Finally got a copy of Swindon's War Record today. Passed on to me by Sheila, widow of John Iles, who both founded the Wilts Branch of the WFA back in 1988 of which I later became Branch Chairman . Saw some excellent photos I'd thought I'd share of a bridge built by The Swindon Company of The Wilts (Fortress) Royal Engineers in 1918 near Havrincourt. ....the company was joined with a New Zealand tunnelling company and set to erect over the Canal du Nord , near Havrincourt , a steel girder bridge, Hopkins' type , of 180 feet span. This bridge , the largest military bridge erected in the country , proved of much interest to the authorities , and Sir Douglas Haig himself inspected it twice during the course of its construction; 14 officers and 310 men of other ranks were engaged upon the work; the weight of the bridge was 110 tons and its launching weight 120 tons, whilst launching length was 240 feet. The task was completed in the astonishingly short time of 104 hours. I found this photo daing from 1917 of the same spot, showing the ruined bridge this new one was to replace. Q 56827 Damage to the Canal du Nord at Havrincourt, November 1917. I see there is a Now type photo here. World War One Battlefields : Other Battlefields : Cambrai Just found the same photo from 1918 here. Men of the NZ (Engineers) Tunnelling Company on bridge over Canal du Nord | Exhibitions Location on GoogleEarth.
I know that cutting very well. There used to be a good scrap dealer just beyond it who would always have WW1 period stuff among the scrap. I also often take coaches across the bridge and look to see the passengers faces as we cross it!! Lord Gort got his VC not far from there in 1918.
How deep is that Canal lads? It looks fairly big Modern day pic The Canal du Nord near Hermies Canal du Nord - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia La batellerie - Expérience fluviale sur les fleuves, canaux et rivières navigablesX! - Canal du Nord
