basiloxford Posted 23 November , 2007 Share Posted 23 November , 2007 Hi, My great uncle George William Henry Fisher was killed at Hill 70, Neuve Eglise in Belgium on the 17th of April 1918. He was serving in the 2nd Battalion Worcester Regiment at the time. Can anyone tell me if Hill 70 and Neuve Eglise were perticularly stratigic places on the western front. Cheers, Barry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 24 November , 2007 Share Posted 24 November , 2007 Hello Barry Although there is a more famous "Hill 70" near Loos, and a few more "Neuve Eglise"s, the ones you refer to are just east of Bailleul near the Franco-Belgian frontier. This area was heavily fought over in April 1918 (the Battle of Bailleul is defined from 13 to 15 April, and includes the defence of Neuve Eglise) as part of the second phase of the Germans' spring offensive. This Hill 70, i.e. 70 metres or about 250 feet above sea level, was one of the outlying features of the Flanders Hills, from Mont Kemmel to the Mont des Cats, the retention of which at this period was absolutely crucial to the defence of Ypres. Although Neuve Eglise and Bailleul were captured, the British (and French) managed to contain the main offensive and limit its success. The War Diary of 2/Worcs is in file WO95/2430 in the National Archives at Kew, and you may be able to obtain a copy online through their website, for April 1918. War Diaries rarely mention men by name other than officers but numbers of casualties, and the unit's location and activities, are given for each day. Good luck! Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basiloxford Posted 24 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 24 November , 2007 Hi Ron, thank you very much for the information. I do have a copy of the 2nd Worcesters War diary for April 1918, that's how i know where he was on the day my Great Uncle was killed, the problem i have had is finding Neuve eglise on a map of Belgium which i assumed was where it was as he was around Ypres during early April 1918, and his name also appears on the Ploegseert memorial in Belgium. Again many thanks, Barry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 24 November , 2007 Share Posted 24 November , 2007 the problem i have had is finding Neuve eglise on a map of Belgium which i assumed was where it was as he was around Ypres Barry Try Nieuwkerke, the Flemish version. It's about 4cm northwest of Ploegsteert. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frie Posted 25 November , 2007 Share Posted 25 November , 2007 Nieuwkerke close to the French border-- Nieuwkerke is now part of Heuvelland (Hillyland...) (Nieuwkerke, Dranouter, Wulvergem, Kemmel, Wijtschate, Loker, Westouter, De Klijte ). 14 km from Ieper (Ypres) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBI Posted 25 November , 2007 Share Posted 25 November , 2007 Nieuwkerke (Neuve Eglise) Photographed from Kemmelberg (Mont Kemmel) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBI Posted 25 November , 2007 Share Posted 25 November , 2007 http://www.heuvelland.be/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basiloxford Posted 25 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 25 November , 2007 Thanks everyone, Barry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroadwayWarMemorial Posted 22 May , 2013 Share Posted 22 May , 2013 Hi Ron, thank you very much for the information. I do have a copy of the 2nd Worcesters War diary for April 1918, that's how i know where he was on the day my Great Uncle was killed, the problem i have had is finding Neuve eglise on a map of Belgium which i assumed was where it was as he was around Ypres during early April 1918, and his name also appears on the Ploegseert memorial in Belgium. Again many thanks, Barry. Hi, I see that you have the war diaries for the 2nd Worcesters. I am researching Private 30483, Bertram (Bert) Clarke, 2nd Worcesters, resident of Broadway, who was initailly reported as missing in action between 11 and 17 April 1918 and is commemorated on Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium. His date of death is given as 16 April 1918. I presume Bert would have served with George William Henry Fisher and died in the same area. Are you able to provide me with any more information about his whereabouts etc when he died? Thanks Debbie Broadway Remembers - researching the men commemorated on the Broadway War Memorial who died in the First World War Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanbelge Posted 22 May , 2013 Share Posted 22 May , 2013 I will be in neuve eglise next week and can take some photos if you would like some. My Great Uncle was also killed on the 17th April 1918 at Dranoutre but info was killed in defence of Neuve Eglise. best wishes Joan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroadwayWarMemorial Posted 27 May , 2013 Share Posted 27 May , 2013 I will be in neuve eglise next week and can take some photos if you would like some. My Great Uncle was also killed on the 17th April 1918 at Dranoutre but info was killed in defence of Neuve Eglise. best wishes Joan Hi Joan, Thanks for the offer, if it is not too late and you are going to be at Ploegsteert Memorial, a photo of the memorial and/or Bertram Clarke's inscription would be very much appreciated. Thanks again, Debbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 22 February , 2018 Share Posted 22 February , 2018 Hello A long time since your post but my Grandad was killed (E>G>Douglas NZ Field Artillery) on same day as your uncle. The intelligence report on show at Ljissenhoek Visitor Center shows that his battery was shelling Neuve Neglise on that day before being hit by machine gun and artillery fire.,photo of report attached. !00 year annivesery 17th April and I am visiting graves of whole gun crew and officer for last time as I'm getting old now. regards Denis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 5 January , 2019 Share Posted 5 January , 2019 Do you have any information on the 33rd battalion on kings royal rifle corps that helped out. My Great grandfather was wounded and captured on 13.4.18? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 5 January , 2019 Share Posted 5 January , 2019 (edited) Karen, There doesn't seem to have been a 33rd Battalion. See: http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/kings-royal-rifle-corps/ If that is all you have, please post his full name and service number, if you have it, and I'll have a look. Acknown Another thought, do you mean the 33rd Division? The 16th Battalion KRRC served in that and was at Neuve Eglise in Apr 18. Edited 5 January , 2019 by Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen H Posted 5 January , 2019 Share Posted 5 January , 2019 10 hours ago, Acknown said: Karen, There doesn't seem to have been a 33rd Battalion. See: http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/kings-royal-rifle-corps/ If that is all you have, please post his full name and service number, if you have it, and I'll have a look. Acknown Another thought, do you mean the 33rd Division? The 16th Battalion KRRC served in that and was at Neuve Eglise in Apr 18. Hi yes it was the 33rd division. His name was John Henry Harrison c676 or 58811. