bartensabien Posted 20 January , 2008 Share Posted 20 January , 2008 Good evening, Can somebody tell me what the 17th Royal Scots (106th Brigade, 35th Division) was doing between the 13th and 20 october 1918 ? They were involved in the "battle of Courtrai", but I would like to find more details. The reason for my question : in my village Gulleghem) 43 soldiers were burried : 42 of them KIA on the 14th or 15th October 1918. These 42 soldiers belonged to the 29th (38 men) or 36th Division (4 men). One soldier (from the 17th RS) was KIA on the 18th October, 3 days after the liberation of the village. I did not look up the war diaries or other document yet, as I'm concentrating for the moment on the 29th and 36th Division. All info is welcome. Regards, Bart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connaughtranger Posted 23 January , 2008 Share Posted 23 January , 2008 Hi The 17th RS was involved in an offensive, beginning on 14th October, to push the enemy to the east bank of the River Scheldt. On 13th, the 17th RS was in a camp at Gheluvelt and was in divisional reserve about 3500 yards east of Gheluvelt. On the 15th it was at Kezelberg on the west side of the Menin-Roulers road and there received orders to support an attack by 106th Brigade at 5.30am on 16th October. It remained in support positions south of Gulleghem throughout the 17th, because of lack of artillery support. During that night it was planned for footbridges to be thrown across the Lys and the 17th RS to pass through and attempt to seize the village of Marcke. Not enough bridges were successfully put in place so, instead, 2 platoons under Lts Harvey and Inman crossed after midnight and rushed some enemy posts killing 6 Germans and taking 3 prisoner. The patrol returned at dawn on the 18th with 1 casualty, Lt H R Harvey wounded. On the 18th October the battalion carried out a night operation to capture Marcke and under a barrage advanced at 10pm; all objectives were gained with the loss of 3 wounded. No KIA are mentioned in the history, unless 1 of the wounded died on the way to a dressing station or CCS. On 19th October the 104th Brigade carried on the operation and the 17th RS went into divisional reserve. On the 20th the battalion marched at 7am to Evangelie Boom. At 10am they moved to Geeteknok staying there till 4.30pm, before proceeding to Kreupel to act as reserve to 12th and 18th HLI. They were not involved in action that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bantamforgot Posted 23 January , 2008 Share Posted 23 January , 2008 Hi Bart , According to my records of the 17th. RS, during October 18 they had one officer wounded, 8 OR killed, 54 wounded. I can't give you dates alas. Regards. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartensabien Posted 24 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 24 January , 2008 good evening, Thanks you very much for the info. I forgot to mention in my first post that the killed soldier is Pte J. Nicol. He was burried near the centre of the village. The river Lys is only a few miles from here. It could be that Pte Nocol was wounded during the attack in Marcke (8 miles from here) and died in Gulleghem. I read somewhere that some Nortumberland soldiers were killed in Gulleghem, on their way back to their billets in Moorsele, after they did some works on the bridge over the river Lys in Bisseghem.... I will start digging. I will keep you informed. Bart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bantamforgot Posted 24 January , 2008 Share Posted 24 January , 2008 During Oct. 18 , 1 Or killed 8 wounded N. Fusiliers . Regards. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connaughtranger Posted 24 January , 2008 Share Posted 24 January , 2008 SDGW shows Pte Nicol as having died on that date, oddly the history doesn't, although such writers tend to trawl through War Diaries Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartensabien Posted 25 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 25 January , 2008 Good evening, I have 2 sources telling that Pte Nicol was KIA on the 18th oktober 1918: - In the archives of the village, there is a list with 43 names of soldiers killed in Gulleghem. The list is made by a clerk , and shows besides the name, nr, rang, battalion, KIA+ date also the location of the grave. All graves are scattered over the nothern part of the village. 42 soldiers of the 36 and 29th division and Pte Nicol from the 35th Division. - There is a sketch of the grave of J. Nicol, the cross is showing the same data as on the list mentioned above. The sketch was made in october 1918 by an unknown soldier-artist from the RFA. So I presume he was killed on the 18th. To be continued. About the Northumberlands I mentioned before, this is what I found back : ........on the 20th october the 19th Battalion suffered their biggest loss when a 4.2 shell landed on a platoon of 'Y' Company returning from work on the Moorseele - Schoonwater (a hamlet in Gulleghem) road and the approaches to the pontoon bridges across the River Lys, near Marcke. Just before reaching their billets at Moorseele the shell landed in the middle of the platoon, killing nine men outright and wounding a further sixteen.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bantamforgot Posted 25 January , 2008 Share Posted 25 January , 2008 Hi Bart, I only have the records of the 35th. Div. to go on , according to them the only unit in the Bgde.to suffer major casualties in October were the 17th. Lancs.? No doubt your findings are more reliable, perhaps the diary? Regards. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bantamforgot Posted 28 January , 2008 Share Posted 28 January , 2008 Hello Bart, Still can't find any info. on the N F casualties on that date, however on the 19th. the Royal engineers suffered 25 casualties" 25 "men & 11 horses working on the pontoon bridges, no mention of casualties to the NF? I suppose only the war diary would resolve this , have you this, ? Strange the number of casualties is the same?? Regards. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartensabien Posted 28 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 28 January , 2008 good evening, I do not have the war diaries of the 17th Royal Scots and the 19th Nothumberland Fusiliers yet. Until now I was concentrating on the liberation of Gulleghem by (mostly) the 29th and 36th Division on the 14th and 15th october. I will check if the war diaries can be downloaded. Talk to you soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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