Where is 'Abancourt'

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

I have just acquired a photograph showing three Labour Corps soldiers sitting outside the RE Sgt's Mess at 'Abancourt' (?).

Can anyone tell me where this is and is the spelling correct.

Ta.

Ian

[Sue Light]

Hi Ian

More than one place with that name - how about 6 km NNW of Cambrai?

Sue

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Sue,

Thanks - I don't know!

I think a clue might be the RE HQ link.

I have a picture that might be of interest to Lancing - some Agricultural Company boys on the farm with some hens. One for your website?

Ian

[Sue Light]

Ian

That sounds wonderful - not much of military interest seemed to go on in Lancing, if you exclude the ASC being billeted on the local population, so a real find! Well, of course, I'm assuming that you know the name of the farmer....and the hens - Leghorns?....Wyandottes.....?

Only joking, the website will be a better place!

Sue

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Sue,

Can't help you with the names of the chickens I'm afraid, but there are some Welsh soldiers amongst the group. ( )

Ian

[Tom Morgan]

I think it must be the Abancourt near to Blargies. (Department of the Oise.) The Blargies Communal Cemetery Extension has more burials from the RE than from any other unit and there were dumps and depots at this particular Abancourt. Perhaps Terry could look up the cemetery register and see if makes any specific mention of these dumps or depots.

N29 (E44) East from Amiens. Road passes through Poix-de-Picardie, then Aumale.

Abancourt is just a little way to the South of Aumale (with Blargies a tiny bit further south than Abancourt.)

Tom

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Tom,

Many thanks for that.

Ian

[Terry Denham]

Tom

The register says...

"Blargies is a village and commune in the Department of the Oise. It became in 1916 an important centre of British and native labour attached to the dumps and depots at Abancourt."

Beside British, Australian, NZ and S African men, the cemetery contains men from BWI Regt, Chinese and Indian Labour Corps.

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Thanks - seems to fit.

Ian

[Tom Morgan]

Thank you for that lookup Terry. I agree with Ian B that the Abancourt near Blargies would seem a likely contender for the location of an RE Sergeants' Mess.

Tom

[clintmann]

I'm new to the forum and was interested to read what some of you have said about Abancourt and Blargies. I am researching my ancestor Herbert Stanley Day who died on 27th May 1918 and was buried in Blargies Communal Cemetery Extension. He was a 2nd Corporal in the Royal Engineers and a member of the 512th Company (attached during 1WW to the 56th and 58th Division). I am in possession of a cigarette case that was presented to him by the "Boys of No. 2 hut, France) as inscribed. The original cigarettes are still in the case! I also have his dog tag and reg. number. I have searched the National Archives for his service records without any luck - they must have been destroyed in the WW2 campaign. I have yet to find or search for diary records of his regiment/unit/division.

According to the Commonwealth War Graves data he was said to have been "killed in action". His grave is ID2 in the cemetery and the other Royal Engineers buried in the cemetery are those buried in adjacent graves. Most of them died (or were buried) on or around the same date. Even though there are references to the cemetery being used for those who died in the adjacent hospital (?) this would suggest that they may all have been killed in an air raid. Although far behind the front lines of 1918, Blargies appears to have been used as a railway link and ammunition dump. I am eager to find out details of any air raids carried out on this location (Blargies/Abancourt) and of any information about the site/locale.

Ian - your photograph sounds very interesting! I do have two photographs of HS Day, one on his 1911 wedding day and one, a few years later, in military uniform alongside his wife (my mother's aunt whom I knew as Great Aunt Ethel) and their young son. They look happy in the wedding photograph and miserable in the latter one!

If I can learn how to attach photographs I shall try to place them. Any feedback and further info about Blarguies/Abancourt/Air Raids/Royal Engineers or of the RE 512th Company would be of great interest to me.