101st Anniversary - Gueudecourt Attack

Plaque erected November 5th 2016 - for the 100th Anniversary

Today is the 101st Anniversary of the attacks near Gueudecourt, France undertaken by the 1st and 3rd battalions at the 'Triangle' and the 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th battalions at the 'Maze'.

I have included images of the memorial garden the people of Gueudecourt have now created on the Forum on the November 5th website.

http://www.november5th1916-gueudecourt.com/forum/welcome-general/101st-anniversary

Updates To Website

I have made a number of updates to the website. Check out the shoutout for information:

Shoutout

November 5th 2016 Commemoration Plan

My plan for November 5th this year is as follows:

1. Meet at 11am at the French memorial in the middle of Gueudecourt.

2. Meet with the Mayor by 11:30am at the mairie.
Unveil the plaque, have a couple of speeches and there may be other items as well.

Anyone my follow me with the rest of my plan -
3. Go to the Bayonet/Hilt Trench area where the 1st and 3rd Battalions attacked where a wreath will be placed.

4. Go to the area of the Maze attack and lay a wreath.

5. Go to Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.

The battlefield (where the 1st and 3rd Battalions attacked)

French soldier memorial in Gueudecourt

Villers-Bretonneux Memorial

M.A.T.R. Researching

 
I have finally listened to all the friends, family and some of the people I have already done research for and created a website to offer my researching skills for a fee.


I am offering my skills is genealogical and/or military research. The website is: 

http://www.matrresearching.com/




Additional Note: The way I came up with the name 'M.A.T.R. Researching' is by wanting to acknowledge the two people that started my genealogical and military researching.
'M.A.' are the initials of my grandmother - in response to her death in January 1998 I began my genealogical research.
'T.R.' are the initials of my great-grandfather who is the very first person I undertook military research for.

A Wonderful Surprise!!

Last night around 9:15pm I received an email from my contact in France that informed me of some fantastic news ...

Some of you may remember last year (or even the year before) I wrote that I was planning something special for the 100th anniversary but I didn't want to say to much in case I couldn't pull it off - well after the email last night I am feeling comfortable enough to let you all in on my special thing. 

This is where the battle for the 1st Battle occurred.

Back Story: 

After my last visit to Gueudecourt for the 95th Anniversary I had the crazy idea that I wanted a monument or plaque erected either right next to the battlefield or in Gueudecourt that commemorated our dead soldiers, especially those still buried on the battlefield. Even though I REALLY wanted this I never thought I could achieve any thing. Though over the last couple of years with the aid of my contact in France I have been trying to achieve something - I had decided at this point in time I wanted a plaque in Gueudecourt. The last thing I did a few months ago was directly write a letter to the mayor of Gueudecourt which my contact passed on for me.

WELL ...

... GUESS WHAT?

The email last night said that the mayor of Gueudecourt had agreed for a plaque to be erected on the wall of the 'mairie'.

 SO ...

This means I need to get busy now organising the creation of this plaque and getting it to France in time for 100th anniversary.

99th Anniversary

Ninety-nine years ago today Australian soldiers were involved in an offensive near Flers and Geuedecourt, France. 

 Thomas (my great-grandfather) and his fellow Australian soldiers of the 1st and 3rd Battalion attacked a 'triangle' just near Geuedecourt, France. Unfortunately a number of them were wounded and/or died during this attack.

This is an attack map for the 'triangle' attack on November 5th 1916

A little further along the front the 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th Battalions were also involved in this offensive. They were attacking a section called 'The Maze' and a larger number of these soldiers were wounded and/or killed then involved in the 'triangle' attack.

This is photograph of the original attack plan for the November 5th offensive.

 

 

Unfortunately for a number of the soldiers killed (especially in the 'triangle' attack) they remained un-buried where they fell until early March 1917. 

NEW WEBSITE

As of early this morning I have made my new website go live!

I have transferred over everything that was on the old site and will be adding new research (information, maps and photographs) about the November 5th 1916 attack. I have expanded my research to all the Australian battalions involved in this attack.

ANZAC Day 2014

Again this year I went to the local ANZAC Day service followed by attending the gathering at the local RSL. This year my brother joined my dad and I for the first time. Also this year I wanted to lay a wreath for the Thomas and the other 1st Battalion soliders of November 5th, something I haven't felt like doing for a few years - mainly because I had thought after the last time I laid one I wouldn't do it again until I could lay one at their memorial on the battlefield.

