Aisne- Chemin des Dames Battle May- June 1918

[David_Blanchard]

Map of 8 DLI positions on the Aisne, from the regimental history by J H Veitch. My grandfather was a runner in the battalion and was taken POW, 27 May 1918. Find out more in my book Aisne 1918.

 

David 

[weshallremember]

my interest in this

trevor

[weshallremember]

as i understand it from the war diaries

5th Northumberland fusiliers were in reserve at the start of the battle just south of Pontavert

then they moved up via Chaudardes to the bois de beaurepaire

two companies only C  comp  and D comp  were then ordered to move up to help stop the Germans at the intermediate line

between Butte d Edmond and Bois  des buttes

C company on the left failed to make it due to heavy shelling and machine gun fire

D company on the right made it to the objective

but were almost immediately surrounded

THEY DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE

LAMBS TO THE SLAUGHTER COMES TO MIND

trevor

Edited 11 April , 2023 by weshallremember

[john metcalfe]

Bringing this back to the top

I have obtained a copy of the war diary of the 1/Sherwoods who my great uncle served with. I am looking for the locations of the following P.C/C.P's with the view, at a date yet to be decided on to visit the area and locations mentioned within the diary.

The locations in question are;

PC Verdun, CP Tulipe,CP Rose & HQ PC Henry.

Any assistance in locating these will be greatly appreciated. 

[ianshuter]

On 06/12/2021 at 21:58, Steve Gerrard said:

Hi David,

I realise it's over a year since the last post on this thread, but I just wanted to say how interesting and helpful it has been for researching my great-grandfather, Alexander Gerrard, who was a Gunner with the Royal Garrison Artillery (Service no. 95324). He enlisted in Aberdeen in November 1915. He was posted missing on the 27th May and it was later confirmed that he was taken as a prisoner of war and held in Trelon. He later died on 17th August that year, but no cause of death was given. From the CWGC, I learned he's buried in Glageon Cemetery - and by sheer luck came across a photo of his gravestone from one of the few photos of the cemetery online. From his service record, he was assigned to the 26th Heavy Battery and I believe that was in the 77th Heavy Artillery Group/Brigade from Dec 17 onwards. I'm not clear, though, which of the four divisions at Chemin des Dame the 77th was part of. Do you have any idea - or am I completely on the wrong track? It would be helpful to aid my understanding of where his battery may have been positioned in the sector.

Also, I've ordered your book and I'm very much looking forward to it. It sounds like an almighty impressive body of research.

Here's the only photo of Alexander we have, which comes from a newspaper clipping in Aberdeen:

Best wishes

Steve

Steve I am researching Private 108427 Denis Charles Rouse of the Machine Gun Corps (Bn up for debate) and he was also captured on 27 May 1918 and died the day after your great-grandfather, on 18 Aug 1918 at Trelon, and was also buried at Glageon.

I don't know if you have these but your Great-Grandmother wrote to the Red Cross about about Alexander - here is the link to the enquiry held by the Red Cross https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/4574378/3/2/

Also there is an Alex Gerrard also of Aberdeen who is recorded as a POW https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/1532656/698/27475/

In relation to Denis who is named on the War Memorials on the Village Green, C of E Church and Methodist Chapel in Kineton, Warwicks and in her book "Kineton in the Great War" (published in 1998) Gillian Ashley-Smith writes "Denis Rouse died in a Prisoner of War hospital. It is believed that he was made to carry shells to the German lines, and died in hospital of starvation"

Denis's Red Cross record roughly translates as "Solider of 15th Bn MGC died on 8/18/18 in the prison camp at Trelon as a result of intestinal catarrh [Gastroenteritis] and was buried in the military cemetery at Glageon in grave 146".

I wonder if they were both forced to work?

[RobertBr]

I am researching two brothers who were involved in the battle. A quick search of the topic provided some interesting additional information, thankyou contributers.

I was however suprised not to find any reference to the 1/6 Cheshires who were 'late arrival'

            The Battalion entrained at Watten (North of St Omer) on 25^th May arriving at Etaples at midnight where they spent the night in a rest camp. 

On 26^th May 1^st/6^th Cheshire’s were ordered to reinforce the 75^th Brigade, 25^th Division,  They entrained at Etaples at 3pm to travel to Fismes near Reims.

They arrived at Fismes at 7pm on 27^th May and found the station to be occupied by an outpost of the enemy. This was attacked and they surrendered. The train then reversed back through French Lines to Fere-en-Tardenoise arriving about midnight.

On the 28^th they again entrained to La Ferte Milon and then Dormans arriving in the early hours of 29^th May. A route march took them to Romigny saw them under command of 8^th Division 9^th Corps.

The 1^st/6^th Cheshires went into action during the afternoon of 29^th May.

The brothers battalions were within a few miles of each other, one brother survived.

Robert

[Steve Gerrard]

On 24/10/2023 at 14:52, ianshuter said:

Steve I am researching Private 108427 Denis Charles Rouse of the Machine Gun Corps (Bn up for debate) and he was also captured on 27 May 1918 and died the day after your great-grandfather, on 18 Aug 1918 at Trelon, and was also buried at Glageon.

I don't know if you have these but your Great-Grandmother wrote to the Red Cross about about Alexander - here is the link to the enquiry held by the Red Cross https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/4574378/3/2/

Also there is an Alex Gerrard also of Aberdeen who is recorded as a POW https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/1532656/698/27475/

In relation to Denis who is named on the War Memorials on the Village Green, C of E Church and Methodist Chapel in Kineton, Warwicks and in her book "Kineton in the Great War" (published in 1998) Gillian Ashley-Smith writes "Denis Rouse died in a Prisoner of War hospital. It is believed that he was made to carry shells to the German lines, and died in hospital of starvation"

Denis's Red Cross record roughly translates as "Solider of 15th Bn MGC died on 8/18/18 in the prison camp at Trelon as a result of intestinal catarrh [Gastroenteritis] and was buried in the military cemetery at Glageon in grave 146".

I wonder if they were both forced to work?

Hi Ian, apologies for the long delay in responding. I've got the two records you kindly shared, but many thanks for sending them on all the same. I have a list of the casualties buried at Glageon Cemetery and it records Denis's Battalion as the 50th rather than the 15th, so apologies if that just adds to the debate. No cause of death was given for my great grandfather, but I have seen other sources where it talks of the prisoners being on very poor rations and there being a general breakdown in discipline by the guards. - so it's highly likely that they were used for forced labour and that starvation was the cause of death.

Alexander was invalided out of service for several months in early 1917 due to pleurisy and bronchitis, rendering him 'dangerously ill' according to his service record. As a result of that, and given the gas attacks on the artillery positions on the 27th May, I suspect he was in poor health anyway. Another factor was that instances of Spanish flu were rife in the German lines by the summer. Robert Gerwarth's book, The Vanquished, has some scary statistics on German casualties from the flu. However, I'm conscious that that's drifting very much into conjecture on my part. If you've not already got it though, Malcolm Brown's book, 1918 Year of Victory, has a good chapter on the Aisne offensive.

Many thanks again for the information, apologies for the delay, and best of luck in your research. Stephen

[Howard]

Map cleaned up a bit.

Howard

[WhiteStarLine]

3 hours ago, Howard said:

Map cleaned up a bit.