saint venant 1940-------farm boulet

I know what you mean, Ivor. Compiling the list of all Other Ranks of 1 RWF in '14-'18 and trying to write their potted biographies from the remaining service records, medal rolls and so on I have come across all possible variations. One of the men went under three different names, and that was just in the official papers (I wonder if he also received three pensions - probably not).

Well. it's early days yet. Who knows what Monsieur le Maire of St Venant is going to reply. Might surprise us all.

John

john.

i am starting to think that Monsuieur le Maire of Calonne Sur le Lys who will have the key. but we shall have to wait and see.

ivor

Ivor, I just spent half an hour writing a reply and suddenly it's been deleted for some reason so forgive me if you get a duplicate or two similar replies.
Firstly I'd like to say a big thank you to members of this forum who have gone to so much trouble to help me with my quest.

Regarding your last reply, ordnarily I'd go along with you 100% and I've always believed that there are many derivations of certain surnames simply because the registrars were not very good at spelling when the first censuses were compiled. My own name, Corkhill, is spelled, Corkill, Corkin as well as Corkhill. A few weeks ago, I found, by chance, a photograph of a headstone in St Venant churchyard with the name V. Boulet. I have since found that Boulet is not an uncommon name in that town and I believe that there are two or three Boulets still living there. This does suggest that 'Farm Boulet' may be correct even though there is still room for doubt.

Your post of 13.24 today is very interesting. For the moment I can't find my original thread and so I may repeat myself here;- My interest in the location of the farm is as follows;- My uncle was last seen alive by RSM Goddard to whom he was Batman, on the 27th May 1940. He was wounded in both legs and the Germans had said that he would be taken to hospital by an field ambulance that was in the area. He was never seen again and Red Cross enquiries confirmed that he had never been taken to hospital or a POW camp. At about 12 noon on the same day, a British soldier, wounded in both legs, was approached by an SS soldier near a barn on Farm Boulet and shot in the head. There were two witnesses to this shooting. One was M. Victor Boulet aged 64 years and the other was a girl of about 20 years. This British soldier was left where he fell, as were others. They were buried a few days later in the area where they had been killed and the bodies were exhumed in 1942 and reburied.

The British soldier could well have been my uncle and so I am keen to find out the location of the farm because if it turns out that the farm was not in the vicinity of where the DLI were occupied in their battle, and was, say ten miles away, then that soldier was not my uncle and I can conclude that part of my search.

The information about the shot British lad, I got from the St Venant War Crimes record.

Thanks again,

Tony

Ivor,

Thanks again. You could be on to something here. The map shows that there is a canal quite near the road. RSM Goddard stated that Anthony was lying wounded near the canal when he was last seen. At the time, RSM Goddard was being marched away, with others, to a POW camp. I have never known exactly where they were when they were overpowered and taken prisoner.

Furthermore, the St Venant War Crimes record states that the British soldier, shot near Farm Boulet, was, after a few days, buried on the Robecq Rd. There is a road from Calonne to Robecq. Perhaps that was the road where he was buried, not the one from St Venant.

John,

Sorry for ignoring you its just that I seem to have spent the last two hours replying to Ivor. Thanks for that email address, I am now sending off a request to him. Thanks again, Tony.

hi.
sadly i think my street name may be a red herring as you said john because if my very sketchy understanding of the following s correct it goes back many,many years.
En revanche, la rue de la Motte-Baudet a eu la chance de conserver sa dénomination traditionnelle, qui nous rappelle l'existence d'une motte féodale à proximité de cet endroit. Il faut cependant signaler au passage que "Baudet" n'a rien à voir ici avec les ânes : il s'agit du nom du propriétaire primitif de la motte (Baudet est un diminutif de Baude, nom de baptême d'origine germanique) et son origine pourrait remonter au Moyen Age.

however i still think it a possible position to defend the approaches to St floris.

ivor

oh on some links it is Calonne sur le Lys and St Venant War Crimes

Your interpretation is correct, Ivor. The Motte Baudet refers to a mediaeval stronghold on a mound, and 'Baude' is thought to be the name of the original owner (of Germanic stock). The word 'motte' is still used in English too, in the technical expression 'motte-and-bailey castle'.

John

Another possible approach, Tony.

The CWGC keep excellent records and will be able to give information on the original burial sites of men later removed to concentration cemeteries. It is possible that they have a record of one or more burials along the Calonne-Robecq and St Venant-Robecq roads. That is how I once identified a man.

No harm in asking.

John

John, thanks once again. A while ago I did get in touch with the CWGC and, whilst I hold them in the highest regard, they could not tell me more than what I already know. It is believed that Anthony may not have been wearing any identifying tags at the time of his death. It seems that he left these behind, inadvertently, when he left England for the final time. Although I cannot verify this information, it does seem very likely as he has not been identified to this day.

I will, however be contacting the CWGC at a later date when I have more information regarding Farm Boulet.

Thanks,

Tony

Make sure you ask them about unidentified burials, Tony. They should be able to produce a little map with all the burials in the area, named or unnamed.

John