VLAMERTINGHE NEW
MILITARY CEMETERY
Ieper
West-Vlaanderen
Belgium
VLAMERTINGHE NEW
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GENERAL DIRECTIONS:
Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery is located 5 Kms west of
Ieper town centre and to the south of the village of Vlamertinge (Vlamertinge is
the modern spelling of Vlamertinghe). Vlamertinge is located along the
Poperingseweg.
From Ieper town centre the Poperingseweg (N308), is reached via
Elverdingsestraat then straight over two small roundabouts in the J.
Capronstraat. The Poperingseweg is a continuation of J. Capronstraat and begins
after a prominent railway level crossing.
The cemetery is located after turning left in the village of Vlamertinge onto
the Hugo Verriestraat. This road crosses a railway and the main road N38, where
the name of the street changes to Bellestraat. The cemetery lies 200 metres on
the left hand side of the Bellestraat, after crossing the N38.
Visitors to this site should note a grassed access path
which runs between two houses on the street front and is unsuitable for
vehicles.
For much of the First World War, Vlamertinghe (now Vlamertinge) was just outside
the normal range of German shell fire and the village was used both by artillery
units and field ambulances. Burials were made in the original Military Cemetery
until June 1917, when the New Military Cemetery was begun in anticipation of the
Allied offensive launched on this part of the front in July. Although the
cemetery continued in use until October 1918, most of the burials are from July
to December 1917.
The cemetery now contains 1,813 Commonwealth burials of the First World War.
The cemetery was designed by
Sir Reginald Blomfield
Victoria Cross: 6895 Company Sergeant Major, John Kendrick Skinner, VC, DCM, Croix de Guerre (France), 1st Battalion Kings Own Scottish Borderers, killed 17/03/1918. Plot XIII. H. 15. Son of Walter Skinner; husband of Annie E. Y. Skinner, of 173, St. Andrew's Rd., Pollokshields, Glasgow. Native of Glasgow.
Citation:
An extract from the Second Supplement to the London Gazette dated 14th Sept., 1917, recording the award of V.C., reads- "For most conspicuous bravery and good leading. Whilst his company was attacking, machine gun fire opened on the left flank, delaying the advance. Although C.S.M. Skinner was wounded in the head, he collected six men, and with great courage and determination worked round the left flank of three blockhouses from which the machine gun fire was coming, and succeeded in bombing and taking the first blockhouse single-handed; then, leading his six men towards the other two blockhouses, he skilfully cleared them, taking sixty prisoners, three machine guns, and two trench mortars. The dash and gallantry displayed by this warrant officer enabled the objective to be reached and consolidated."
Shot at Dawn: 335727 Private Edward Delargy, 1st/8th Bn. Royal Scots, executed for desertion, 06/09/1917, aged 19. Plot IX. H. 19. Son of Mrs. Winnifred Delargy, of 42, Mount Pleasant, Leslie, Fife.
The mass pardon of 306 British Empire soldiers executed for certain offences during the Great War was enacted in section 359 of the Armed Forces Act 2006, which came into effect on royal assent on 8 November 2006.
CASUALTY DETAILS: UK 1611; Canada 154; Australia 44; New Zealand 1; South Africa 3; Germany 7; Total Burials: 1820
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The graves of 7 men of the Royal Garrison Artillery, all killed on 03/08/1917, Thomas Harcus's grave is 2nd left and his cousin Andrew's is 2nd right. |
A group of men from the Royal Garrison Artillery, all of whom hailed from Orkney, Thomas Harcus is pictured 3rd left and Andrew Harcus, 2nd right. |
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91542 Gunner Andrew Harcus 95th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery 03/08/1917, aged 27. Son of Andrew and Jessie Harcus; husband of Frances Harcus, of Dogtoo, Westray, Orkney. Native of Tirlot, Westray. Plot V. B. 39.
