Whereabouts of 1st/5th Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regt.

[jim1]

All of the above is in regard to the 1/5th.
The info. & last map is from their C.O.'s war diary.
There is from time to time O R's mentioned but as I don't know who we are talking about I can't say if he's amongst them.
You'd be ok to visit these sites, it's Theipval Memorial & visitor centre that will be crowded.

[BumbleB]

BUT Thiepval is such a truly evocative place to visit!  All those names of men who have no final resting place - my granddad amongst them, just a name on a monument! 

[jim1]

Not just a name on a Monument. A name on the Monument.

[BumbleB]

Sorry, Jim, I wasn't belittling Thiepval, but it only one of the many wonderfully evocative monuments/memorials - Menin Gate, Tyne Cot, and so many others, great and small.

[mmm45]

3rd Sept 1916 was Spen Valleys blackest day of war.Lots of the lads were in West Riding TF and were part of this attack.
There's a great thread on it with photos on the Great War Forum.

Ady

[newburychap]

If you haven't got a ticket you won't get within a few miles of Thiepval on 1 July - the French are implementing an exclusion zone that covers most of the key sites in the northern sector of the front.  Presumably  to allow the VIPs to do the tour without ISIS interference.

If you want to visit Thiepval Wood and the Schwaben Redoubt area I'd recommend avoiding 1 July and a day or two either side. And I'm sure your ancestor won't mind if you are a day or three late for the centenary.

I would also recommend contacting the Ulster Tower and booking a tour of Thiepval Wood - it's the only way to get into the wood and it's well worth getting into.  And it's free (donations welcome and you'll be pleased to give one, the tour is superb).

[bykerlads]

Newbury,
Many thanks for your input.
We're definitely going to delay our visit by a day or two. Don't want to get in the way of the official commemorations. The CWGC website suggests that from early on 2 July it should be possible to get to La Boiselle, Avulay and Thiepval woods, Mesnil and Authuille.
The tour of Thiepval woods sounds a really good focus point for the trip.
On previous occasions we have wandered around war grave areas fairly randomly but this time it looks that advanced planning would be a good idea.

[newburychap]

Also, Jim, I am interested to know the source of your detailed information- is there a book on the subject or are there records available to view?

The battalion's war diary can be downloaded from the National Archives website at a cost (£3.50) or, page by page, from Ancestry.

[bykerlads]

Will be interested to have a look.
Thanks again.