Battle At Vimy

[Guest keith smith]

Has any one got any information concerning the Battle on The Pimple at Givinchy part of the vimy Ridge Battle I Would also like to know where the lads that died of ther wounds are buried as my great uncle died on the 14th April 1917 four days after being wounded on the pimple he must have a grave somwhere although his parents even though informed of where he was diden`t do any thing about it but there must have been a record of him somwhere his name was sidney goodier Private number 58265 Just any information about the pimple would be great

thank you

[David_Bluestein]

Here he is, sadly no grave at all. (From CWGC)

Name: GOODIER, SYDNEY

Initials: S

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Cheshire Regiment

Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Date of Death: 14/04/1917

Service No: 58265

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Bay 5 and 6

Cemetery: ARRAS MEMORIAL

ARRAS MENORIAL

Location Information: The Arras Memorial is in the Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, which is in the Boulevard du General de Gaulle in the western part of the town of Arras. The cemetery is near the Citadel, approximately 2 kilometres due west of the railway station.

Historical Information: The French handed over Arras to Commonwealth forces in the spring of 1916 and the system of tunnels upon which the town is built were used and developed in preparation for the major offensive planned for April 1917. The Commonwealth section of the FAUBOURG D'AMIENS CEMETERY was begun in March 1916, behind the French military cemetery established earlier. It continued to be used by field ambulances and fighting units until November 1918. The cemetery was enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields and from two smaller cemeteries in the vicinity. The cemetery contains 2,651 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. In addition, there are 30 war graves of other nationalities, most of them German. During the Second World War, Arras was occupied by United Kingdom forces headquarters until the town was evacuated on 23 May 1940. Arras then remained in German hands until retaken by Commonwealth and Free French forces on 1 September 1944. The cemetery contains seven Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. The graves in the French military cemetery were removed after the First World War to other burial grounds and the land they had occupied was used for the construction of the Arras Memorial and Arras Flying Services Memorial. The ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. The ARRAS FLYING SERVICES MEMORIAL commemorates nearly a 1,000 airmen of the Royal Naval Air Service, the Royal Flying Corps, and the Royal Air Force, either by attachment from other arms of the forces of the Commonwealth or by original enlistment, who were killed on the whole Western Front and who have no known grave. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick.

Hope that helps

[Guest keith smith]

regarding my great uncle sidney goodier i have got some sort of information i have got an Army form B it says No2 record office shrewsbury 13/12/1917 in contionuation of the notification sent to you regarding the death of the late No 58265 rank privat goodier s regement cheshire i beg to inform you that an official report has now been recieved that the late soldier is buried S.S.W of givinchy on goblelle about four miles s.w. of lens that is the letter that was sent to my mothers grandmother but i can`t find his grave can any body help there must be a record some where saying wich grave he is in can any body help where can i find a map of givinchy i have arranged a trip through the channel tunnel for my mother and my self on the 10/5/004 staying in the universe hotel in arass and would like to have a look in the cemetary behind the citadel but any more information about the above would be greatley appreciated thank you

[Dee]

Here he is, sadly no grave at all. (From CWGC)

Name: GOODIER, SYDNEY

Initials: S

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Cheshire Regiment

Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Date of Death: 14/04/1917

Service No: 58265

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Bay 5 and 6

Cemetery: ARRAS MEMORIAL

Hi Keith

I think David has provided all the information there is (above) with regards to your query, it appears that your Great Uncle doesn't have a grave, his name is listed on a wall at the Arras Memorial in Bay 5 & 6.

If you visit Commonwealth War Graves Commision, search under cemetaries and 'arras memorial' it has a plan which shows exactly where panels 5 & 6 are.

The picture attached below shows the Arras Memorial and Bays 5 & 6 are (I think) towards the right of the picture and at the very back.

Hope this helps

[Guest keith smith]

Thank you very much its much appreciated

[guy taylor]

Hi Keith,

From the information given it seems likely that your great uncle was buried in a temporary cemetary and that his grave marker was lost or destroyed in subsequent action - a fate that befell all too many.

If you plan to explore the area, the French IGN 1:50,000 scale maps are very good and can be ordered from map dealers such as Stanfords (London) or can be found in local stationers etc when you get to Arras.

[Guest keith smith]

Thank you guy i will do that i will get one from Arras i think that what you have just said is what must have happend i would still like to have a good look round the cemetary at the back of the Arras Memorial Though just to pay my respects if nothing else