War Diaries Talk

Boileau

  • erik.schaubroeckscarlet.be by erik.schaubroeckscarlet.be

    Should this not be Beaulieu-les-Fontaines (cfr Frétoy-le-Chateau, the Canal)

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Yes, I think you're right. Looking back a couple of pages, it seems they were in that general area. Not the first spelling mistake by a diary author we've seen. Good detective work figuring it out!

    Posted

  • erik.schaubroeckscarlet.be by erik.schaubroeckscarlet.be in response to ral104's comment.

    Do I mention this in the comment box?

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Yes, that would be a good idea. I'm sure the taggers who follow you would find it useful.

    Posted

  • erik.schaubroeckscarlet.be by erik.schaubroeckscarlet.be

    It is surprising that he writes this village wrong and all the other "difficult" villages like Margny-aux-Cerises and Flavy-le-Meldeux, correctly

    Posted

  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    Sometimes the diary authors may have spelled place names incorrectly because it was incorrect on their maps. Those maps were undoubtedly made quickly without spending a lot of time proofreading village names. Also, if the diary was being written at night, or in a dugout where the light was dim, it would be easy to misread a map as well.

    And some of them just probably guessed because they were tired.

    Posted