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Anyone needing help searching a trench?


Joan and Terry

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Antony, St james's trench east of Ypres with surrounding trenches

Tom

Thank you so much Tom. Greatly appreciated. Antony

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  • 2 weeks later...
We have a copy of Rats Alley Trench Names of the Western Front 1914-1918If there are any members searching for a particular trench on the Western Front,I will be more than happy to give you the locality.

Joan

Hi

I would certainly welcome information on trench positions near Roeux on the morning of 3rd May 1917. The 9th Scottish Division launched an unsuccessful assault at 3.45am and my great uncle, a L/Cpl in the 8th Black Watch, was killed. I saw reference to trenches beginning with the letter "w" as being objectives - the British trenches seem to have mainly started with "c". The position of the 8th Black Watch before the attack was on Greenland Hill in a line running "South" from the brickworks toward the station. (I suspect this wasn't Roeux station, but was a stop further up the line at the next villlage toward Douai - that station is not there today). What and where where those W trenches please ?

Best Regards

Lachlan Gow

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Lachlan, unfortunately due to the limit on file upload the image of the trenches around Rouex don't come out to well ...

Tom

post-5284-1210833139.jpg

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Harry, is this any help.........unfortunately no trench or sap names on maps of this area

Tom

post-5284-1210834060.jpg

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Edorc, wood trench which lies alongside Mametz wood. This particular trench is mentioned several times in the excellent "Mametz Wood" by Michael Renshaw.

There are several maps and photos showing the position of the trench, using that information I have identified the trench and marked it on a map from "Linesman"

regards

Tom

post-5284-1210881268.jpg

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Tom

Heartfelt thanks for taking the trouble! You are a star!

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Within the Givenchy/Gorre area in the April 1918 period, could anyone also please let me know where 'Pont Pike - Windy Corner', 'Death or Glory Sap', the Company HQ on 'Oxfod Terrace and 'Oxford Keep', and 'Bayswater'?

Also, I know where Orchard Road was but where was 'Orchard Keep'?

Any help/assistance would be most gratefully received.

Thanks,

Ivor

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Not sure if anybody can help with this one as I don't have trench names :-(

Does anybody have a trench map for Hill 60 around 24th April 1915 - interested in the location of 1 dorsets around this date

tia

andy

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Not sure if anybody can help with this one as I don't have trench names :-(

Does anybody have a trench map for Hill 60 around 24th April 1915 - interested in the location of 1 dorsets around this date

Andy.

Unfortunately, you're asking about a period when there weren't any trenchmaps for this area (operations here were conducted using 1:40,000 and 1:20,000 squared "blow-ups" of the 1:100,000 scale Ostend sheet, none of which showed trenches). If it's of any help at all, the 1/Dorsets occupied Trench 31 , Trench 32a , Trench 32b and Trench 33 which were , I think, on the crest of the hill and about 100yds behind. If I had to give an "educated guess", I'd say that that these trenches were part of what was later to be named "Immovable" (Immovable Trench, Immovable Row, Immovable Support, etc)

Dave

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hiya,if anybody can point me in the right direction,i'd be greatful,I've been looking into my gguncle,Christian Seiler 1/6 kings liverpool regiment.he was kia 9/9/16,and beleive was around wood lane-high wood area,pos attack on hop and ale alleys and pint trench.Thank you.Fiona

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Andy, there is a very good description of the 1st. Dorsets at Hill 60 in "Salient points 3" "No prisoners for the Dorsets"

Colin

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Fiona, All three trenches mentioned shown just to the east of Delville Wood

regards

Tom

post-5284-1212150301.jpg

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Thank you very much for that ,Tom.That's much appreciated.Now I know where I'm looking, for the trenches.(Bye the way,who actually named the trenches?I'm proabably missing this,as i'm new to this forum,maybe i should ask at what point did these names crop up?(or even how long had they had their names)?Where should i be looking for that ? Thanks.fiona.

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Fiona, as for naming the trenches..I've no idea, its not something I've come across when reading about WW1

Dave (Croonaert ) is the man for information on trench maps, theres a short introduction to trench maps on his internet site, I've added the link................

http://pathsofglory.co.uk/trench%20maps.htm

One thing I've noticed is that trenches around a common location have similarly derived names, in your case ..Beer. Others might start with the same letter of the alphabet, others might allude to well known roads in London, some are even named after chocolate manufactiurers...the list is endless.

If any Forum pal out there is aware of how the trenches got their names, maybe they could pop-up and tell us.

Regards

Tom

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One thing I've noticed is that trenches around a common location have similarly derived names, in your case ..Beer. Others might start with the same letter of the alphabet, others might allude to well known roads in London, some are even named after chocolate manufactiurers...the list is endless.

If any Forum pal out there is aware of how the trenches got their names, maybe they could pop-up and tell us.

Rat's Alley by Peter Chasseaud goes into huge detail about trench names, and how and why they were named. It also has a look up in the back to get the sheet number and co ordinates of each trench.

You can also do this for free on the WFA web site (because the original info came from the IWM)

Trench Names Look up

This will return Sheet number and co ordinates

A search for DOG TRENCH returned this:

Place 1:40,000 Sheet Letter Square Sub-square 1:10,000 sheet

DOG TRENCH 51b U 21 b 51bSW4

DOG TRENCH 62c F 18 c 62cNE2

This shows two instances of DOG TRENCH on sheets 51B Square U 21 b (top right corner)

and another on sheet 62C

Guy

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Thanks for that Guy, I'm amember of the WFA and did'nt realise that

regards

Tom

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Thanks very much,Tom and Guy for that,Fiona

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Hello Guy, tried the WFA trench search, 3 well known trenches in the Bernefay/trones woods area , no results, is it very selective for certain areas.?

Cheers.

Colin

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Can anyone identify Picadilly, Duke, Regent, Hat and Kit trenches. All near the Scarpe August 1918 within map I.27.B&D? I believe.

Thanks :)

doc

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Hiya,Tom i'm wondering if you,or indeed any body who has acess to maps, could possibly help with locating Worcester trench?It may possibly be in locallity of wood lane.I couldnt get a result for worcester on the trench look up,but wood lane came up with,51b O 17 b, 51bsw2.I'm thinking it might be to the NE of Delville wood?From looking at the war diary of that day,we believe our Christian died while taking a position called worcester trench,and not attack on hop+ale alleys+pint trench.Any help or advice greatly recieved.Thankyou,Fiona.

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Fiona,

Worcester Trench can be found can be found on sheet 57cSW3 Longueval ref. S4d 10b. (bottom corner of High Wood just visible)

cheers, Jon

post-15439-1212968450.jpg

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  • Admin

As for naming trenches, some were named after individuals; a friend of mines Great Uncle had Coleman Street named after him- I think Dave said he was in charge of the digging party.

Michelle

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  • 2 months later...
Antony, St james's trench east of Ypres with surrounding trenches

Tom

post-5284-1208783483.jpg

Dear Tom: Last April, you kindly helped me find St. James Trench as above. With this help, I thought that I would have no trouble in finding the relevant map. Unfortunately, although I've searched Mapping The Front 'til my eyes are sore, I can't find the map that your extract was taken from. Can you help me one more time with a reference? Thank you for your consideration, Antony

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