Tony

Hello George, I?ve found 2 Coops? on the CWGC site, one from Canada and the other from the north of England. I wouldn?t be surprised if they were related. Alister is down as dying on 5.5.17 aged 43. The CWGC states that Alister Coops is buried west of Arras which is quite a way from St. Eloi which is south of Ypres and quite close to Plug Street. Is it possible that he was wounded at St. Eloi and was on the way to or in a base hospital when he died? 1039193 COOPS, Alister Harlow Nationality: Canadian Rank: Sergeant Regiment: Canadian Overseas Railway Construction Corps Unit: 3rd f Bn. Age: 43 Date of Death: 05/05/1917 Son of Jabez G. and Sarah M. Coops. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave: II. H. 12. Cemetery, Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, 15 kilometres north-west of Arras Here?s the other Coop: 85670 COOPS, ARTHUR Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment: Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) Unit: 29th Coy. Age: 30 Date of Death: 10/04/1918 Son of Mrs. Jane Coops, of Brook St., Crewe; husband of Nellie Coops, of 26, Primrose Avenue, Poplar Rd., Sparkhill, Birmingham. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Memorial Reference: Panel 11 Ploegstraat memorial Tony

Rick, Are you referring to the thread on WO's from last summer? I think a "dunno" is the best you'll get from me, maybe Jim or Nick can answer that. I'm at work at the moment but I think his name was Fain, E.R.A.3., H. Fain. Tony

Hello, Is there a way of finding out which ship or ships a certain Engine Room Artificer served on during the Great War? I'd prefer an online search as I'm an 8 hour (at least) drive, 4 countries and the Channel away from the PRO Thanks Tony

Hello Gilbert, That's a fantastic Christmas present, you must have been over the moon when you unwrapped it. I bought myself the Surrey recruitment CD if you need (or anyone else) the name(s) of any 2/20th looking up (or anyone else in another unit), they may have joined up in Surrey, you never know. Tony

Nice Dave, Nearly as nice as my WS even Tony

No Gordon, I didn't really have much to do with guns being in the RCT. They taught us how to use the SLR, LMG, Browning, how to make petrol bombs and how to steal cars and lorries. I don't think your case is from before 1919 as I've only found case with 'R'. that being RL for Royal Laboratories. Could it have been a blank for firing rifle grenades, hence RG? Tony

That must narrow it down Rick He doesn't look very young, maybe he had to get married at the hurry up and left his sword in the get away car. Cheers for the info. Oh by the way, the photo was taken in Stargard in Pommern. Tony

Hello Mike, Variants? There's the letter M stamped on the underside the pin next to the hinge, anyone know what that means? Dave has bought himself one too which has a K. Tony

Ralph, Are the Nachrichtendienst stamps such a rarity? I have a roll of them but note that there's no swaz. Reichswehr stamps?? Tony

I just thought I'd show this photo anyone who's interested, it's very simple but I like it. The EK is being worn with the oaks to the front, is it usual to see them worn with the obverse reversed if you know what I mean? Maybe Rick can give us his name. Tony

Thanks Jon Tony

Jon, I have his SDGW print out and MIC but it doesn't have much on there. He served as 765288 Pte Dobson in the Artists, then commissioned to the RFC, then the Border Regt. and then the Scottish Rifles but his medals all have Border Regt. on them. He only served in France but date entered theatre isn't there. I'm waiting to hear from a researcher on a Somme casualty at the moment as I'm a bit too far away from the NA to do it myself, but please do let me have the name of the person you know. Tony

I'm taking my son in a couple of weeks to show him the general area where his great Grandad (inf. Regt. 94)rolled in the mud in field grey and where his great great Grandad (RGA/Lab. Corps) rolled in the mud wearing khaki. If you want to go along one weekend just give me a shout, it's worth going if only for the chocolates, chips and beer. Tony

The reverse of the first doc and a medical report.

Sal, These documents are from my wife's great uncle, he was captured near Sennelager or Paderborn in about April 45 and ended up in a US POW camp in the south. Tony

No, I've changed my mind. Battle Wood was south of the Ypres/Comines canal. Tony

The map with German names. I actually now think that Battle Wood may have been Schmidh?user on the German map.

These are the approximate positions of the trenches today

David, I've a few maps of the area myself. Below is a section from the Reichsarchiv book ?Flandern 1917? and a piece of trench map. I have the pair and ID disc of a soldier from Bermondsey (my part of London) who was killed in the trench named Imperial Trench on 27th July. The trenches are marked in red because that was the German frontline before the mines on the Messine Ridge were blown (the trench map is from April 1917), by the time he was killed the frontline was about a mile further east bringing me to the conclusion that he and 8 other members of his unit were killed by artillery on that day. I think I've found the position of where the trench would have been and have marked it in red on the slightly updated map. I hope to go there later in the month and take some photos and might just pop along to the Somme too as I have the trio to another Bermondsey man who is remembered on the Thiepval memorial. I haven't found out exactly where he was killed yet. On a side note, do you know where the RIR 94 were at the time? I only know they were in the White Sheet area in June 1917. Tony

Cheers David!

Scott, They appear to be on nice original ribbons too. A nice pair. Have you downloaded his medal index card? That might give additional information on him and then again, it might not. Tony

Does anyone know which German units (especially artillery) were facing the British in the area known as 'Battle Wood' and 'The Bluff' (to us) at the end of July 1917? I should say that 26.7.17 is of most interest to me. I think the Germans called Battle Wood 'Bayernschlo?' but I could be wrong. The general area south of Hooge down to Hollebeke south east of Ypres/Ypern is where I mean. Thanks Tony

Gordon, If you didn't hold the SLR tight in your shoulder you knew all about it but maybe I'm just a southern softy. I've never fired the SA80 but have been told it's a bit of a girls gun. Tony

Yep Theodor, That's a real nice cross and in a great case. I have one in near perfect condition from the same maker only my one is flat. Tony

John, As far as I know, the curl was put on bayonets to allow you to whip your opponent's bayonet off his rifle during the bayonet fight. The SMLE bayonet in question is the 1907 pattern and I think they used the curl till about 1914. Even the French chopped their one off the Lebel in about 1915 or 16. Now tell us all what it's like to fire a MKIII. Have you fired the SLR and if so, can you compare the kick of the SMLE to the SLR? By the way, I only needed about 2 years to forget my serial number. Tony