93 years since Burial

This week commemorates 93 years since Thomas and the other soldiers were buried near Gueudecourt (this year is 94 years since they were killed).

Nothing has happened on any further fronts. I am upgrading the website I have created (this will take me a little while to do).

I have realised that for ANZAC Day this year I would love to be able to say that the Army History Unit got back to me saying that I was correct and Thomas and the others were buried near Gueudecourt in March 1917, and are most probably still there if their bodies were not caught in the continued shelling after March 1917. This would make my life and ANZAC Day!

Developments

It has been a while since the last post. A few things have happened since then.

Some family members have contacted me and I have begun a memorial page on the website (http://www.november5th1916.350.com/). I have also completed and been sending out my research CD.

The new developments:

I have contacted my local federal MP and sent him my research CD and a short document (which I will post later) outlining why I believe our soldiers are buried (and still are) at/near the co-ordinates outside of Gueudecourt.

He passed everything onto the Australian War Graves and they took a look. They then passed it on to the Department of Defence History Unit who are in charge of locating/investigating unknown solider graves (they are dealing with Fromelle's right now).

Fingers cross they think it worthwhile to explore / acknowledge our soldiers, my dad asked for an investigation to see if in fact their bodies are still there, I asked for help to put a memorial up and/or recognition that they were buried there.

Denis McCarthy (who is helping me) on his last trip to France spoke to the Mayor of Gueudecourt about having a memorial erected for our soldiers. The Mayor didn't promise he would allow it, but promised to look in to the issue and see what he could do. It turns out the farmer fields where our soldiers were killed/buried belong to the Mayor.

The photo above was taken by Denis looking South West across Hilt Trench. Somewhere under these fields my great-grandfather and the others were/are buried.














The photo above was taken by Denis looking West along Hilt Trench becoming Bayonet Trench. Somewhere under these fields my great-grandfather and the others were/are buried.

April 25th 2009

I have been at the local ANZAC Day service in my town. I laid the wreath and cried thinking that I wished I was laying it in France where Thomas and the others were buried in March 1917.

The service was held in the hall this morning because it has actually been raining here for once. After the service the wreaths were taken and laid on the war memorial.

ANZAC Day 2009

I have had a wreath made for ANZAC Day tomorrow. It has 36 poppies on it (one for each of the unknown soldiers with the known March 1917 burial). There is also a card with "57c SW N.20 D.3.7 Those long lost, that are now known" written on it. (see left for wreath)



The local Piangil RSL was great and gave me the poppies for free. I placed a donation in the ANZAC appeal box as thank-you.

A lot has happened

Since last posting on here, a lot has happened.

1. I have finished going through all the records/files I had and so I have completed my research.

2. I sent of 'articles' to two magazines about Thomas and the others. But I don't think I will hear back from them (as much as I would love it).

3. Two families have contacted me recently who are related to two of the soldiers with Thomas (a part of the 36).

4. It is coming up to another ANZAC Day without a memorial to the soldiers in France (a part from V-B). Right now I have settled for knowing where they are even though it is not acknowledged.

5. I have completed my website to the soldiers.

6. Contacted locate politician about Thomas and the others.




Even though all this happened I still have some things to do.

1. Finish the interactive CD.

2. Send the CD off to the local politician and the people who have contacted me.

3. Try to get something published about Thomas and the others in the media.

Creating a Website

I have begun creating a website with most of the information on I have collected for all the 1st Battalion soldiers who died November 5th 1916.


The web address for it is:

http://www.november5th1916.350.com/


I don't have all the information on there yet, but hopefully will have it finished by the end of the month (end of January).

Narrowing Down

I decided that I needed to concentrate on the soldiers that had unknown graves along with Thomas. I needed to stop researching all the 1st Battalion soldiers who died on the 5th November 1916 and just concentrate on those few.

I looked at the information I had already gathered and created a list (which follows).


These men died on November 5th 1916 and where buried (according to the personnel files) about 450yards N.N.W of Gueudecourt, Sheet 57c N.20 D.3.7 and are commemorated at Villers-Bretonneux

B Company
Gordon Bromley (M)
Alic Brown (R M)
William Gibney (M)
Leslie Miller (M)
Robert Miller (M)
Wallis Rankine (M)

C Company
Alan Andrews (* M)
Thomas Bannan (M)
Ernest Clarkson (M)
William Constable (M)
Robert Costellow (M)
Herbert Elmes (R M)
Reginald Flower (R M)
William Graham (M)
Charles Hambling (M)
John Harris (* M)
William Harris (R M)
John Howell (M)
George Jamieson (M)
Joseph Lanyon (* M)
Osswild McGregor (R M)
David Murray (M)
Milton Penketh (R M)
Thomas Rutherford (R M)
Horace Schofield (M)
Leslie Tiedeman (M)
Sydney Todd (R M)
Sydney Vandine (R M)
George Wallgate (* M)
Thomas Whitton (M)

D Company
James Lewis (M)

Company Unknown or Not Sure
Charles Cregan (M)
Edward Fanning (R M)
Thomas Lunn (R M)
Matthew Thorburn (M)
James Henry (M)

* – No Red Cross File

R - Same burial reference as Thomas in their Red Cross File [Buried about 450yards N.N.W. of Gueudecourt, Sheet 57c S.W N.20 D.3.7]

M - Same burial reference as Thomas written on their Military File [Buried about 450yards N.N.W. of Gueudecourt, Sheet 57c S.W N.20 D.3.7]

There were some soliders that I couldn't place on the above list because the records did provide me with the same information.

# Director of graves: Buried 2 ½ miles south of Bapaume

James Charles Simington

# No exact co-ordinate found in any records for burial, just general stuff - can assume with others.

Emanuel Hansen

John Harold McIntyre

Niall Joseph Mullarkey

George Joseph Parr