How to read a map

[Pierre-Aldric]

Hello, I would like to read a map from geographical point designated in a war diary to a map, Can someone please explain me how can I do that ?

For example:

BELLEBRUNE
FRANCE,
MR 793535 -- This number is the data I would like to know
1/50 000
SHEET N°49

Thanks a lot for your help !
See you soon.

[Temujin]

Hello, I would like to read a map from geographical point designated in a war diary to a map, Can someone please explain me how can I do that ?

For example:

BELLEBRUNE
FRANCE,
MR 793535 -- This number is the data I would like to know
1/50 000
SHEET N°49

Thanks a lot for your help !
See you soon.

Pierre, I can help you with that…….first you have to have the correct “sheet”, which I suspect you have. What you have is MR 793535 is called a 6 figure map reference….you can get map reference’s up to 10 figures (artillery usually will use a 10 figure map reference.

So to read a map reference you “go in the door” and “up the stairs”…….what the heck does this mean (you ask)………..well you find the grid square and then you measure ACROSS the bottom line LEFT to RIGHT (in the door) and then you measure BOTTOM to TOP (up the stairs.

So the first numbers you need is the Grid Square Numbers…….in this case you have a 6 Figure Number……..so the first TWO number are the left side line of the grid square, so in this case it is 79………….then we find the bottom line of the grid square which is the NUMBER 53 (you skip over the number 3 and the last number 5 (I’ll explain in a minute) So your grid square in 7953. These are numbers we use to find the bottom/left side point of the GRID SQUARE.

Now each Grid Square in the military is divided into 10 equal parts (both sides) as military grid squares are always in Metric……and a Grid Square is 1000 meters by 1000 meters…………so when you measure inside of the square, you divide it into 10 equal parts. So each or the 10 equal parts are 100 meters each……….SO this means that a 6 figure grid square is accurate to around 100 square meters. The more “grid numbers” (a 8 figure grid square or a 10 meter grid square) the more accurate is your final location. (This is for a 1:250,000 map)

I could NOT find the map your referenced……..but I did find a WW2 map of the area in 1:250,000 so I Used that to plot the location.

So the first map (screen shot) is “larger” so you can see where the location is on a larger map……..I have placed a RED CIRCLE around the number 79 on the map………….and i have placed a BLUE CIRCLE around the number 53 on the map. As you can see the number 79 line runs vertically across the map, and 53 line runs horizontally across the map. The map has these numbers on the lines repeated many times, so that you can find the numbers and eventually the grid square quite quickly

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Then I have “zoomed” into the map (screen shot) to show you a closer few of the map, and again you see the number 79 and the number 53 on this map………and if you use those two numbers you will get the GRID SQUARE 7935

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Finally, I have again “zoomed” into the map (screen shot) and you can see a RED ARROW that shows you the BOTTOM LEFT CORNER of Grid Reference 79 53 in World War Two they called them MAP REFERENCES……its exactly the same thing)……….and then you see a HORIZONTAL BLUE ARROW that shows how you measure ACROSS the square 3 (IN THE DOOR)…………and then a VERTICAL BLUE ARROW that shows you how to measure UP the square 5 (UP THE STAIRS)………….So as you can see I have broken down the square by 10’s you measure across and find the number 3 (this was the third number on you Map Reference and you measure across 3 marks (IN THE DOOR) and then you go UP THE STAIRS, and you to up the LAST number in your Map Reference which was 5…….. and the location is then shown inside the RED CIRCLE(I put a red circle around it…….so your with 100 square meters of the location.

NOTE: I straighten the map while using this map segment so that you could see “in the door” and “up the stairs” a little easier. Of course with a real map you would normally “straighten it” on a table or on the ground or hold it in your hand, so it was easier to read and to plot the MR on.

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I know this sounds complicated……..but it is not, you just need a little practice and it clicks in quickly


So a 6 Figure Map (or Grid) Reference is READ 79 3 53 5. The 79 and the 53 represent the GRID (or MAP) SQUARE…….the number 3 represents the “horizontal measurement across the square” and the number 5 represents the “vertical measurement up from the bottom of the square.

So numbers 79 53 is the GRID SQUARE and number 3 & 5 are “measurements within that square. 3 represent 300 meters and 5 represents 500 meters

In the ARMY, ALL soldiers are given a “map reference reader”….(usually a small plastic card) and it has the “break down” of all map sizes scaled on it, so for 1:25,000. 1:50,000. 1:100,000. 1:250,000 so that you can quickly measure the increments on the map

If you DON’T map have this, you take a piece of paper, you mark the measure of the grid square onto one edge and divide into into 10…….and that becomes your “measurement tool”

I do have website that tells you this, and if I find the link I’ll post it.

