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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: cammey on Tuesday 12 February 13 22:57 GMT (UK)

Title: Battle of Cambrai WW1 18th of November 1917
Post by: cammey on Tuesday 12 February 13 22:57 GMT (UK)
Can anyone tell me what happend at the Battle of Cambrai and Battle of Ypres on the 18th of November 1917 WW1. My great  Uncle Donald Cameron was in the 1st Batallion of the Cameron Highlanders and he died on the 18th of November 1917 at the Battle of Cambrai.  I have looked at the battles and it looks like a tank battle started on the 20th of November and the infantry probably cleared the way for the tanks but there doesn't seem to be anything about what happend to the Cameron Highlanders on this date and how they died.
Title: Re: Battle of Cambrai WW1 18th of November 1917
Post by: gortonboy on Tuesday 12 February 13 23:53 GMT (UK)
You could download the war diary for the battalion,,,it is unlikely to mention your gt uncle by name,,,,but could give you a great insight as to what was going on during the period you mention.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C4554415
Title: Re: Battle of Cambrai WW1 18th of November 1917
Post by: Buzancy18 on Tuesday 12 March 13 22:37 GMT (UK)
There were ten men of 1st Cameron Highlanders killed that day and your Great Uncle is listed as died of wounds.
In the Battle of Cambrai there is no mention of 1st Division in the order of battle so it must have been elsewhere possibly in support.

Buzancy18
Title: Re: Battle of Cambrai WW1 18th of November 1917
Post by: 1716 on Wednesday 13 November 13 18:34 GMT (UK)
the infantry probably cleared the way for the tanks

All I can say about that one is that I beleive it took 3 nights for some of the tanks to get into position. On the 20th the tanks proceeded the infantry and were fighting in very close proximity to them, the infantry directing fire for the tanks.