Monchy le Preux

[paul guthrie]

The Newfoundland Regiment had it's 2d worst day there April 14, 1917. Between the 12th & 15th 166 killed, 141 wounded, 153 captured, 28 of these died.

Memoirs of a Blue Puttee is quite a good book. Author A J Stacey says he was told in 1954 by Art Herder that several men were buried alive when an aid post was hit near there and War Graves Commission wanted him to go there and show them location so they could bury them in a cemetery, he declined as they wanted him to pay expense.

Any comments? Terry?

And why no caribou at Suvla?

[Terry Denham]

Paul

Expense of what? Does not quite ring true.

Are there any more details?

[paul guthrie]

That's really all there is on the topic, interesting but no idea if it's true Stacey does not claim first hand knowledge.

" Our luck was not with us at Monchy as a whole German division was poised to attack us that morning. There were several wounded buried alive when the shell struck the First Aid Post, so Art Herder told me in 1954. He was in touch with the War Graves Commissiom soon after the war. They wanted him to go to France and show them where the First Aid Post had been located. They wanted to place the bodies in a cemetery. He did not go, as they wanted him to pay the expenses."

He goes on to describe the post which he observed in presence of a doctor but he did not have knowlege about after the war etc. beyond what Herder said. Stacey clearly means expenses of the trip.

[Terry Denham]

Assuming he means expenses of the trip (quite plausable), I assume that IWGC would have wanted him to pay his own costs.

I presume he could not give an exact enough description verbally. Perhaps they were sceptical of his claim. Who knows? I imagine that they would have been very wary of paying one person's costs for fear of setting a precedent.

[paul guthrie]

There are a lot of assumptions here. First I assume he spoke or corresponded with Ottawa not Maidenhead. And I think he initiated the conversation but he did say they wanted him to show them the location shortly after the war. Quite plausible and I'm sure they were not rolling in money. Interesting but I doubt there is any record of this and that's too bad but so often true when dealing with many aspects of the period.

[Paul Reed]

Paul - I suspect no Caribou at Suvla because the Newfoundland Regt only saw brief service there, and did not take part in any battles or major actions. All the 5 Caribous on the WF commemorate a major battle.