern IGN map.

My thought too was that 'Hamoeke' was to be seen as HELHOEK, as it is close to (1 km northeast of) Abele. (This is the same as "Hilhoek" on the map in a previous posting)

Then I saw "Hamhoek" on Dave's trench map, which having an almost identical spelling as "Hamoeke" could be a very suitable (maybe even more suitable) candidate. However, as it is north of Poperinge (1.5 km north of the town centre), it's a bit out of the way looking at where Reningelst is. (6.5 km east of Abeele ; Poperinge being 5.5 km northeast of Abele.)

Aurel

[ackimzey]

I really appreciate the 2 maps. They help a lot.

Ann