Cambridgeshire Regiment WW1

[Redroger]

I think this refers to the action:---"The joint communication section suffered severely, our lines were continually cut, and they had to resort to lamp communication with advanced Brigade HQ. Clayton was getting worried. Six of our best signallers and runners had been killed during the morning; they included men who had given devoted service both at the Schwaben and St. Julien. Suddenly there was a shriek of a 5.9 followed by a deafening burst, and a Black Watch signaller with torn kilt hurled himself into the dug-out crying, 'They're a' deid! They're a'deid!'
 Clayton grabbed his tin-hat and demanded to know who had been hit.
"They pigeons', replied the shaken signaller. The Boche observers must have wondered what they had hit. A 5.9 shell had scored a direct hit on three crates of carrier-pigeons, and the air for about 50 yards around was full of floating feathers."
 I might add that my late father was brought up in Wisbech, by Mr. and Mrs. Stimpson the carrier of Gorefield after the death of his parents. He volunteered for service in 1914 "because he was bored with farm life" aged 15, and was told to come back the following April and to be more than 16. He enlisted then and was also a HQ signaller.

[EeyoreSussex]

Hi Redroger,

I would be grateful if you could tell me anything about:

Kirkup, Alfred William died 26/9/17 Corporal Cambridgeshire Regt No. 325671 Aged 27. Tyne Cot Memorial Panel 148, Belgium

Alfred was one of five Kirkup brothers who fought with the Regiment in WW1, 3 of them were Corporals. Any information you have on any Kirkups would be great!

Thanks

[Redroger]

Though there is no mention of any of the Kirkup brothers in the history, from the date I believe that it is likely he was killed in the same action as I mentioned in my reply to Babswilliamson on 11th September, the post before yours. If you can give me any further information I will investigate further, but the problem we are always up against is that other ranks were very seldom mentioned by name.

[EeyoreSussex]

Reference my somewhat earlier message regarding AW Kirkup KIA 26/9/17, can anyone confirm where Tower Hamlets Ridge, Ypres is actually located?

[Redroger]

Approximately 6000 yards East South East of the town of Ypres, between Zillebeke and Gheluvelt, 2000 yards west of Gheluvelt. This according to a sketchmap in the Cambridgeshire Regiment History.

[EeyoreSussex]

Thanks Redroger,

I'm hoping to visit the location later in the year to see where my wifes relative lost his life. I haven't been able to find out anything more specific about his death and, from the basic research I've done so far, he could have been killed at anytime 26.9.17. The fighting seems to have been very heavy that day.

[forester]

If you scroll down to post #73 (and 74) on the link below, you will see Tower Hamlets and Gheluvelt is just in the bottom right hand corner.

The road that runs diagonally from top left to bottom right is the Menin Road, or Menenstraat, the N8.

http://forum.irishmilitaryonline.com/showthread.php?t=11535&page=3

Even better, go to post #84, which covers 118 Bde, 39 Division on 26th Sept.

http://forum.irishmilitaryonline.com/showthread.php?t=11535&page=4

Phil

[Redroger]

Thanks Forester, this bears out the information I referred to in the map in the Cambridgeshire Regiment history, though there is something of a difference in the bearing, the line on the map runs in a slightly more northerly direction than that shown on the google view.

[EeyoreSussex]

Thanks very much Forester, very helpful indeed in my plan to visit the area; great description of the advance too.

Regards