Comments on: At Mouquet Farm http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/ Airpower and British society, 1908-1941 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:22:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/comment-page-1/#comment-104685 Brett Holman Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:45:05 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/#comment-104685 Yes, that's pretty amazing, Julie: you're very lucky to have that. It sounds like Eloise can help you more than I could, but with his name it's possible to find out quite a lot. Here's a good starting point: http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/ Yes, that’s pretty amazing, Julie: you’re very lucky to have that. It sounds like Eloise can help you more than I could, but with his name it’s possible to find out quite a lot. Here’s a good starting point: http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/

]]> By: Eloise Verlaque http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/comment-page-1/#comment-104653 Eloise Verlaque Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:35:16 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/#comment-104653 Hi Julie, wow! what an unbelievable find to discover your great uncle's identity tag.....I have a lot of information from that period regarding the battles that took place from July to September at Pozieres but I will need to know more about your uncle (his name, etc.) so I can work out exactly who he was with and where as the 4th, 11th, 51st and 52nd were all mixed up over that period.....can you email me at eloise (at) ramsay-brown.com Hi Julie, wow! what an unbelievable find to discover your great uncle’s identity tag…..I have a lot of information from that period regarding the battles that took place from July to September at Pozieres but I will need to know more about your uncle (his name, etc.) so I can work out exactly who he was with and where as the 4th, 11th, 51st and 52nd were all mixed up over that period…..can you email me at eloise (at) ramsay-brown.com

]]> By: Julie http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/comment-page-1/#comment-104615 Julie Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:37:42 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/#comment-104615 I had a great great Uncle that was in the same batallion (4th) He was killed in 1916 in August. We don't know what happened to him. Family legend said he was "blown to bits". You no doubt have researched this battalion. We would like to know a little more. A school boy digging in a garden in Pozieres found my great great uncles identity tag and it was returned to us. Can you help us to find out what happened to 4th Battalion in August. I have read the diaries for that month, but with no avail. Julie I had a great great Uncle that was in the same batallion (4th) He was killed in 1916 in August. We don’t know what happened to him. Family legend said he was “blown to bits”. You no doubt have researched this battalion. We would like to know a little more. A school boy digging in a garden in Pozieres found my great great uncles identity tag and it was returned to us. Can you help us to find out what happened to 4th Battalion in August. I have read the diaries for that month, but with no avail. Julie

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/comment-page-1/#comment-83530 Brett Holman Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:51:28 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/#comment-83530 Thanks -- one day I'll go myself ... Thanks — one day I’ll go myself …

]]> By: llewellyn ross harradence http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/comment-page-1/#comment-83370 llewellyn ross harradence Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:31:42 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/#comment-83370 I had an uncle, Frank Llewellyn, who was also killed at Mouquet Farm on 3rd September 1916 and whose body was never found. He also was from the 51st battalion. I visited this site in 1979 and have a dozen or so photos taken at that time, which represent a vastly different landscape to what it was in 1916. The farm has been rebuilt on the same site but the surrounding land is littered with the remains of the original building. Copies available. I had an uncle, Frank Llewellyn, who was also killed at Mouquet Farm on 3rd September 1916 and whose body was never found. He also was from the 51st battalion. I visited this site in 1979 and have a dozen or so photos taken at that time, which represent a vastly different landscape to what it was in 1916. The farm has been rebuilt on the same site but the surrounding land is littered with the remains of the original building. Copies available.

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/comment-page-1/#comment-77101 Brett Holman Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:55:56 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/#comment-77101 Yes, I suppose the arguments over whether the war was necessary or not (etc) can go on forever, but looking at individual stories like these, and scaling up to 61928, gives a pretty sobering estimate of the emotional cost of the war to Australian families. That diminishes over time, of course, but lingers still. Yes, I suppose the arguments over whether the war was necessary or not (etc) can go on forever, but looking at individual stories like these, and scaling up to 61928, gives a pretty sobering estimate of the emotional cost of the war to Australian families. That diminishes over time, of course, but lingers still.

]]> By: Eloise Verlaque http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/comment-page-1/#comment-77079 Eloise Verlaque Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:46:28 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/#comment-77079 Yes, my great grandmother apparently never recovered from his loss and I can't imagine how awful it must have been wondering what happened to him. The never knowing must have been awful. It is awful now, 90 years later. I am torn between wondering if he died for nothing - I suppose I am angry that the machine of war just chewed him up and spat him out and he died without even a grave - and then wondering what would had happened if he and all the others like him hadn't gone.... Yes, my great grandmother apparently never recovered from his loss and I can’t imagine how awful it must have been wondering what happened to him. The never knowing must have been awful. It is awful now, 90 years later. I am torn between wondering if he died for nothing – I suppose I am angry that the machine of war just chewed him up and spat him out and he died without even a grave – and then wondering what would had happened if he and all the others like him hadn’t gone….

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/comment-page-1/#comment-75857 Brett Holman Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:20:52 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/#comment-75857 From the circumstances, it sounds like you've found out all that can be known about his fate. It must have been that much harder for his immediate family to bear, not knowing exactly what happened at the end. From the circumstances, it sounds like you’ve found out all that can be known about his fate. It must have been that much harder for his immediate family to bear, not knowing exactly what happened at the end.

]]> By: Eloise Verlaque http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/comment-page-1/#comment-75531 Eloise Verlaque Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:47:27 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/#comment-75531 Hello, my great uncle Pte William Bowman of the 51st Battalion was also killed at Mouquet Farm on 03.09.1916. He was 19 years old. His body was never recovered and he was officially listed as missing until 1917. From the research I have done it appears his company (C Company) was trapped behind enemy lines during a German counter attack and his entire platoon fought to the end but there were no survivors and no bodies were ever found (due to being in German held territory). I wish I knew more about what happened to him. Hello, my great uncle Pte William Bowman of the 51st Battalion was also killed at Mouquet Farm on 03.09.1916. He was 19 years old. His body was never recovered and he was officially listed as missing until 1917. From the research I have done it appears his company (C Company) was trapped behind enemy lines during a German counter attack and his entire platoon fought to the end but there were no survivors and no bodies were ever found (due to being in German held territory). I wish I knew more about what happened to him.

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/comment-page-1/#comment-73575 Brett Holman Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:20:42 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/08/18/at-mouquet-farm/#comment-73575 Yes, I've got a photo of <a href="http://airminded.org/2007/11/11/somewhere-in-france/" rel="nofollow">Mulqueeny's grave</a>, which Steve John generously sent to me. I think he's got a lot of 4th Battalion graves, so it might be worth contacting him through <a href="http://www.laugharnewarmemorial.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">website</a>. Are you sure, though, that he is actually buried at Villers-Bretonneaux? My understanding is that there are many names listed there with no known grave. Finally, you may be interested in a new book about the 4th Battalion AIF, <em>The Fighting Fourth</em>, available from <a href="http://www.slouch-hat.com.au/html/publications.htm" rel="nofollow">here</a>. It's a very well-researched book. (I had a look for HO Watt, though, he's not listed in it other than the honour roll and the casualty list.) Yes, I’ve got a photo of Mulqueeny’s grave, which Steve John generously sent to me. I think he’s got a lot of 4th Battalion graves, so it might be worth contacting him through website.

Are you sure, though, that he is actually buried at Villers-Bretonneaux? My understanding is that there are many names listed there with no known grave.

Finally, you may be interested in a new book about the 4th Battalion AIF, The Fighting Fourth, available from here. It’s a very well-researched book. (I had a look for HO Watt, though, he’s not listed in it other than the honour roll and the casualty list.)

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