Walking Arras: Gavrelle

Posted on November 18, 2023 by

22 Comments

In this episode we return to the Arras battlefields in Northern France and walk to the village of Gavrelle where the men of the Royal Naval Division fought in 1917, and discover the fields where the Royal Marines lost more men in a single days fighting than on any other in their entire history.

BATTLEFIELD MAP:

RECOMMENDED READING:

Gavrelle Windmill 1917 (From the History of the 47th (London) Division)

Category: Arras, Podcast Episode, WW1 History

22 Comments on “Walking Arras: Gavrelle”

  1. Good morning Paul. I wonder just how many Royal Marines both past and present are aware of this part of their Corps History. I note in the introduction the Village is referred to as Gabrielle Village but the title of The Podcast is Walking Arras : Gravrelle ? Is this a typo or a difference in translation? Please may I also refer to your Trench Chat with Richard Van Emden. Did you by chance have time to ask him why we cannot buy or watch again his excellent Drama Documentary ” The Trench ” which at the time was on BBC I think and from which his book quickly followed. I bought the book and at the time, recorded the series on VHS. Sadly I had to dispose of all my VHS archive when I moved house in January 2018. I know I am not alone in trying to find it available to buy now or watch again.
    Thank you once again for this weeks Podcast and especially bringing to the attention the heroic deeds of The Corps in times past but now illuminated for everyone to appreciate.
    David Hanmore.

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    • Hi David – well spotted, autocorrect had renamed it from Gavrelle! I’ve corrected that now. Re ‘The Trench’ – Richard won’t have any control over that, it will be a BBC decision. Programmes from that long ago only very rarely ever get shown, which includes my own personal back catalogue of documentaries I did for Timewatch.

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  2. Paul, have you changed delivery of your podcasts? It now has to play through Spotify. Spotify was an option but i never used it. I just listened directly from your email, which must have played directly.

    Its been a long while since ive listened. I generally only listen from Nov to March when golf season is over here in Hamilton, Ontario Canada.

    I still want to come to London and board one of your Leger Battle Tour trips. There are so many, deciding which will be very difficult. Obviously, id like to include the one that goes to Vimy Ridge for a day or two. Id like to get to tunnels in Arras and over Ypres. Maybe see the grave of Lt Col John McCrae, the Canadian he wrote, In Flanders Fields. He was born in Guelph Ontario in a little house beside the Speed River. Its a historical site and museum. I think he was raised there. Ive been to it a few years back.

    Flying to London is so expensive high season, about $1000 Euros. Maybe half that Oct, Nov, Feb to April.

    Your recommended reading photos did not come through today on my Outlook App on Ipad either.

    Thanks Paul.

    Get Outlook for iOShttps://aka.ms/o0ukef ________________________________

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    • Hi Steven – no, nothing has changed and the podcast is still available on all platforms and has been the case since the start, the only platform I can imbed on the website is Spotify. That’s been the case since Ep 1 in 2020!

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      • Paul, the email has changed. Spotify is embedded.

        Should I go to the website instead then?

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      • The email is the same as the website! And that hasn’t changed as I’ve only ever embedded Spotify in it. I can’t embed other platforms.

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  3. Brilliant and evocative as usual. I’m actually off to Arras tomorrow with a friend or a few days, so great timing. Following in the footsteps of a relative, Alexander Moodie who died on 9th April 1917 to Blagny, Bailleul Rd, then on to Point du Jour. He was killed somewhere before that objective. We’ll continue to Fampoux and Roeux, where another distant relative RGI Mavor died on 23rd April attacking the village through Roeux Wood from Crump Trench. Then on to Monchy to take a look at where the Monchy 10 and cavalry engaged and Tank / Windmill CWGC’s.
    It’s not an area I know well, so really looking forward to exploring, and Paul’s podcasts are exceptional companions.

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  4. Good morning Paul,
    I have been thinking again on the sheer numbers of RMLI Casualties from the two Battalions deployed in the late April of 1917 at Gavrelle. In 1914 when the BEF came across to France, I think I am correct in saying that a Battalion strength was in excess of 1,000 men. Again in 1916, with the New Armies in the field deployed in readiness for the 1st of July on the Somme, a similar figure applied also. However by 1917 and into 1918 these Battalion strengths and likewise Divisional strengths had been depleted. where once a Division might have numbered around 18, to 20,000 men all told. Now that could have been as low as 10 to 12,000 men. Likewise, a Battalion from that high of 1,000 men plus down to 750 or so. If this was the case in April 1917 and the way that defense had been restructured with a series of Redoubts instead of continuous Trench Lines suggests this, then the losses incurred by those two RMLI Battalions becomes even more terrifying. If each Battalion had already been reduced from a 1,000 plus down to between 7 or 800 to start with, that would mean that they lost in Casualty figures, a complete Battalion. Would that be fair comment Paul.
    Best wishes as always,
    David Hanmore

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    • Hi David – I think most battalions, including those RMLI ones, were probably down to 600-odd all ranks by then. It was very rare for units to be anywhere near 1000 strong. So yes it makes the losses even worse!

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  5. Awesome podcast! Thanks very much Paul, I got in touch back in August telling you how we’d been cycling in / around Arras and diverted to Gavrelle, really appreciate you doing the pod. Hopefully it’ll shine a light on the forgotten history within the Corps. Also, what moving words you gave at the end around ‘those who bore the Globe & Laurel’ and ‘their special place’ on the Old Front Line.

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  6. Thank you for another great podcast Paul.
    My Great Great Uncle was one of those many Royal Marines killed at Gavrelle on the 28th April 1917. He was Frederick Raybould of 1st Battalion and had been with the RMLI since the 16th September 1914. Like so many from that day he has no known grave so, unless he’s one of those RMLI unknowns in Orchard Dump cemetery, I guess he’s still in those fields somewhere.
    We were lucky enough to be in Gavrelle on the 28th April 2017 and were surprised but very pleased to see a ceremony was laid on at Naval Trench cemetery with local dignitaries, children from the local school, French military plus representatives of the Royal Marines – two officers, a bugler and a chaplain. A very moving experience.
    Anyway, many thanks for choosing the battle as a subject and bringing it to the attention of your audience.
    All the best.

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  7. Thanks Paul.
    Great podcast, in fact I think one of my favourites so far !!
    I have a soft spot for 9th Scottish and Hugh Henry Tudor in particular, he was a driving force in Artillery development throughout the War, albeit by ruffling dome feathers along the way !
    As you know FireEater is one of my favourite accounts, he was some character, and a great read.
    Cheers !!

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  9. OK thanks Paul, I’ll keep an eye out for it. I am considering my own walking tour of Arras courtesy of Eurostar and your book!

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  10. My great uncle Lance Corporal William Baldwin was a pre war Chatham marine. He served at sea initially and then joined the Royal Naval Division and was killed on 14 February 2017 and is buried at Ancre Cemetery. Thank you for bringing the history of his unit to life.

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