Help required undertanding a WW1 map reference

[Squiggs]

I'm not sure if this is the correct section - but here it goes anyway.

I've been looking at some documents relating to my Great Uncle who was killed in France in WW1
It appears his body was exhumed and then buried at a proper cemetery and I'm trying to figure out where the body was exhumed from.
From the documents I've found in one column it gives a map reference - but this it where I get lost.
There appears to be too many digits (and letters) for it to be a normal map ref.

Can any body help?
What I've got is:
SH.62D. J.26.d.90.30

Many Thanks

[Squiggs]

That's where the documents have come from

[Squiggs]

Thanks for your help everybody.

Since the post that first mentioned that France uses a different type of grid system I kept digging and came up with WW1 Trench maps - which is what BaronVon8 & cptsideways are alluding to.

I've visited my Great Uncles final resting place at Villers-Bretonneux Millitary Cemetary (An Australian Cemetery?) - but only recently found out that his body had previously been exhumed from the above map ref.
I also have a photo of my Great Granma and Granddad standing at his grave, which I presume was taken shortly after the war.
The photo bears little resemblance to the grave or cemetery I visited, so I presume his body was exhumed from where the photo was taken (the map ref) and I'm trying to find out where that was.

Thanks for your help.
I'm narrowing it down.

[Squiggs]

Hmmmm -
If this normal looking field is the place where he (and many other Brits) were first buried why they were they then moved 15 mins down the road to an Aussie cemetery?

[Squiggs]

BaronVonV8 said:

Now that is something I can't really help you with. Perhaps the Aussie cemetary was meant to be a more permanent resting place. They may have originally been buried close to where they fell, in a mass grave.

Looking at the one page of exhumation records that he is listed on there were more Brits moved from there.
Mostly they are recorded as one man (Name) with a cross. Others are unknown soldier, no cross (which seems strange?) and there are a few two men (Names) one cross shared.
So it doesn't seem like a mass grave.

Picture of Great Uncles final resting place

[Squiggs]

I haven't really delved into his movements.
I'm going to the Tower of London Poppy display next weds and was looking for info on it when I happened to come across the Commonwealth War Graves Commission - punched his details in and found a couple of documents, one of which was the exhumation record.

I now think the photo of my Great Grandma and Great Granddad at his grave was taken at the Villers-Bretonneux Millitary Cemetery shortly after his body had been moved - and very unlikely to be of them at Vaux -sur-Somme if he was first buried in a 'make shift' field hospital cemetery.
In the photo the grave has the characteristic mound of earth and a wooden cross. I guess time has moved on, the mounds have levelled and simple crosses replaced with headstones.

Anyway thanks for your help chaps.
It's amazing how the people who understand the power of the internet and know how to harness it (unlike myself) can achieve so much in such a short space of time.

Thanks again!

[Squiggs]

cptsideways said:

But 20 years of age, sends a shiver down the spine to think what these guys went through

And if he had been able to last out a further three months he might (just) still be with us today.