Essex Farm and 49 (west Riding) Div

[kerry]

Dear All,

I note that at Essex Farm CWGC there is a plinth/memorial to 49(West Riding) Div.

Could anyone advise the reason why this memorial was put there, and where I can find out more on who made up this Div, where they fought and for how long?

Thanks

Kerry

[Aurel Sercu]

Kerry,

I suppose that the location of the 49th (West Riding) Division was chosen where it is now because the front lines where this Division was in action was close by ? Just 2.5 to 3 km north and northeast of the present Memorial ? (The line going southeast from southeast of Boezinge (where Yorkshire Trench and Dug-out is now) crossing the Kleine Poezelstraat and the Pilkemseweg down to Turco Farm.)

I don't know if many Duke of Wellington men were buried in Essex Farm Cem. (I suppose there are), but I do know that many graves in other cemeteries nearby (Talana Farm Cem., Bard Cottage Cem. and Colne Valley Cem.) are Duke of Wellington men

The 49th Div. was here from mid (8 ?) July 1915 till end of (31 ?) Dec 1915.

More about the Division and the bns they were made up of on the mother site

http://www.1914-1918.net/49div.htm

Aurel

[kerry]

Kerry,

I suppose that the location of the 49th (West Riding) Division was chosen where it is now because the front lines where this Division was in action was close by ? Just 2.5 to 3 km north and northeast of the present Memorial ? (The line going southeast from southeast of Boezinge (where Yorkshire Trench and Dug-out is now) crossing the Kleine Poezelstraat and the Pilkemseweg down to Turco Farm.)

I don't know if many Duke of Wellington men were buried in Essex Farm Cem. (I suppose there are), but I do know that many graves in other cemeteries nearby (Talana Farm Cem., Bard Cottage Cem. and Colne Valley Cem.) are Duke of Wellington men

The 49th Div. was here from mid (8 ?) July 1915 till end of (31 ?) Dec 1915.

More about the Division and the bns they were made up of on the mother site

http://www.1914-1918.net/49div.htm

Aurel

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Aurel,

many thanks for replying - do we know why Yorkshire Trench is so called - which Yorkshiremen?

And do you have a plan or map showing where the various West Riding regiments were deployed along that part of the line, and is it viewable today?

This onfo will help me with my cadets visit. Thanks as always

Kerry

p.s. I am doing my recce on 14-16 July and will be calling in to see Bert Heyvaert on Thursday p.m. to do a bit of reading.

[les 1RHA]

Dear All,

I note that at Essex Farm CWGC there is a plinth/memorial to 49(West Riding) Div.

Could anyone advise the reason why this memorial was put there, and where I can find out more on who made up this Div, where they fought and for how long?

Thanks

Kerry

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hi Kerry,

if you are still interested in the 1/4th DWR i have a very interesting locally printed book ( 45 page paper back ) about some Brighouse men, written from letters found when one of them died, there is a digram of there front line north of Ypres, with the trench numbers E29 E30 etc. and the com trenches colne valley barnsley road etc. also a digram of there attack on the schwaben Redoubt. The book is called Comrades in arms and came out in 1988

regards les 1 RHA

[Aurel Sercu]

Aurel,

(1) Do we know why Yorkshire Trench is so called - which Yorkshiremen?

(2) Do you have a plan or map showing where the various West Riding regiments were deployed along that part of the line, and is it viewable today?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Kerry,

(1) The question has been asked often before, and honestly, I don't know the answer. Yorkshire units were in the area in the second half of 1915, e.g. York & Lancaster Regt. (and maybe in the beginning of 1916 as well, I don't know from memory), but the strange thing is that the first time the Yorkshore Trench appears on trench maps, with the name, is not until later, when the Yorkshire men had already gone.

(2) I'm afraid I don't know the answer to this question either. I have a map with the front lines Sept. - Dec. 1915, but it does not give the positions for the various regiments. All I know is that in the northwestern part of the lines (towards Boezinge) the Duke of Wellington men (4, 5, 6 and 7 Bn.) were often there. And the Y&L men must have been here too, for once in a while remains with a Y&L badge were found with remains in that part.

But then, since the 49th Division was here for 5 and a half months, they may have switched positions from time to time I guess ?

Aurel

[Simon R]

[ The book is called Comrades in arms and came out in 1988

Completely missed this - can you give us a full reference for it e.g. author, publisher etc.

e.g. Cowling, E.T. 1946 'Rombalds Way' Wm. Walker, Otley.

[mebu]

Kerry, if it's of any use to you....in the same area were Rotherham Trench, Headingly Lane, Barnsley Road Trench, Skipton Road, Mirfield Road, Halifax Road. Also, Wellgate, which is in several Yorks towns, and Fargate, which I think is only in Sheffield. So, a good spread of names from home!

If you are going to Essex Farm, the 1/2nd West Riding REs of 49 Div (later known as 456 Field Company) record in Nov 15 "engaged in rendering Essex Farm shrapnel and splinter proof" although this work was probably was probably superceded later by the existing concrete shelters.

Hope it's of use, Peter.

[kerry]

Peter and others, many thanks for replying.

Peter, those trench names reflect many of the towns where our Army Cadet Detachments are located. Fascinating - do you have a trench map of that area with these names on and could you let me have details of it? I'd like to try and get a copy from G Smith here in North Yorkshire if you have the sheet number and sqaures numbers.

Thanks

Kerry

[Aurel Sercu]

Kerry,

Map beneath (from Comrades in Arms - The letters of Frank Cocker, a soldier in the Great War - A Study in Evidence and Empathy) shows Barnsley Road, Skipton Road and Huddersfield Road. And as far as I know in Rotherham there is / was a Wellgate.

The yellow square marks the recent extension of the Boezinge industrial estate. In the middle (unmarked) Yorkshire Trench and Dugout. The lower half of Barnsley Road now coincides more or less with the first part of the Bargiestraat.

I also have a map showing, apart from the above mentioned :

Harkness Avenue, New Ealing Trench, Headingly Lane, Mirfield, Halifax Trench, Stirling Lane. (Some are familiar to Yorkshire people maybe ?) However, I cannot post this map, and can only send it off Forum.

Aurel

[mebu]

Thanks. Aurel, saved me a job.

Kerry, I don't think I've seen the names on any map such as Smiths reproduce, trench names don't often appear on the 10,000 series, just on odd regimental etc maps. If you need a particular name Ill see if I can find it for you, Peter.

[Tony Lund]

Just in case it is of use to you:

The History of the 1st 4th Battalion The Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, is useful both for the maps it contains and the battalions itinerary in the back of the book. Obviously wherever this battalion was the rest of the 49th Division was usually close by. It is also a really good battalion history, I wish we had one like it for the Huddersfield/Holmfirth area.

The 147th Infantry Brigade had Halifax’s 1st 4th, Huddersfield’s 1st 5th, Skipton/Craven’s 1st 6th and Colne Valley’s/Lancashire border’s 1st 7th battalions, and these names are reflected in the trench names in the 49th Division area.

I have a copy of the map covering the 49th Division area, most of the northern part is already shown on the map above, but it contains more detail of the southern part. I will email it if you are interested.

The History of the 1st 4th Battalion, The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment. P. Bales. 1919. Halifax and London.

Huddersfield Library have a copy, I have just taken it back.

Tony.