Taking advantage of my current stint in Kosovo I am planning to drive down to Lake Doiran in what is now Macedonia over the weekend of 10 -11 Jul 04. This is of course the site of the joint British - Greek push against the Bulgarians on the Salonika front in Sept 1918. I paid a brief visit there back at Easter and the battlefield is amazing being virtually unchanged as the countryside there is hilly, rocky, fairly rough and inhospitable and used for nothing more than grazing a few goats!

My request and offer is this; does anyone know of a decent interenet reference site for this battle and does anyone want any photos taking whilst I am down there?

I can do digital or 35mm and will be visiting/ walking the whole area including the impressive CWWG cemetery and memorial just over the border in Greece. If you are interested please let me know.

Regards

David

I can only point you in the direction of the Salonika Campaign Society web site, though the info there is only general but it does have links to other sites on it and some make fascinating reading though not necesserily relevant to your topic in depth.

Any pics of the terrain that give an idea of the areas the troops fought over would be welcome.

You could try and PM Alan Wakefield who is a Pal of this site and has just finished a new book on this area of conflict (hope he sees the shameless plug.) and he may have some ideas for you. He is involved in the SCS.


Salonika campaign society.

regards
Arm.

If you're anywhere near Karasouli....a picture would be fantastic...

Enjoy the trip!

Simon

Lance Corporal Edwin Albert TROW 11th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment 16639 kia Salonika 19/12/17
Aged 32
Son of William and Martha Trow of Kinlet Bank, Cleobury Mortimer, Salop
Husband of F Rogers (formerly Trow) of 4 Burton Yard, High Street, Bewdley
Karasouli Military Cemetery, Greece
D. 819

I'll look forward with interest to reading about your trip.
If you do go to Karasouli Cemetery I'd be very grateful for a photo of my Great, great uncles grave - Pte Frank Guy Chadwick 13729 - buried in grave no. 11119.

Many thanks

It doesn't sound as though your itinerary will include Karasouli, but if by any chance it does, may I put a bid in for a photo please?

35594 Pte A C Masters dow 31/08/17 12th Bn Cheshires Grave B.351

David

If you get the chance I would be obliged of a shot of the grave of the following soldier.

Lance Corporal
Bertram John Compton
13331
7th Service Battalion
Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry
Killed in Action Saturday 25th September 1918 age 25.

He is buried at Doiran Military Cemetery, Grave Reference V.G.30.

Regards

Will

David,

I'd be grateful if you could get a photo of my great uncle's grave.

Nathan Arthur Green
Sergeant L/12854
3rd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment

Reported missing in action and later killed in action on 6th April 1918 age 31.

He is buried at Doiran Military Cemetery, Grave Reference VI.K.34

Regards

Stu

David

Thanks for the offer. I'd be grateful for a photo of the grave of Robert Mars. He was serving with the 1st Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and died of suffocation in 1918. He'd already received wounds to his head and arm since 1915.
This was the man that sparked my interest in the Great War and he lies at Doiran Military Cemetery in grave VE23.

Thanks

Mick

Just to let you know that we did make it down to Lake Doiran over the weekend 10/11 July and jolly good it was too. I am currently writing up a short account that I will post later but I have been a bit busy with the day job for the last two weeks.

Sadly, I did not make it to Karsouli - sorry to disappoint but we did visit Doiran cemetery and took the required photos.

For Will, Stu and Mick as promised I have both digital and wet fil photos of the images of graves you requested. I will email you all off fourm to get an address to send them to you. Hope this helps.

I will post a few images of the battlefield as well in the next 48 hours or so. Suffice to say it was baking hot (35 degrees C!!) and we had a few very interesting finds.

More to follow

Regards

David

Thank you very much David. I've pm'd you with my details. I look forward to your report.

Mick

David........You are a star. I hope you had a great time & I look forward to the update of your visit...........Have sent you a PM with my details as I've had a couple of problems with receiving/sending emails via the forum

Regards Will

Look foward to seeing them

Arm.

I lookf forward to this also, trip planned for this year fell through as tour did not fill but hope to go in 2005.

David,

Received the photo of my great uncle's grave in the post yesterday.

Many thanks,
Stu

David

Bertram Compton's grave photo arrived this morning. Many thanks for taking the time out during your trip to snap this for me

About 14 months ago I promised to post an account of my trip to the Lake Doiran Battlefield and to post some pictures when I was able to get them in a usable format. I'm sorry to say I still haven't written up the notes I made on the trip but I do now have some photos on this computer which some Pals may be interested to see. I cannot verify exact locations etc to any great degree and what is here is mostly drawn form rather dodgy and inaccurate photocopies of map from the era, but the main features are distinguishable and if anyone more knowledgeable than I can say exactly what we are looking at then I would be most grateful.

The first lot are from my initial trip in Apr 04, the second from or return 3 months later. I will preface each picture with a hopefully suitable caption. Finally I will get round to writing a fuller account over the weekend and posting it accordingly.

Regards

David

View of a Bulgar trench line at the base of the Grand Couronne :

The same trench system some 200m further on. It eventually curves around to the left under the base of the hill and a communication trench takes you back up towards the Grand Couronne:

A view up towards the daunting feature of the Grand Couronne. The Devil's Eye is not clearly visible from this shot, but it is around the dark brown patch to the left of the summit at about 7 o'clock and a finger width from the ridge line. However, the picture does give you a good idea of the thick nature of the undergrowth and the steep incline up which the troops were expected to assault.

On the shoulder of the Grand Couronne looking west over towards Pip Ridge, clearly defined on the skyline. Again note the close and steep terrain.

This one taken on the visit in July and shows the Petite Couronne from approximately the point of the British start line. The Grand Couronne is visible in the background on the right.

The Lion Monument to the missing on the bluff above the modern Greek village of Doiran.

The entrance to the British Military Cemetary at Doiran which is the valley below the Lion Monument.

A general view of the cemetary looking SW from the top left hand (NE) corner.

Another general view looking NE this time from the area of the gate. The cross of sacrifice in this cemetary is unusual and is atop a cairn of local stone and can be seen in the centre of this and the pre-ceeding picture.

The grave of Captain W T Dick MC Adjutant of the South Wales Borderers.

A final view of the cemetary showing the stone of rememberance.

I hope that you enjoyed these pictures. It is a fascinating and yet quite difficult battlefield to understand and indeed navigate, especially given the closeness of the thick undergrowth and the lack of any really clearly definded tracks and paths.

The conditions in which the troops fought, under threat of gas attack, with the sweltering heat and the well positioned enemy must have dreadful.

Regards

David

Blimey at last,

great Photos. I was especially surprised to see the Graves with the Stones lying down ward, flat! Is that something to do with the weather etc?, as the only others i have seen like that were German ones in Flanders.

regards
Arm

Ps see ya in a year when you have your notes written up.

Though I should not shout. I kept a diary of my first trip to Ypres in April and have still to write that up. It must be the company I keep!

I think the reason for the small box like gravestones is that the soil is pretty thin and perhaps they are more suited to the local conditions that the more traditional upright portland stone ones.

Glad you enjoyed them. I will get around to writing it up eventually......

Regards

David

Thank you David.

Stuart

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...showtopic=85584

KARASOULI B.351

Karasouli Military Cemetery, Greece
D. 819

Check: www.salonikabattlefieldtour.com