My wreath.

Instead of having something made, I made it myself (see the picture to the left). I made it out of Rosemary and tied the Battalion patch colours at the bottom.

Dad and I took it up the wreath and laid it on the memorial together.

I have to admit while doing this I was thinking that the next time I lay a wreath it will be in France over their graves (on the battlefield) - I hope. Mind you I still need to wait 2 years.

Wreath at the local memorial.

Facebook Page

I have created a Facebook Page for the November 5th 1916. I intend this to be another way of family members making contact.

The address www.facebook.com/November5th1916France

I will be uploading information about all aspects of the attack into this page.

97 years

Today it is ninety-seven years since Thomas and the other soldiers were killed on the battlefield near Gueudecourt. In three years I will be standing at the spot - hopefully unfailing a plaque to them and sharing the moment with other families. Unfortunately their burials didn't take place for another four months.

Actual Attack and Burial Site

Over the two trips I have made I have come close to the actual attack and burial site of the soldiers. On many different maps I have been able to pinpoint and highlight the areas but have never had a photograph. Thanks to Google Maps now having the street view options for the area I am looking at I have now got an actual image of the burial site and attack area.

The area surrounded by the blue line during the war linked up and made Bayonet Trench. The area marked with red is where they attacked from. The area surrounded by the pink line is Hilt Trench. The green arrow is pointing roughly to the co-ordinate given in the military files. The yellow line shows the area where the soldiers would have died and been buried.  The road makes up part of what was called Fritz Folly.

The above map shows the actual attack and burial sites. In 2016 when I go back for the 100th anniversary of their death I will be stopping here and if there are no crops in and the weather permitting, I hopefully will be able to walk out onto this or at least up hilt trench.

This is the same image as above, however without the coloured lines.

Memorial at Gueudcourt

After my last visit to Gueudecourt for the 95th anniversary of the death of Thomas and the other soldiers I decided that for the 100th I REALLY want to place a plaque in France commemorating them and the battle they lost their lives in.

A couple of months ago I decided to start to try and make this happen, I have contacted someone in France in the hope they can help me and I have started saving money for the plaque.

I have to admit in a perfect world I would be able to get the plaque I have imaged (and drawn) and it would be placed right near their burial site. I know I am going to have to settle for something else, but I will not settle for anything less then a plaque recognising the battle and the loss of lives.

I may have already posted the following previously on here - My image of the perfect plaque (or monument) to Thomas and the other soldiers would be the return of what was placed for them when they were originally buried (though in stone) - A simple cross bearing all their names. I have to admit when I told my family and friends most were a little confused (confused might not be the right word) as I am far from religious, but I feel it is only fitting that the cross be returned. I know others may not feel this way.

I will post updates on what happens when things occur (hopefully).

ANZAC Day 2013

Hi All,

I have been up to the local ANZAC Day service and then the gathering at the RSL afterwards. This year was the biggest gathering there has been so far in the last few years and surprisingly it was not that cold, I do have to say that since I began going to the local service, each year has seen a little more attend.

Once I returned home I set to my normal routine for ANZAC Day - undertaking research, though this year I am trying to help some other people discover information about their soldiers.

This year I didn't lay a wreath. My memorial was a personal one - I have had two (metal) dog-tags made for myself with my grandfathers and great-grandfathers war information. It is so special on different levels. I look at the tags I wear around my neck and think in some way finally they are together - unfortunately due to the First World War my grandfather grew up never knowing his father (my great-grandfather).

The left tag is for my grandfather, the right tag for my great-grandfather

The top tag is for my grandfather (I used the exact name he fought under), the bottom tag for my great-grandfather.

OTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT THE STRANGENESS OF WAR

When looking at my mum and dad's families there is are a couple of unbalanced situations between the two families with regard the wars.

On the one side, my mum's family had a large number of family members participate in various wars, however nearly all of them came home and came home without any issues.

Where on the other side, my dad's family had only a few members (about a handful) participate in World War One and Two with the majority not returning and/or returning with some serious issues (and not just physical ones).

The results of war can be strange.

A NOTE - one of the main reasons my mum's family had some many go off to war is that most of the children born into her family have been males, where with my dad's family most of the children born into to the family have been females. If I had to put a ratio on it, it would be something like for every 1 female in my mum's family born 3 or 4 males are born. Where dad's family is the opposite - 1 male to every 3 or 4 females.

