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Remembered Today:

Monchy le Preux & surrounds photo tour.


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Great pics skinny. Keep 'em coming.

Be a while before I get the next group of shots done,Tom.

As for skinny,gettin there.Be a while too....

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Hi Dave

Thanks for these photos. They help bring the maps to life.

Have only just seen them and have an early start in the morning so will do a longer post tomorrow.

Looks like you had good weather to me, thunderstorm at lunchtime and cover of snow at teatime in my little bit of Yorkshire!!

Cheers

Richard

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Superb thread

Would I be OK to add some aerial and maps views a little later?

Richard, I hope that the information passed on to you concerning the 10th West Yorks has been of some use

Andy

:rolleyes:

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Yeah,Andy.

Fill ya boots as far as posting stuff is concerned!

It was a shame I didn't have any books or me own maps for this trip but,one good thing about getting the car trenchified was meeting a farmer who knows some folks I know & some I dont that could be a great help there in the future.

Richard?

I will post a cd to you with all the photos on as there are lots,some I didnt put on here as they wouldn't mean much to the general onlooker & it would take many emails otherwise.Just email me your address.

Dave.

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Hi Dave

Address on way, thanks for that.

Below is a summary of the 17th Divn history relating to the 10th West Yorks for the period in question, provided to me by pal Chris Noble (thanks again to him for that).

I believe the positions taken up by the 10th WY on the 12th would roughly take the line of your views of Monchy from Orange Trench Cem in post 19 and from Monchy Cem in post 22.

The position on the 13th of their "strong patrols" would be in the area shown in post 10. The road on the right being the road to Pelves(bit lane) which was the right of their position, and looking towards the German lines over the spurs they were intended to occupy, but were prevented from doing by the German counter attack.

Your 2nd photo will be looking roughly along the line of their posts in front of Monchy Wood.

11th April, 1917.

3.p.m., Brigade marched out of Arras along the Arras-Cambrai Road.

Orders being received that;

The Division (17th Northern), were to join VIth Corps, and all previous instructions as to following the cavalry had been cancelled. The 50th Brigade were therefore ordered to relieve the 44th Brigade , 15th (Scottish) Division, north and south-west of Monchy-le-Preux during the night 11th/12th. The 10th West Yorks., relieved the 7/8th King’s Own Scottish Borderers and small detachments of eight other units of the 15th Division, relief being completed by 5.00 a.m. on the 12th.

12th April, 1917.

Positions held by the 10th West Yorks. at this time being, right of the Brigade front, 6th Dorsets on the left. The line taken over by both Battalions consisted of small lengths of trench facing in all directions.

10th West Yorks, trench map location(s), H.36 a.c. and d. and N.6.b. its right flank ‘resting’ on Monchy, whilst its left flank met the 6th Dorsets at H.36 a.2.6.

Authors note.

Just not sure as to correct Trench Map sheet to use. Contact W.F.A for further info.

2 p.m., orders received that the 9th (Scottish) Division were going to attack north of the Scarpe River against the Rouex-Gavrelle road with Rouex as a second objective. The 50th Brigade (17th Division) were to co-operate south of the river. The 10th West Yorks. and the 6th Dorsets were to advance in conjunction and capture a line following the road from Monchy to I.25.d.7.9. And push out patrols thence to the Scarpe.

The 10th West Yorks. proceeded to their attack position and patrols were sent forward and established position on the Monchy-Pelves Road. Due to the failure of the 9th Division’s attack north of the Scarpe, the intended attack was cancelled and the Battalion returned to its original trenches.

13th April, 1917.

No attack was made by the West Yorks whilst holding the above position, however, the enemy, assisted by his aircraft, heavily shelled the front line causing heavy casualties.

Officers;

At midnight on the 13th, orders were received to co-operate with an attack by the 88th Brigade, 27th Division. The attack was due to take place at 5.30 a.m. on the 14th. The roll of the 10th Battalion in this attack was to cover the flank of the 88th Brigade by pushing forward northwards of Monchy during the night and occupying the spurs with a series of strong points. Patrols by the Battalion were ‘immediately’, one can only surmise that this term means a short time after the orders were received, and a series of posts, strong points, were dug with the left flank on the Pelves Road (Wyrall gives this position as Harness Lane?), and the right flank, on Bit Lane. In addition to this, a support trench was also dug inside the northern edge of Monchy Wood, between the two roads. The posts contained a garrison of 100 men with six lewis Guns and one machine-gun.

14th April, 1917.

5.30 a.m.

