Cliff. Hobson Posted 27 October , 2003 Share Posted 27 October , 2003 Ethelbert Harrop, 1st Bn. Sherwood Foresters Killed in Action 9th May 1915 is listed on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Hainaut, Belgium. ( Ihave photographed his inscription) but on the 9th May 1915 his Battalion was in France. :- from the War history of the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters. " In his despatch of June 15th Sir John French wrote that in pursuance of a promise made to the French C. in C. to support an attack which his troops were making on May 9th, 1915 between the right of my Line and Arras I directed Sir Douglas Haig to carry out on that date an attack on German Trenches in the neighbourhood of Rougebanc ( N.W. of Fromelles) by 1V Corps, between Neuve Chappel and Givenchy by the 1st and Indian Corps. The attack in the North was entrusted to the 8th Division, including the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters, ordered to move forward at 5.30 a.m. on May 9th, bombardment to commence at 5. 0 p.m. The battalion moved out of its billets near Sailly on the night of the 8th May and arrived at the assembly trenches some 500 yards south of Rue Petillon without mishap just after Midnight." Question, would the men killed in this action be listed on the Ploegsteert Memorial ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 27 October , 2003 Share Posted 27 October , 2003 While it is in Belgium, a large proportion of the casualties on this memorial are men who died in France, as the CWGC website says: The memorial serves the area from the line Caestre-Dranoutre-Warneton to the north, to Haverskerque-Estaires-Fournes to the south, including the towns of Hazebrouck, Merville, Bailleul and Armentieres, the Forest of Nieppe, and Ploegsteert Wood. Source: http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/cemetery_...ry=88800&mode=1 This includes many who died in the northern part of the Aubers Ridge advance on 9th May 1915. The CWGC say the monument should have been erected in Lille, but I have also seen sources which suggest Armentieres was the preferred location. But no space in either place was available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff. Hobson Posted 27 October , 2003 Author Share Posted 27 October , 2003 Yet again Paul, my thanks indeed. Regards Cliff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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