William James Keys Dernancourt 1918

[aus*jen]

My husband's grandfather William James Keys, enlistment No. 3426, 52nd. Batt. A.I.F. was killed in action on 5/4/1918 at Dernancourt.  His name is on the Villers Bretonneaux memorial.  His family has always believed that his burial place was unknown.  Recently on National Archives of Aust. website in his war record I have found reference to his burial.  Could anyone on this forum 
explain the notations on his burial at the end of the attached record please.  The note
73 Sgt. Hampshire T. 3MG Bn. refers to the name of his brother-in-law who was also on the Western front.  Thomas Hampshire returned to Australia in 1919 but no information regarding the loss of William Keys was given to the family.  I can only assume that the info. noted on record did not reach him.

[MaxD]

Yes - it says "Burial particulars to 73 Sgt Hampshire T 3 MG Battalion.  Also photo of grave ?? written re location of grave"

The numbers on the left and the ? are probably letter references which don't mean much now. 

As he is commemorated on a memorial,the implication must be that his grave location, if it was known, was subsequently lost.  I would agree that it looks as if these were instructions that were not carried out.  The war diary may have a clue?

maxD

[aus*jen]

Thankyou maxD for the translation. I agree the instructions were probably not carried out.  There is a poignant letter from his mother on his record dated September 1919 asking for information.  The reply indicated there was no information at that time.

Jen.

[philipsearching]

Sadly, the disappearance of a grave is not unusual.

William Keys died at the time of the 1918 Kaiserslacht (Kaiser's Battle, Spring Offensive, Ludendorff Offensive).  The advances and retreats, and the damage to the ground from shelling, meant that many graves were destroyed or the markers were lost.

maxD's suggestion of the war diary is your best chance to find the precise location of the battalion on 5th April.  I am not sure if the Commonwealth War Graves Commission would have any details of the original graves of soldiers re-buried and marked "known unto God", but there is a possibility that William Keys was re-buried in an Unknown Soldier's grave.

If you have not already done so, would you add his name to http://www.rootschat.com/forum/ww1-in-memoriam/ ?

Philip

[MaxD]

This link https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/bundled/RCDIG1006284.pdf  is to the 5 April 1918 page of the battalion war diary which records a particularly ferocious enemy attack which claimed 1 Officer and 32 Other Ranks killed and many wounded and missing and, significantly,
 movement of the battalion to another location on 6th and 7th April  which is of a piece with Philip's post.

maxD

[aus*jen]

Philip, thankyou for your explanation and comments, I will contact the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.  I have added William 'Jim' Keys to the In Memoriam on RootsChat.

Jen.

[aus*jen]

MaxD, Thankyou for the link to the Battalion diary for 5.4.18, this first hand account of the events on that day has enhanced the story of an unknown grandfather who will always be
remembered. 

         
  Jen.       

[mirl]

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1455374/KEYS,%20WILLIAM%20JAMES

This mentions parents, wife and an Australian address.

[aus*jen]

Thankyou Mirl I have downloaded the memorial certificate.  The address relates to his widow
who became the postmistress at Memerambi in the South Burnett district of Queensland.
She was the recipient of the first Anzac Cottage in the South Burnett.  Anzac cottages were built with donated materials and labour for the families of fallen soldiers.

Jen.