I was going through some old copies of Stand To! The journal of The Western Front Association, and came across this interesting map of Etaples in February 1917. Posting this here on a blog about Army Service Numbers is a little tenuous, but I felt it was just too good not to share. Here, for the first time that I recall seeing (and that includes the winter of 1986 when this issue of Stand To! would have dropped onto my doormat) is a map showing where various Infantry Base Depots, hospitals, and a good deal more were located. I've often seen reference to the IBDs on service papers, but never really had a clue where in Etaples they were located. Now, thanks to The Western Front Association and Julian Putowski who wrote the original article in Stand To! 18, I know.
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Thank you for posting this, while I've seen the map before I've not read the commentary which was very interesting. I'm interested in the bombing raid on the base on 20th May 1918. Sue Light's site http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/90.html has an account from the Matron General's war diary and her subsequent visits. The Etaples raid marked the beginning of a series of 'hospital raids as the diary shows.
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Ken, thanks in turn for commenting and for posting the link to Sue's site. I know Sue, and her projects, but I hadn't picked up on this particular link; thank you.
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