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 6 January , 2019 Share Posted 6 January , 2019 Thanks Karen. I'll have a look over the next day or so. Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 7 January , 2019 Share Posted 7 January , 2019 Karen, I don't think C/676 and 58811 are the same man. The former was a Bugler who rose to Corporal in the KRRC and arrived in France on 16 Nov 15. The latter did not enlist until 20 Jun 16. The Service Record of 58811 survives. This man was from Hollingsworth Green, Huddersfield. I presume that this is not your GGF. I suspect that you have seen C/676's MR entry: Medal Roll which records that he was in the 16th Battalion KRRC (the 16th (Service) Battalion (Church Lads Brigade)) which was in the 100th Brigade of the 33rd Division. The War Diary of this battalion is on Ancestry: click here or you can download it from the National Archive website for £3.50 here: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353850. The battalion was indeed inaction on 14 Apr 18 at Hill 70 near Neuve Eglise. The diary will tell you the day to day activities of the battalion. I also presume that you have seen his Red Cross Card here: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/5333827/3/2/, which records that he went missing on 14 Jun 18. I can't find any other POW details about him such as which camp he was in. Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 7 January , 2019 Share Posted 7 January , 2019 There's a divisional history that's available on Amazon too that helps put the overall picture together. My wife's great-great-uncle was a 2nd Lt in 16/KRRC and was taken POW around Neuve Eglise during these actions so I've been doing a bi of research recently (and may be making a visit a bit later in the year) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen H Posted 8 January , 2019 Share Posted 8 January , 2019 On 07/01/2019 at 12:55, David_Underdown said: There's a divisional history that's available on Amazon too that helps put the overall picture together. My wife's great-great-uncle was a 2nd Lt in 16/KRRC and was taken POW around Neuve Eglise during these actions so I've been doing a bi of research recently (and may be making a visit a bit later in the year) Hi David Do you know which power camp he was taken to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen H Posted 8 January , 2019 Share Posted 8 January , 2019 On 07/01/2019 at 10:46, Acknown said: Karen, I don't think C/676 and 58811 are the same man. The former was a Bugler who rose to Corporal in the KRRC and arrived in France on 16 Nov 15. The latter did not enlist until 20 Jun 16. The Service Record of 58811 survives. This man was from Hollingsworth Green, Huddersfield. I presume that this is not your GGF. I suspect that you have seen C/676's MR entry: Medal Roll which records that he was in the 16th Battalion KRRC (the 16th (Service) Battalion (Church Lads Brigade)) which was in the 100th Brigade of the 33rd Division. The War Diary of this battalion is on Ancestry: click here or you can download it from the National Archive website for £3.50 here: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353850. The battalion was indeed inaction on 14 Apr 18 at Hill 70 near Neuve Eglise. The diary will tell you the day to day activities of the battalion. I also presume that you have seen his Red Cross Card here: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/5333827/3/2/, which records that he went missing on 14 Jun 18. I can't find any other POW details about him such as which camp he was in. Acknown Thanks for this. My ggf did get up to corporal. He was in the church's lads brigade before joining up. The person with c676 do you have any details like name, d.o.b or address? Thanks Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 8 January , 2019 Share Posted 8 January , 2019 (edited) Karen, I've found another POW card for 676: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/4459737/3/2/. He was in Dulmen POW Camp. You can read about it: click here. There's also some more information on this Forum: I'll have a quick look at his family, but if you need a lot of family research, you can access a suitable family history site yourself. As you can see, I use Ancestry. You can probably get on to it for free at your local library if you don't want to pay a subscription. Acknown I forgot, his mother's address is on the first Red Cross card: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/5333827/3/2/. Is that the man? Edited 8 January , 2019 by Acknown More information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen H Posted 8 January , 2019 Share Posted 8 January , 2019 1 hour ago, Acknown said: Karen, I've found another POW card for 676: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/4459737/3/2/. He was in Dulmen POW Camp. You can read about it: click here. There's also some more information on this Forum: I'll have a quick look at his family, but if you need a lot of family research, you can access a suitable family history site yourself. As you can see, I use Ancestry. You can probably get on to it for free at your local library if you don't want to pay a subscription. Acknown I forgot, his mother's address is on the first Red Cross card: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/5333827/3/2/. Is that the man? My ggf was at Dulmen. So maybe they are the same person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 8 January , 2019 Share Posted 8 January , 2019 He married Dorothy Roberts in 1919. I think he died in 1945 whilst living in Hollywell Lane, Castleford. Perhaps this coincides with you family history. Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 8 January , 2019 Share Posted 8 January , 2019 Karen I don't know if this helps but this is a favourite photo of Nieukerke aka Neuve Eglise as it is today taken from the mine crater at Spanbroekmolen looking across the valley with the village on the horizon. It gives you a sense of how important a feature it was. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen H Posted 8 January , 2019 Share Posted 8 January , 2019 1 minute ago, Fattyowls said: Karen I don't know if this helps but this is a favourite photo of Nieukerke aka Neuve Eglise as it is today taken from the mine crater at Spanbroekmolen looking across the valley with the village on the horizon. It gives you a sense of how important a feature it was. Pete. Thank you 2 hours ago, Acknown said: He married Dorothy Roberts in 1919. I think he died in 1945 whilst living in Hollywell Lane, Castleford. Perhaps this coincides with you family history. Acknown Thank you so much I have found his records on ancestry. How do you know he was a bugler? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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