Printable View
Tony, I noticed that one Alain referred you to the "letters to the Mayor" form on the St Venant site mentioned in my earlier post. Not much help, but it's early days yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.
A friend of mine, with whom I worked in General Practice in Scotland in the early seventies, is also from Newcastle. One of his uncles served with 1/7 DLI and was killed in the Ypres gas attack in 1915, within a week from landing. Hence my interest.
John
hi
digging again ( i really enjoy this, keeps the old brain active. ) i found this re RWF graves in Calonne.and several unknowns.
.http://www.inmemories.com/Cemeteries...nesurlalys.htm
you probably know about them already.
ivor
re above.
Historical Information
During the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary Force to Dunkirk in May 1940, there was heavy fighting in the area around Calonne-sur-la-Lys, and most of the inhabitants left the area. The school was used by the Germans as an aid post, and British soldiers who died at Calonne, either in battle or of wounds while prisoners, were buried by the Germans in the field behind the school. In 1942 the local people moved these graves into the communal cemetery, but in the meantime the rough grave markers had in many instances become illegible. The identity discs and personal possessions had mostly been removed before burial, so that in 1942 few of the dead could be identified.
The communal cemetery now contains 23 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 14 of which are unidentified. There are also two burials from the First World War.
just thought it might be of interest.
ivor
hi teecee.
is it possible that he name could be BAUDET. i have been looking around Calonne Sur La Lys and found a road called RUE DE MOTTE BAUDET my French is not very good but it appears that a MOTTE is a small wood, belonging to Baudet.
https://maps.google.com/?ll=50.63314...03449&t=h&z=18
it is the small rd leading towards the canal. but directly opposite is a farm. i will see if i can find the name of it. it is on the eastern edge of the village of Saint Flores not far calonne where the Germans had their aid post. we know that "DLI was guarding the Colonne Rd then they might have been here. posibilities that he may be one of the unknowns in Colonne Cemetary.??
will keep looking for the name of the farm.
ivor
I'd noticed that too, Ivor. But it may be on the wrong side of the canal.
John
Attachment 2785
Has anyone had a look in "Red Dragon" just in case there are any other clues?
john.
i wondered about that for a time. but the doc i linked from the Museum states that the DLI took over St Flores on 24th.i read somewhere else that DLI was tasked with holding the Calonne RD and that 2 RWF units would be on their Left flank.(could have been the War Diary's) which i presume were the ones ambushed near Robecq. so i think it a possibility. i have been slightly confused here as i was thinking of Left as in facing the Enemy not as in Line of March.but i figured it.
ivor
Ivor, you may well be right. But what worries me is the spelling 'Baudet', not 'Boudet', which is even further away from 'Boulet' and may indicate a wild goose chase - unless Tony's original source had its spelling mixed up, of course.
John
john.
it troubled me for a bit , but sitting back an thinking brought back some info i was given. some years ago we lived in Huntingdon.cams and for 18 months i was a volunteer assistant at the Mormon Family History Center, Northampton. (only once a month). one of the things which was stressed, in dealing with old records if you don't find a name as you believe it is spelled look for all possible alternatives. From my own experience on 2 occasions i have found my wife's family name of WOODCRAFT changed to WOODCROFT. one of these was on a Death Cert from 1930's. another point that was raised was that some of the people making the old records were barely literate themselves and the name may have been recorded phonetically.
i am not suggesting that the person or persons who wrote the diary were not literate but i have absolutely no doubt that they were under extreme pressure at the time so errors are to be expected also the names are in a foreign language. so i think that there is enough similarities for a mistake to occur.also i suspect they were written in good old fashioned PENCIL which adds another element of difficulty to the problem.
ivor
hi again
thi is a link to a interractive tourist map and i have just been looking at the location in question
http://www.france-voyage.com/towns/c...-lys-23949.htm.
you will have to enlarge the map follow the D186 till you find the road. then drag the little man symbol to the junction then explore.
ivor