Help needed please - 9th Div Ammunition Column

[paulfeeney]

Hello all

I am currently researching my grandfather John C Gough (Driver 372, 1713, 172889) who was posted to the 9th Div ammunition column.

During his time with them he was wounded (twice) so would like to know where he was when these events happened.

I have looked at the 9th Div page on the LLT website, but can't seem to pin them down accurately enough

Can anyone please tell me where the 9th were between the following dates?

15 December 1916 - 21 March 1917

26 April 1917 - 21 August 1917

10 Oct 1917 - 12 Oct 1917 (I think Passchendaele?)

Any answers or pointers to other info on the 9th Div would be most appreciated.

Many thanks in advance

Paul

[Heid the Ba]

If no one comes up with an answer I'll check the divisional history tonight.

I'm sure they were at Arras April/May 1917 and 3rd Ypres sounds right for October.

[Malcolm]

Arras November 1916 to April 1917

Arras Sector April 1917 to June 1917 including Greenland Hill

Somme area June/July 1917 Action at Passchendaele 22nd Sept 12th October relieved 24th October 1917.

Move to the coast October/November 1917, Somme area December Training February

March 1918 Gauche Wood and Chapel Hill unil relieved 27th/28th March.

Transferred to Wytschaete - defence of Messines April 1918 relieved 26th April.

Meteren and Hoegenacker Ridge May to September 1918.

Ypres to Ledeghem 28th September to 14th October 1918

Ledeghem to the Scheldt October 1918 relieved 27th October 1918

no further action

Aye

Malcolm

[dwhepburn]

Arras November 1916 to April 1917

Arras Sector April 1917 to June 1917 including Greenland Hill

Somme area June/July 1917 Action at Passchendaele 22nd Sept 12th October relieved 24th October 1917.

Move to the coast October/November 1917, Somme area December Training February

March 1918 Gauche Wood and Chapel Hill unil relieved 27th/28th March.

Transferred to Wytschaete - defence of Messines April 1918 relieved 26th April.

Meteren and Hoegenacker Ridge May to September 1918.

Ypres to Ledeghem 28th September to 14th October 1918

Ledeghem to the Scheldt October 1918 relieved 27th October 1918

no further action

Aye

Malcolm

Thanks for this information. It has been useful for me as well. Where is Scheldt (a river?) and were the division still there on 11/11/1918. My grandfather was a telegraphist and I have the carbon copy of the ceasefire orders although I'm not sure if he sent or received them. If its the former do you know where 2 Corps HQ was at that time

Regards

David

[paulfeeney]

Hi Guys

Many thanks for all your answers, much appreciated.

Paul

[ian turner]

Thanks for this information. It has been useful for me as well. Where is Scheldt (a river?) and were the division still there on 11/11/1918. My grandfather was a telegraphist and I have the carbon copy of the ceasefire orders although I'm not sure if he sent or received them. If its the former do you know where 2 Corps HQ was at that time

Regards

David

David,

River Scheldt is in Belgium, and is the next major river Eastwards after the River Lys. The 9th (Scottish) Div were in the line from 28 Sept until 27 Oct, 1918 (4th Ypres) almost reaching the Scheldt. They were withdrawn and went to billets at Harlbeke and Cuerne (River Lys, near Courtrai/Kortrijk) where they had previously crossed in the middle of October. The 9th were one of the battalions chosen to march into Germany to occupy the Rhine Bridgeheads - in their case at Solingen, Wald and Haan, with the DHQ at Ohligs (all near Cologne).

Sorry but I do not know the location of II Corps HQ at the time of the Armistice. The 2nd Army HQ was at Casel, Northern France.

Ian

[dwhepburn]

David,

River Scheldt is in Belgium, and is the next major river Eastwards after the River Lys. The 9th (Scottish) Div were in the line from 28 Sept until 27 Oct, 1918 (4th Ypres) almost reaching the Scheldt. They were withdrawn and went to billets at Harlbeke and Cuerne (River Lys, near Courtrai/Kortrijk) where they had previously crossed in the middle of October. The 9th were one of the battalions chosen to march into Germany to occupy the Rhine Bridgeheads - in their case at Solingen, Wald and Haan, with the DHQ at Ohligs (all near Cologne).