The word is getting out

I received noticed a week ago that findmypast.com.au were going to included the brief summary I wrote about the research I have undertaken / the soldiers of the November 5th 1916 in their ANZAC memory bank.

 This is the image seen by all in the memory bank

When I got to their site I was totally surprised and very pleased to see that this brief overview was the third story, so everyone that visits that part of the site will see what I have found / been doing.

My main hope is that this will give the families that I have not been contact with another avenue to get in touch with me and the website.

Findmypast also put up the poems I have written (they are in another section on this blog), they are on the second page - story number 6.

This is entry for the poems. This also includes a poem found amongst my pop's World War Two items that he had.

The address to view my overview along with all the other stories and memories findmypast have included in their memory bank is: <http://www.findmypast.com.au/articles/anzac-day-stories/page-1>

96th Anniversary

Yesterday was a double sad day for my family. A year ago I was in France with my mother to be at Thomas' death site 95 years (to the day) of his death. At the same time of this commemoration my mother's father passed away in Australia.

So this year November 5th was a time to commemorate my great-grandfather (Thomas Rutherford) and my grandfather (Frederick McPaul) deaths.

This photograph was taken by me on November 5th 2011 and it shows the area where Thomas and the others are still buried today.

Unknown Soldiers In Photographs

The following photographs were sent to me to by a family member of John Harris. They have been placed on the November 5th 1916 website, on John Harris' personal page. They contain John Harris and other soldiers whom names are unknown - if you recognise a soldier please let me know.

John Harris is standing on the left-side of this photograph.

John Harris is standing on the right-side of this photograph.

John Harris is sitting on the left-side of this photograph. The solider standing behind him and the one sitting next to him are from the 1st battalion as they are wearing 1st battalion patches on their uniforms (top of left arms).

Trying to Get Government Support

The following is a brief overview of the steps myself and my father took to try and get government support:

 
My dad and myself decided that we would try and get the federal government to look at my research. Dad hoped that my research would be enough for the government to make them search the Gueudecourt area in the hope of locating our missing soldiers.

I wanted official researchers to look at my research and tell me if I had done the right thing and to say what I found was correct. Once this happened I would feel much happier about trying to locate family members and let them know what I had found.


Our first step was to contact our local federal member to ask him to forward my research onto the appropriate person in the government. Once we did this most of the correspondence was between him and the different officials my research was forwarded onto.


After more than a year, the federal government finally got back to me with their response. It was a mixed response for my dad and myself. Their response gave me the response I was looking for, but did not give dad the response he wanted. I have to admit that I have now begun wanting to know for sure the soldiers are still under the ground.

The government basically said that my research was good and that I was right - the soldiers were buried in March 1917 and never moved. The said that I did not have any new information and that I didn't have specific enough information for their March 1917 burial. Due to these two items they could not do anything further.

I still hope that some day they can help me confirm the soldiers are still there and/or help me erect a memorial to the soldiers.

100th Anniversary

I will be going to Gueudecourt for the 100th anniversary on November 5th 2016. If there is anyone who would like to join me at Gueudecourt and visit the field where the 1st Battalion soldiers are still buried meet me in Gueudecourt at the monument at around 10am (this time may change closer to the date).

95th Anniversary

I have just come back from visiting the Somme. On November 5th 2011, I stood amongst the Gueudecourt battlefield and where Thomas and the 1st battalion soldiers were killed 95 years earlier (and some are still buried there today). It was so quiet while I was standing there looking around.

It was good to be able to "play" the battle attacks on the land instead of looking at maps and trying to visualise it. I took photos of the battlefield and will be placing them on the website.

While visiting the Somme, I also went around to every cemetery and/or memorial which had the 73 soldiers and photographed their headstone or name. I will be placing these pictures on the individual soldier pages on my website (hopefully over the next week).

ANZAC Day 2011

I attended the local Piangil Service today and laid some hibiscus flowers (from my garden) with the burial co-ordinate written on the wrapping.

I am currently watching the Villers-Bretonneux drawn service. It has been a little surreal (maybe not the correct word) because while I am listening to /watching this service - knowing that Thomas and the other soldiers names are there (actually they just showed their part of the wall on TV) I am replying to two new sets of family members who has just contacted me.