The attack of the 88th Brigade, 27th Division happened at the same time the enemy had launched a counter attack to re-take Monchy at all costs. The enemy force involved in this action were the 3rd Bavarian Division. Throughout the 14th, the 10th Battalions positions were heavily engaged by the enemy, but the battalion beat off all of the enemys attacks from the north, inflicting heavy losses.

It would seem by 3.30 p.m., the enemy’s attack had lost impetus, but for four hours, his artillery shelled Monchy intensely.

I shall defer to Andy(Havrincourt) to post his maps and aerial views as I know he is much better at that than me, judging from those he has provided me with!

Looking forward to your posts Andy.

I have the Battleground Europe book on Monchy which concentrates on the Infantry Hill/Mound area and your photos of that area help with picturing the actions described.

Thanks again Dave

Richard

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Hi all

Thought I'd gone on long enough last night, so saved my reason for an interest in the 10th West Yorks and Monchy for tonight.

My reason is my interest in the (short) war service of my Gt Uncle Private George T. Verity.

George enlisted approx July/August 1916 and after training was posted in France to the 10th WY approx January 1917. He certainly saw action in January as I have a letter he sent to my Grandmother dated January 31st saying he had just come back out of the line.

The family legend says George was shot by a sniper whilst in the front line, he died in hospital in Boulogne on 18th April 1917 (91 years ago tomorrow) and is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.

The only action the 10th West Yorks were in immediately prior to this was the actions described in my last post at Monchy so it is almost certain that was where George was fatally wounded.

This is George:

post-17246-1208466614.jpg

and this is his grave:

post-17246-1208468205.jpg

Richard

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And this is our local War Memorial

post-17246-1208470755.jpg

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Nice photo's Richard

Here is an aerial view to go along with the diary detail

Andy

post-10939-1208707118.jpg

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...and the aerial from the WFA to get a perspective of the area along with the great photographs

Andy

post-10939-1208724030.jpg...

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Stokes near the cem.

PICT1363.jpg

Snap.

post-357-1208719779.jpg

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Just outside the rear wall of monchy cemetery...

...and what was shouting at me from a flower-bed inside! ;) ...

Dave.

post-357-1208720029.jpg

post-357-1208720150.jpg

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There was indeed a few occasions of odd weather over the past few weeks (generally excellent though), but that only gave rise to decent photo opportunities...

post-357-1208720489.jpg

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Hi Richard.

I was up in the area a couple of days back. Did some pan shots of my own, but it seems pretty covered in this thread.

Remembering your Great Uncle.

Ca Ira!

Chris.

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...

post-357-1208720623.jpg

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Dave!

You cant go posting photos like that last one on me thread!

Its far too smeggin good & puts mine to shame!

Seems that Stokes are in season this spring,thank God.

I aint had to move a minen this year yet.... :rolleyes:

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Hi Richard.

I was up in the area a couple of days back. Did some pan shots of my own, but it seems pretty covered in this thread.

Remembering your Great Uncle.

Ca Ira!

Chris.

Chris,

put them on,why dont you.

Plenty room,

Dave.

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Dave!

You cant go posting photos like that last one on me thread!

Its far too smeggin good & puts mine to shame!

Took a few attempts to be honest - kept getting attacked!!!!

Dave....

post-357-1208727281.jpg

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Hi Richard.

I was up in the area a couple of days back. Did some pan shots of my own, but it seems pretty covered in this thread.

Remembering your Great Uncle.

Ca Ira!

Chris.

Hi Chris

Forgot you said you were off to France in April, hope you had a good trip.

Hope you didn't mind me posting your work on this thread!

Would like to see your pics, post them please...

Cheers

Richard

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  • 2 months later...

Got a few shots at the weekend to keep this thread active in the hope of others joining in. Orange Trench now open so added this to Dave's

post-28845-1215112715.jpg

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Also a view that the attackers of 37th Division will have had when first taking Monchy

post-28845-1215112821.jpg

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Finally for tonight the area above Lone Copse, towards Shrapnel Trench, attacked on the 23rd April (without success). It's still amazes me that Infanrty Hill was still being attacked whilst the flanks were so much in the air - this position is still North West of Monchy. The attack coming under fire from Roeux.

post-28845-1215113379.jpg

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All my books are in France and I am here in Germany so I can't properly describe the next in terms of units etc. It is a shot form the intersection of Bayonet and Rifle Trench, looking east south east towards Keeling Copse. Attacks over this ground on April 23rd and May (I think) led to eventual small gains. It is somewhere in this area that a VC was won by Cpl G. Jarrett or the 8th Royal Fusiliers in an incredible act of self sacrifice. He had been captured with some others and then the trench was recaptured by British troops who tossed a Mills bomb into the dugout. He put both feet onto the bomb to save the others in the dugout - incredible!

post-28845-1215535671.jpg

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