Author Topic: Where is Jabber Track France near Passchendaele  (Read 9476 times)

Offline Andcarred

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Where is Jabber Track France near Passchendaele
« on: Friday 15 May 09 07:17 BST (UK) »
Hi,

I am trying to find the location of a place called Jabber Track in France near Passchendaele.  My great uncle Frederick Allwood was killed on 4 October 1917 and is listed on the Menin Gate along with soldiers who have no known grave.  However one of Fred's war records say he was buried at Jabber Track on 10 October 1917 and give a Grave No 564 J4.B4.3  (Long time between death and burial??)

There is a Red Cross report on him where statements were taken from his mates who all say they heard he had died from his wounds but did not know where he had been buried.  All official website records say he has no known grave except the one above which gives Jabber Track as his burial site.   The only clues I have are statements that the 4th Btn had taken Poeleappolle near Passchendaele on 4 October and that a Pioneer Btn were in charge of burying the dead.

I have spoken to the Australian War Graves Commission in Canberra who have been unable to help.  Any clues as to whereabouts of the Jabber Track?

Andcarred

Allwood-Birmingham-Australia
Collins-Dublin
North-Sweden
Vincent-Dewlish, Dorset
Austen-Lydd
Dewsbury-Sutton Bonnington, Notts
Wood-Leeds/Huddersfield, Yorks
Godden-Cornwall/London
Jackett-Cornwall

Offline BumbleB

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Re: Where is Jabber Track France near Passchendaele
« Reply #1 on: Friday 15 May 09 08:03 BST (UK) »
Hi:  Whilst I am unable to suggest where Jabber Track is precisely, I think it might be an anglicised name for a Belgian location near to Passchendaele or Poelkapelle (unfortunately my map of Belgium is not detailed enough to cover the very small villages) or perhaps Army slang for a particular place - they named trenches etc.  We were very good at changing names eg Wipers ;D  However, there is a museum dedicated solely to Passchendaele, and I am sure they will be able to help you.  www.passchendaele.be and their e-mail is info@pass....   

FYI Passchendaele is in Belgium, not France. 

Hope this helps

BumbleB
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Offline Les de B

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Re: Where is Jabber Track France near Passchendaele
« Reply #2 on: Friday 15 May 09 08:16 BST (UK) »
My grandfather was with the 1st Battalion, in the same vicinity (Broodseinde), and was wounded the same day as you great uncle (4/10/1917), the first day of 3rd Battle for Ypres. Luckily(?), he was  wounded in the legs by German machine gun fire, and survived the War.

From my research the Jabber Track was a series of wooden duck boards which were layed across the mud, so soldiers could walk without getting stuck in the mud - it wasn't a track as such.  In my records I researched on my grandfather, I have a photo from a book captioned "Fifth Division soldiers on the Jabber Track in the Passchendaele area c.November 1917".

My research notes on my grandfather's indicate ".......... 2.30am 4 October, 1917, soldiers of the 1st Battaltion moved from their position at Westhoek by walking in a single file on duck boards along the Jabber Track, reaching their assembly point at 4am. At 5am the 1st Battalion was finally in position some 1000 yards south of the village of Broodseinde itself.  The 6th Battalion was on its left and the 4th Battalion was on its right. Zero hour for the attack had been set at 6am". "

I obtained most of my research notes from the Battalion Books, which are written accounts of individual Battalion's war history. Unfortunately, not all Battalions have a book, but the 1st Battalion does. These books are available, but you have to find them.

Les

Les
de Belin, Swindail, Willcock, Williams, Moore, Watts, Searjeant, Watson, McCready, Reid, Spink, de Lancey, Van Cortland, and of course, Smith!

Offline spof

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Re: Where is Jabber Track France near Passchendaele
« Reply #3 on: Friday 15 May 09 12:37 BST (UK) »
Bezant (London/Suffolk), West (London/Essex), Walker (Yorkshire), Phillips (West Country - believed Bristol area), Tibbetts (Warwickshire), Armstrong (Co Fermanagh), Harvison (Co Wexford), Neeb (Germany), Becker (Germany), Jakobsson (Finland). Kanneworff (Germany and Denmark)


Offline BumbleB

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Re: Where is Jabber Track France near Passchendaele
« Reply #4 on: Friday 15 May 09 15:58 BST (UK) »
Thank you "spof" for the link to the War Diaries.  I've just found the information I wanted  ;D ;D  You are so lucky with your Australian sites, they are fantastic - wish our's were as good (and free!!!!).  Les de B, thanks also for your help and input.

And Andcarred gets the information as well - what a great day.

BumbleB   :)
Transcriptions and NBI are merely finding aids.  They are NOT a substitute for original record entries.
Remember - "They'll be found when they want to be found" !!!
If you don't ask the question, you won't get an answer.
He/she who never made a mistake, never made anything.
Archbell - anywhere, any date
Kendall - WRY
Milner - WRY
Appleyard - WRY

Offline Woody32

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Re: Where is Jabber Track France near Passchendaele
« Reply #5 on: Friday 15 May 09 16:14 BST (UK) »
Theres a Photograph on that site..heres the link.

http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/E00985
LANCASHIRE = Wood,Howard,,Smethurst,Foxall,Cheetham,Brookes,Grime, Horrocks,Thornley,Arstall,Shawcross,Rowland,Mclean LINCOLNSHIRE = Featherstone Johnson,Toyne,Willson,

Offline Les de B

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Re: Where is Jabber Track France near Passchendaele
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 16 May 09 04:28 BST (UK) »
Woody32 - the photograph from the AWM site that you mentioned is the same one that I have in my research records. The AWM offers a more precise date than my "c.November, 1917". It evens identifies some of the soliders in it!

Spof - a great link. I was unaware that the actual War Diaries were on-line (haven't researched WW1 for a while now). The Battalion Books that were written are based on those diaries, but with much more detail with first hand accounts given. One classic example being when a larrikin Aussie Officer found a local horse, and thought he would ride it in a charge over the trenches. At the first shell fire, the horse turned and bolted back to the farm - bet that's not in the War Diaries!

Les
de Belin, Swindail, Willcock, Williams, Moore, Watts, Searjeant, Watson, McCready, Reid, Spink, de Lancey, Van Cortland, and of course, Smith!

Offline Andcarred

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Re: Where is Jabber Track France near Passchendaele
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 16 May 09 06:17 BST (UK) »
Hi to Les, Spof, Woody32 and BumbleB,

Thank you all for this wonderful information, I will certainly follow up on the websites, the diaries and Battalion histories.

Andcarred
Allwood-Birmingham-Australia
Collins-Dublin
North-Sweden
Vincent-Dewlish, Dorset
Austen-Lydd
Dewsbury-Sutton Bonnington, Notts
Wood-Leeds/Huddersfield, Yorks
Godden-Cornwall/London
Jackett-Cornwall

Offline Woody32

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Re: Where is Jabber Track France near Passchendaele
« Reply #8 on: Saturday 16 May 09 06:36 BST (UK) »
edited  :-[

 
LANCASHIRE = Wood,Howard,,Smethurst,Foxall,Cheetham,Brookes,Grime, Horrocks,Thornley,Arstall,Shawcross,Rowland,Mclean LINCOLNSHIRE = Featherstone Johnson,Toyne,Willson,