Sorry but I do not know the location of II Corps HQ at the time of the Armistice. The 2nd Army HQ was at Casel, Northern France.

Ian

Thanks Ian

I have postcards from november 1918 to june 1919 when he was in Leverkusen He was obviously free to say where he was billeted after the ceasefire. I have a photo/post card of Ohligs but I thought it was a company name. I didn't realise it was a town!

this is a photo/postcard of a 9th division concert party. Its not dated but it was printed in Solingen

David

[ian turner]

David,

Thanks for the image. You will note their badge is the 9th Div insignia - a silver thistle on a blue background. The division had been reviewed by the King of the Belgians on 4th Nov at Cuerne and the Queen noted the divisional badge, as worn on the sleeves by the GOC - Gen Tudor. He promptly cut one off and presented it to her.

The division marched from Harlbeke to Cologne - from 14th November and arrived on 13th December. They were apprx 2 days behind the withdrawing German army. Due to the political unrest in Germany at that time one brigade was railed ahead to Cologne to act as a policing force. The men stayed ouitside Brussels for the triumphal entry of the King of the Belgians into Brussels and had some free time there before marching on.

The troops were billited at the Pioneer barracks in Niepe, Cologne before crossing the Rhine on 13th December and proceeding via Leverkusen to Solingen. Last spring I followed the rough course of their march (by car rather than on foot) over three days, ending at Solingen. Solingen had been bombed during WW2 so no doubt looks a bit different today than at the end of the Great War. Also the Pioneer barracks had been likewise destroyed in WW2 and no longer exist.

These concert groups seem to have been a popular form of entertainement - in a book I have there is a picture of a poster for another group called the 'Iddy-Umpties'!

My grandfather recalled his time at Cologne, mentioning being on sentry duty at night but being wary of the civil unrest; of picking up the odd German phrase, swiming in the river - in all a more restful and enjoyable time compared to the preceding combat towards the end of the war.

If you have any more postcard images of this era I would not mind the odd copy! If you can oblige please PM me and I will pass on my e-mail address.

Thanks in advance.

Ian

[dwhepburn]

David,

Thanks for the image. You will note their badge is the 9th Div insignia - a silver thistle on a blue background. The division had been reviewed by the King of the Belgians on 4th Nov at Cuerne and the Queen noted the divisional badge, as worn on the sleeves by the GOC - Gen Tudor. He promptly cut one off and presented it to her.

The division marched from Harlbeke to Cologne - from 14th November and arrived on 13th December. They were apprx 2 days behind the withdrawing German army. Due to the political unrest in Germany at that time one brigade was railed ahead to Cologne to act as a policing force. The men stayed ouitside Brussels for the triumphal entry of the King of the Belgians into Brussels and had some free time there before marching on.

The troops were billited at the Pioneer barracks in Niepe, Cologne before crossing the Rhine on 13th December and proceeding via Leverkusen to Solingen. Last spring I followed the rough course of their march (by car rather than on foot) over three days, ending at Solingen. Solingen had been bombed during WW2 so no doubt looks a bit different today than at the end of the Great War. Also the Pioneer barracks had been likewise destroyed in WW2 and no longer exist.

These concert groups seem to have been a popular form of entertainement - in a book I have there is a picture of a poster for another group called the 'Iddy-Umpties'!

My grandfather recalled his time at Cologne, mentioning being on sentry duty at night but being wary of the civil unrest; of picking up the odd German phrase, swiming in the river - in all a more restful and enjoyable time compared to the preceding combat towards the end of the war.

If you have any more postcard images of this era I would not mind the odd copy! If you can oblige please PM me and I will pass on my e-mail address.

Thanks in advance.

Ian

Ian,

PM sent

Looking at the dates on the postcards he sent, the timing of my grandfathers journey to Cologne is slightly different. However, they may have been laying cable or patching existing communication lines. Here are the dates and places

25 Nov Courtrai

29 Nov Wavre - billeted in the station

3 Dec Liege

10 Dec Duren

11 Dec outskirts of Coln (sic)

David

[ian turner]

David,

Yes, and a slightly different route, excepting Duren. Had an iced coffee there last spring. No doubt a much changed place since WW1 days, but it was very pleasant.

Here's a pic of a (modern) statue at Duren.

Ian