War Diaries Talk

English Shelter

  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    Does anyone know what an English shelter (line 5) is?

    I've not seen this term before and I've had no luck with Google. Google wants to tell me about the air raid shelters of WWII, even though I specified WWI.

    Posted

  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    I think it is just a turn of phrase by the Author when he says "Building English shelters (three) for Brigade HQ".

    He goes onto mention other trenches (including New Brunswick). New Brunswick Trench named probably after the Canadians (probably re their Battle of Vimy Ridge). I think he is just making a point differentiating between English and Canadians - i.e. that they are English shelters which are being built.

    Posted

  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    I don't know. I read it as a type of shelter, like an elephant shelter. This diary, although it changes authors now and then, is very precise in its terminology.

    And, yes, many of the trenches around there have Canadian names: New Brunswick, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Vancouver, Winnipeg.

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    I agree, Cynthia - it sounds like a type of shelter, not one I've come across before or can find anything out about. My experience of engineers is that they don't write things like this without it having a specific meaning.

    Posted

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

    https://books.google.be/books?id=jmttBQAAQBAJ&pg=SL1-PA16&lpg=SL1-PA16&dq="english+shelter"+"royal+engineers"&source=bl&ots=QoyInrgwJ8&sig=BT8REuFUCzeUX3q8yfdoFb6Jtv0&hl=nl&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT0vmv2czcAhVI46QKHRYlA-UQ6AEwAHoECAMQAQ#v=onepage&q="english shelter" &f=false ?

    Posted

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

    Thank you, Erik. Well done!

    Posted

  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    Good research re that question Erik.

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Thanks, Erik!

    Posted