id like to know if any action took place on the 3rd of may 1917.
around the arras area

"The Blood Tub: General Gough and the Battle of Bullecourt, 1917 Jonathan Walker.
In the late Spring of 1917, the Allies were in crisis. Revolution had erupted in Russia and the French army was on the verge of mutiny. Meanwhile, Germany was winning the war in the air and her U-boats menaced the channel. Despite General 'Thruster' Gough's first assault on the fortress village of Bullecourt using the new wonder 'tank' and the Anzacs, it ended in disaster. On the 3rd of May Gough launched a second attack on Bullecourt which dominated the British action on the Western Front for two weeks. It was the excessive brutality and ferocity of the hand-to-hand fighting that earned Bullecourt the name 'Blood Tub'. Using unpublished documents and a wealth of eye-witness accounts, he confirms the terror rather than the thrill of a battle that must rank as one of the most savage contests of the Great War."

[ http://www.firstworldwar.bham.ac.uk/publications/sw.htm ]

[ http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/the...fensive1917.htm ]

regards

Richard

And some more:

"First World War Official Histories
Volume IV - The Australian Imperial Force in France: 1917 (11th edition, 1941)"

Check out > http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/ww1/4/index.asp

regards

Richard

Aerial photographs courtesy of The Seventh Division 1914-1918 by C.T. Atkinson.

Bullecourt: 6 April 1917 (above), 9 May 1917 (below)

regards

Richard

Apart from Second Bullecourt, there were also operations endeavouring to capture Fontaine, Cherisy, Bois du Sart, Pelves and Plouvain station (Third Army Front) and Oppy and Fresnoy on First Army front. These were large scale operations - most were largely unsuccessful.
21st, 18th 14th , 56th, 3rd, 12th, 4th, 9th all took part on Third Army's front.
31st, 2nd , 1st Canadian and 2nd Canadian all operated on First Army's front.

Taken from Chronicle of the First World War Volume II 1917-21

Thursday 3rd May 1917:

Artois - Third Battle of the Scarpe: British Attack on 16 mile front East of Arras with 14 divisions, 2685 guns (v 1429 German pieces) & 16 tanks before dawn at 03:45 with few Third Army gains although Canadians (1259 cas) storm Fresnoy, capturing 500 PoWs.

The 3rd May 1917, is covered in Chapter 20 of Jonathan Nicholls excellent book Cheerful Sacrifice - The Battel of Arras 1917. It was also on the 3rd May 1917, that my Grandfather's brother was kia (see below).

Why, Trench? What are you plotting now?!

Gwyn

This was one of the worse days in the history of the British Army (aside from 1.7.16), the worst at Arras with, from memory, with more than 6000 deaths on the British side alone (ex. AIF). The fighting wsn't just at Bullecourt, but from Oppy Wood across the Scarpe to Monhy, and south to Cherisy and Fontaine, then finally Bullecourt. Most of the dead do not have a known grave, being on the Arras Memorial.

Any particular units or places you are interested in?

The Australian historian CEW Bean considered the 6th AIF Brigade's effort at the 2nd Battle of Bullecourt as one of the top 4 or 5 actions involving Australian troops in the war.

dont worry im not plotting anything

just the blokes photo i have got GRISTWOOD who we now think is a relation of another relation of a reenactor friend by the name of GRISTWOOD who may be a relation of signials friend also by the name of GRISTWOOD.

we thind its the 3rd battle of scrape as he was with 16th dive and on the 3rd and 4th the battle was thought and on the 3rd griswood died and he is on the arras mem.

sorry 18th DIV

ok
3rd army
7 corp
18th div
54th MG COMP
on the 3rd of may 1917

Very old thread I understand, but I did visit Arras memorial to find the name of my Great Grandfather Frank Pearman. He was lost to the north of Cherisy on 3rd May 1917. We had a walk out and I hope to return to Triangle wood next year. We will remember him.

Six thousand deaths, excluding the Aussies ! That shocks me : it implies 20,000 casualties. I knew it was a notorious episode, but hadn't reckoned on casualties on that scale. The first day of Loos, and, of course, the Somme ; September 15th on the Somme, and March 21st 1918...these all cost monstrous numbers of lives. I suppose we must not forget Jutland. We don't hear much about May 3rd 1917, though, do we ? Time to do some reading.

Phil

Phil

Not a great deal said about April/May 1917 at all. A short bloody campaign costing more casualties per day on average that either The Somme or 3rd Ypres. It is getting more attention now but your reading list will still be short. A search on here though will be worth your while.

Jim

Hi Phil – As Jim says, considering the importance of the battle there is surprisingly little written about it. 3 May 1917 was a truly dreadful day for the British as the Germans use of von Lossberg’s new defensive fighting tactics really did for us. In a shameless piece of self promotion I should add that Peter Barton and I have been working (on and off) on a new panorama book about the Battle of Arras for the past couple of years. The catchily titled “Arras - The Spring 1917 Offensive in Panoramas including Vimy Ridge and Bullecourt” will be out in June 2010. So, if you can wait that long then I would hope that the book would give you a good insight into the fighting at Arras.
Cheers
Jeremy

Delighted to hear of a new book; I thoroughly enjoyed Cheerful Sacrifice by Johnathan Nicholls and while I was in France spent 40 euros on Somewhere on the Western Front Arras 1914-1918 by Jean-Marie Giradet. If anyone has any other reading matter they could recommend would they please let me know

Many thanks

Tim

Jeremy, that will prove a great comfort to me : in late May next year my younger daughter is getting married in Cyprus....when I return to London I will be looking forward to a quiet bivvy and a good read, and your book will be my treat !

Phil

If you work out percentages of troops who took part, the highest British losses were at Aubers Ridge, 9th of May 1915.

Think I bin ere be4!!

Tim,

My book 'Bullecourt 1917' will be published October/November 2010.

Kind regards
Paul

I don't think anyone has written anything here to dispute your comment. I stand by my comment in the earlier post, made to emphasise the lack of material on a very bloody campaign and making a comparison with two other better known battles.

Jim