Ralph Senior - York’s & Lancaster Reg. Died 9 Oct 1917 Ypres?

[Nanna52]

My cousin was a New Zealand soldier, killed at Passchendaele on October 12, 1917.  His service records said he was buried at Belle Vue Spur, but his grave was not found.  He is on the Tyne Cott Memorial too.
I found a letter detailing their part of the battle.


https://nzhistory.govt.nz/files/documents/passchendaele-letter-len-hart.pdf

[hmserge]

Hello Nanna52, thank you so much for sharing this letter and what a meaningful and moving letter it is. 
It gives you an idea of the horrific things they went through.
I saw the mention of the Yorkshire and Lancaster Regiment:

‘All these Tommies (they were mostly men of the York and Lancaster Regiment) had been wounded during their unsuccessful attack on the ridge which we afterwards tried to take and at the time when we came upon them they must have been lying where they fell in the mud and rain for four days and nights’.

I wonder what date he was referring to or when he wrote the letter?

I’m so sorry to hear that your cousin’s grave wasn’t found, that’s very sad.  His memorial is at Tyne Cott too, I visited there last Easter and would love to visit again in the future.

Thank you

[jim1]

I wonder what date he was referring to

It was the 12th. Oct.
The British & Australians had tried & failed on the 9th.
Belle Vue Spur was South of your man's position.
Square 4 on this map:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ps4/

[MaxD]

The war diary of 6 Y&L refers, on 9 October from 2 pm, stretcher bearers under a Red Cross flag, being allowed to collect wounded unmolested by the enemy.  Sadly it seems they were unable to find everyone, some who may have vanished forever beneath the mud.  Attached is an aerial photograph taken on 10 October of the battle area  just to the south east of Poelkappelle - and no you can't see anything on it but a sea of mud and shell holes.

MaxD

[hmserge]

Thank you Jim1 and MaxD.
That’s very sad and how awful to think many just vanished beneath the mud.  I think there were quite a number from the Barnsley area that died on the 9th October. 
The aerial photograph is amazing to see, thank you

[Crumblie]

Thank you Jim1 and MaxD.
That’s very sad and how awful to think many just vanished beneath the mud.  I think there were quite a number from the Barnsley area that died on the 9th October. 
The aerial photograph is amazing to see, thank you

There are a number of books written about Passchendaele, the Somme etc. which include extracts from the diaries of soldiers who experienced them which are well worth reading.

[hmserge]

Hi Crumblie,
Oh those books sound well worth the read and something we would be interested in reading. 
I’ll have to research and try find them, thank you for letting me know about these

[MaxD]

"Passchendaele - a new history" by Nick Lloyd - well worth a read.

MaxD

[jim1]

If you're interested in that sort of thing this is the battlefield map used at the time.
6/Y&L are in the position I indicated earlier at the top of square 26.
Contrary to popular belief most major assaults started off outside of the trench along a taped line
where the men would have lined up & lay down waiting for the barrage to lift.
They were on the right flank against the Bde. boundary line (black) which was a brook.
Their 1st. objective was the red line. A Coy. then advanced again to an intermediate position
at Beek House which they consolidated. B Coy. leap-frogged A Coy. & took up a position in front.
C & D Coys. did the same & took the green line.
All sounds simple enough until you see the photo, add the shelling & m/g fire & a counter-attack
& you can see a disaster unfolding.