AND, we STILL USE this system today to manually read maps……..but of course with new technology you can send the map co-ordinates from any electronic device (even your smart watch will give you the map readings)…….in longitude and latitude OR these devices you can key in the MR number of the longitude and latitude (if you know them) and the device will take you exactly to that spot, even if you deviate to go around things (like enemy) or to stay IN COVER while you go to that spot.

Oh, by the way in World War 1 they used a DIFFERENT map reference system…….it is similar, but has some major differences……so if you need to look at a WW1 Map and Map Reference……..give me a shout and I can explain that too

Hopefully this helps

Cheers

[Temujin]

Pierre, I found the map you were referencing, Sheet 49 at 1:50,000. The MAPS name is FRANCE and BELGIUM………BOULOGNE

I’ve copied the same 3 screen shots and placed a RED SQUARE around GRID SQUARE 79 53 on all three screen shots of the maps below and you can see their are the “same location” on both the 1:50,000 and the 1:250,000 maps.

This 1:50,000 map shown below are a little clearer in the detail and of course you can be ACCURATE in your plotting.

I won’t explain map reading again, but I followed the same method I spoke about above. You can see the Grid Reference you quoted in your post, leads us NEAR some type of large building (maybe a barn) in a small yard with some tree’s.

Source of Map: https://maps.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/be ... gne-49.jpg

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[Temujin]

THIS SOURCE TEACH’S YOU (BETTER THAN ME) HOW TO READ OR MAKE A 4 AND 6 FIGURE MAP REFERENCE.

Just follow the instructions and it’s simple guide you thru the process (much better than I explained)

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/8b ... adacdd2dc3

[Temujin]

Last INFORMATION post I’ll do for you……..you’ve probably had enough of my babbling.

During any major operation, the Military has, what they called DEFENCE OVERPRINTS made. The Royal Canadian Engnieers has a UNIT that specifically made maps……in the field (in special trucks)……and they would take “normal military maps” (like I’ve used in the above posts) and OVERPRINT them with information like enemy positions, gun positions, important strategic points, obstacles (like flooding or mine fields or road blocks etc). These would then be printed (in the backs of these trucks, in the THOUSANDS) and sent to the units that were conduction the operation.

Where did they get the information, mostly from air photo’s, but they also added info if they had information from informants or the resistance

I’ll show you a screenshot of CALAIS DEFENCE OVERPRINT, just for your information and you can see it has a LOT of information on the original military map

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Calais, Defence Overprint [Operation Undergo], 12 September 1944: France 1:25,000

Subject World War, 1939-1952, World War, 1939-1952--Western Europe--World War, 1939-1945

Description Clearing of the Channel Ports--Operation Undergo. Overprint produced by the Royal Canadian Engineers. This map was originally held by the Department of Defence, and was acquired by the Laurier Military History Archive (LMH) from the Directorate of History and Heritage, Government of Canada, in the 1990s. Digitization and georeferencing was performed at the University of Waterloo. Publisher War Office
Contributor Great Britain. War Office. General Staff. Geographical Section.
Date 1944-09-12

[Pierre-Aldric]

Thanks a lot for your precious help, your explaination are very clear and it allows me to directly go on the field desgnated by this point to see were the 6th field coy Royal canadian engineers (RCE) were based for the operation Wellhit. Thanks again !
See you soo for new adventures.

Pierre-Aldric LEURS.
RCE 3rd CID passionate in France.

[Temujin]

Thanks a lot for your precious help, your explaination are very clear and it allows me to directly go on the field desgnated by this point to see were the 6th field coy Royal canadian engineers (RCE) were based for the operation Wellhit. Thanks again !
See you soo for new adventures.

Pierre-Aldric LEURS.
RCE 3rd CID passionate in France.

You’re welcome Pierre…….I think I’ve told you before that I’m a former Canadian Military Engineer Officer and served on Air Bases and Army Bases, and my last unit was 18 Adm Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment.

So I do know a lot about military engineering (building things to blowing them up)…..so if you have any more questions on Military Engineer operations in WW2, don’t hesitate to ask me. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find it for you.

Cheers, and good luck with your research.