Dadizeele Cemetry, Belgium

[Mr Grinch]

Hi all,

After a visiting my Great Uncle grave at Dadizeele Cemetery in Belgium, i decided to jot down any Middlesex Regiment graves in the cemetery. I collect and research to this Regiment so thought they could also give an insight into how my great uncle died. There were four listed:

Private B A Beanland G-54072 23rd Battalion, Middx Reg - Died 13th October 1918

Corporal G H Hill 2236 23rd Battalion, Middx Reg MM with Bar - Died 18th October 1918

Private C F Turner 54044 23rd Battalion, Middx Reg - Died 18th October 1918

Sargent G Warren 235274 23rd Battalion, Middx Reg - Died 18th October 1918

As a new man to the hobbie how woulsd i go about researching the Battlions movements around this time. How would i find out more about these men ??

Any help appreciated.

Regards

Mr G

[sotonmate]

Mr G

The Battle of Courtrai,23 Middx were with 41 Division.

War Diary for the period you want is WO95/2639.

Sotonmate

[ian turner]

Have you seen the SDGW info for these men?

G/54072 - shown as: Frederick Alexander BEENLANDS

Born Clerkenwell

Enlisted Whitehall

Resident Lower Edmonton

F/2236 George Henry HILL

B Ladywood, War

E Holmbury, Surrey

R Selby Oak, Birmingham

SDGW has supplimentary note: 'M F' (I am not sure of these initials, but probably his decoration)

G/54044 Charles Frederick TURNER

B Islington

E Whitehall

R London

T F 235274 George WARREN

B Alfreston, Derbys

E Afreston

R - not given

Whilst you will need to read the battalion and divisional histories, I can add that my Grandfather was in the 9th Scottish Div in the same 2nd Army as your Middx men, at this battle. On 13th Oct they (9 Div) were preparing for attack on the 14th Oct (expect would have been coordinated along the line) - Germans were active with counter-bombardment that evening.

18th October - preparing to cross the Lys on 19th oct. Seeing your group of casualties (SDGW shows only these three 23 Middx Bn casualties that day) I wonder if they were either hit by a shell or involved in a particular action. I expect the Bn war diary might reveal a bit more, although they do not usually name other ranks. But they might total the daily casualty numbers which you could collate with the above.

Ian

PS -The burial at Dadizeele was a post-war concetration rather than battlefield burial.

From CWGC:

The village of Dadizeele (now Dadizele) was in German hands for much of the First World War until reached by the 36th (Ulster) Division, and taken by the 9th (Scottish) Division, on 29 September 1918. Severe fighting followed on 1 October, at Hill 41, a little south of the village. Dadizeele New British Cemetery is in fact an extension of the communal cemetery. It was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from other burial grounds and from the battlefields of 1918, although there are a few 1914 graves in Plot VI, Row D. The graves are mainly those of the 36th, 9th and 35th Divisions. The cemetery contains 1,029 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 158 of the burials are unidentified and there are special memorials to seven casualties known or believed to be buried in the cemetery. Other special memorials bear the names of three soldiers buried in German cemeteries, whose graves could not be found on concentration. The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden

[Mr Grinch]

Thanks for the info !

King regards