Canadians (10th and 16th Battalions) at Kitcheners’ Wood

[akahattie]

Hello from a novice in Edinburgh! I am researching my “cousin” who was with the 10th Battalion and also the Canadians  in general in France in WW1.

I have been reading Tim Cook’s brilliant book and also the war diaries for both the 10th and 16th. None of the war diaries mention Kitcheners’ Wood, yet I know that is where they were. The 10th mentions the location K5, K2 which, along with K4, is often talked about with Kitcheners’ Wood.  The 16th does mention “the Orchard”.  Is this the same place? Did they not call it Kitcheners Wood at that time? 

I was in France and Flanders in March and am going back again in late August so I’d love to clear up my confusion! Very grateful for any help and happy to reciprocate if I can - I’ll be at many of the Canadian sites and will be happy to take photos or honour any graves.   Thank you.

[Allan1892]

Perhaps the link below to Wiki could help you

Battle of Kitcheners' Wood - Wikipedia

[Allan1892]

Kitchener's Wood marked with a blue flag (image courtesy of Wiki)

[WhiteStarLine]

Or this map from the Official History, courtesy of TrenchMapper.

Official History 1915 Volume 1 Map 07
The gas attack on the 3rd Canadian Brigade on 24th April & the situation at night
Id: oh-1915-volume1-map07

[akahattie]

Thank you all so much. My query is really ... why isn't the phrase "Kitcheners wood" in the war diaries? They talk about the wood, the orchard and the locations at K2, K4 and K5.

[WhiteStarLine]

13 hours ago, akahattie said:

Did they not call it Kitcheners Wood at that time? 

Sorry, I think we all rushed off to show you where Kitchener's Wood is, when your question was "why didn't they use that name in the war diary".

I suspect you've done sufficient research to answer this yourself.  April 1915 was still early in the war in terms of geographical place naming and as Allies, countries, armies and divisions rotated into the location it took time before the term used by one went into the vernacular, to be picked up and used by successive operation planners and cartographers.

As always, an historical reference in memoirs, battalion histories, early maps or another unit's war diary for the earliest reference to Kitchener's Wood provides the best evidence.  I suspect it just took some time for the French name Bois des Cuisiniers to morph into the literal translation Cooks' Wood and then into the final name always used on the 1917 and 1918 and many 1916 maps, Kitchener's Wood.  The consistent use of the singular apostrophe is suggested by many to denote confusion as to whether Lord Kitchener or army cooks were the origin of the name. 

Peter Chasseaud has written extensively on the evolution of these placenames and I know @Howard is familiar with his research and might be able to help.

[Howard]

Peter Chasseaud wrote Rats Alley: Trench Names of the Western Front, 1914 – 1918, ISBN 978 0 7509 8055 5.

A one-minute glance did not yield Kitchener's Wood but this book is all about naming of trenches and places on the Western Front.

It also contains a gazetteer of trench & place names, now far smaller than the one we have on TrenchMapper.

Peter's book may hold the answer.

Howard