3RD Monmouthshire Regiment

[dronnyguy]

Hi All,

I am hoping that someone is able to provide me with some information on a relative who was killed during the battle of Frezenberg near Ypres.

His name was Lance Sgt 2196 Joseph Edwin William Shaw of "D" Coy 3rd Bn Monmouthshire Regiment, I am visiting Ypres in November and will be the first member of his family to visit the area where he died and would like to know if there are any maps or details of exactly where his compnat were when the attack took place. Like a lot of his comrades he was blown to bits in the artillary barrage and I will be placing a wreath for him at the menin gate. If there is any one else I can take a message for please feel free to get in touch.

I am also visiting the Monmouthshires museum in Brecon shortly as the war diaries are there but I dont know as yet if they will hold the information I am looking for. It would be nice to be able to visit the exact spot where it happened.

[Neil Mackenzie]

Have you seen this article.

Click here.

It concerns a man of the 1st Bn but makes many a mention of the 3rd Battalion including the fact that thy were across the Zonnebeke road. The Capt James Lancaster mentioned was also in D Company of the 3rd Bn.

Neil

[Neil Mackenzie]

Dronnyguy

The Zonnebeke road mentioned is now the N332 and if the Germans were at Verlorenhoek then I guess the 3rd Bn woould have been in the vicinity of Aeroplane Cemetery and where the N332 crosses the A19.

The railway line referred to later in the article is now the N37.

I have tried to add a picture of where I think the location is but the forum onnly allows fairly small pictures so it has come out poorly.

I can send you a larger version if you PM your email address.

Neil

[dronnyguy]

Dronnyguy

The Zonnebeke road mentioned is now the N332 and if the Germans were at Verlorenhoek then I guess the 3rd Bn woould have been in the vicinity of Aeroplane Cemetery and where the N332 crosses the A19.

The railway line referred to later in the article is now the N37.

I have tried to add a picture of where I think the location is but the forum onnly allows fairly small pictures so it has come out poorly.

I can send you a larger version if you PM your email address.

Neil

Hi Neil,

many thanks for this, it is much appreciated, I dont know much about the 3ed Mons but am learning rapidly, anything you can do will help enourmously.

regards

Mike

kmikeshaw@yahoo.co.uk

[dronnyguy]

Have you seen this article.

Click here.

It concerns a man of the 1st Bn but makes many a mention of the 3rd Battalion including the fact that thy were across the Zonnebeke road. The Capt James Lancaster mentioned was also in D Company of the 3rd Bn.

Neil

Hi Again Neil,

I am a bit of a newbie at this and have only just read your previous reply. A very interesting reply and fits in very much with a map I have found showing the lines before and after the attack. Hopefully the war diaries will shed some light on this as well but as the officer in charge was probably killed the entries for that period may be lost.

Regards

mike

[Martyn Gibson]

Hi Mike,

I have your relative listed on my database about the 3rd Mons.

Died May 1915 - age 24 - son of William and Martha Shaw of 17 Merthyr Road, Abergavenny - commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium - memorial reference:- Panel 50 also commemorated on the Abergavenny and District Memorial,

Town Hall, Cross Street, Abergavenny also commemorated on the Neville Hall Hospital Memorial Scroll, Hospital Chapel, Brecon Road, Abergavenny also commemorated on the Holy Trinity Church Memorial, Trinity Square, Baker Street, Abergavenny also commemorated on the Hereford Road Boys School Memorial, Bailey Court, Old Hereford Road, Abergavenny also commemorated in the publication ‘With

Rifle and Pick’

Ido have some info on the battle at Frezenberg if you would like to visit my website at

www.3rdbattmons.co.uk

I hope you will find lots of useful info there.

I will PM you with other info.

Regards

Martyn

[Max]

Hello Mike

There is a very good description of the Battle of Frezenberg, and the part all the Monmouthshire battalions played in John Dixons "Magnificent, But Not War". Order it from your local library, its well worth the efoort.

Andy