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91483 Gunner Thomas Harcus 95th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery 03/08/1917, aged 32. Husband of Ellen Rendall, he left two children and was a native of Westray, Orkney Plot V. B. 39 All pictures courtesy of Brian Budge of Orkney |
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Second Lieutenant Guy S. Ellis Royal Flying Corps 12/07/1917, aged 19. Plot I. G. 2
Guy Ellis in the uniform if the Artists' Rifles and as a child with his brother Pictures and text courtesy of Nicholas Young, Guy was his mothers cousin |
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Born in Hull on 24th May 1898, GUY ELLIS was studying for his Intermediate Civil Service exam when, on 29th September 1915, he joined the London Regiment (Artists’ Rifles) at Dukes Road W.C. at the age of seventeen years 4 months. The medical showed that he was 5’ 7.5” with a 37” chest. His physical development was described as “fair”.
Appointed Lance Corporal on 22nd April 1916, Guy had been languishing at Hare Hall Camp in Romford, Essex. He decided to apply for admission to an officer cadet unit with a view to getting a temporary commission for the duration of the war.
Question 3. “State in order of preference which branch of the Service......” Guy wrote “Flying Corps” without hesitation.
His specific qualifications for the R.F.C. were considered by the selection board: “Rides a motorcycle (though not a horse); can sketch; slight knowledge of electricity; moderate knowledge of the internal combustion engine; knows the whole process of photography; had map reading course; maths 6 books of Euclid, Mechanics, Trigonometry, Algebra. Sports: first XI cricket and football at school; boxing; running (100 yds., ¼ mile, 220 yds., 120 yds., hurdles and high jump. Speaks French slightly”.
Not perfect qualifications for a pilot perhaps, but knowledge of photography would be useful for an observer.
Guy was accepted at No.1 Officer Cadet Battalion at Denham in Bucks on 6th September 1916. From Denham, he was posted to Oxford reporting for duty there on 13th November.
He received his commission on 27th January 1917. The fact was noted in the London Gazette on 3rd February.
Holding the rank of temporary 2nd Lieutenant, he was seconded to 57 squadron stationed near Ypres. Here Guy settled down to the harrowing life of a young flying officer on active service. For most it was a pitifully short life, relieved only by drinking and joking in the mess in between sorties.
In July 1917 a new offensive at Ypres was planned. The aim was twofold; to break through the German lines and reach their submarine bases in Belgium, and to relieve the Russian army in the east.
The RFC was playing a significant role in the build up both in combat and in reconnaissance. On 11th July, some two weeks before the battle began, an allied air offensive involving 700 aircraft began. The following day, Thursday, one of these aircraft took off with Guy Ellis in the rear as observer. When he returned, he would have to think about settling his mess bill, now standing at £1-5-8...
It’s not known whether it was a fighter or ground fire that hit Guy’s plane, but as it plummeted towards earth, the one thing that might have saved him was a parachute. But it was not policy to give airmen parachutes, “...possession of a parachute might impair a pilot’s nerve when in difficulties so that he would make improper use of his parachute…”, was the official view.
And so 19 year old Guy was dead. The odds were stacked against him anyway, for by now the life expectancy of a junior officer in a front line squadron was anything from eleven days to three weeks.
Guy found his final resting place at Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery in Belgium, “a sturdy wooden cross” marking the spot.
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87294 Gunner
George Henry Trull
117th Battery,
Royal Field Artillery
30/10/1917
Plot IX. E. 11.
Picture courtesy of great nephew John Eeley
23288 Corporal
William Murphy
13th Bde. Australian Field Artillery
10/10/1917, aged 26.
Son of James & Agnes Murphy. Much loved brother of May, Ellen, Agnes & Jim and a much loved husband of Maud (nee Hennessey)
Plot IX. F. 19.
The memorial card sent out by his family read:
“If we could have clasped his dying hand
And heard his last farewell,
It would have not been so hard to part
With the one we loved so well.
We often pictured our Will returning
And we longed to clasp his hand.
But death has postponed our meeting
Until we meet in a better land.”
Picture courtesy of Donna Costello, great niece
16620 Gunner
Ben Hunt
76th Siege Bty.
(90th Heavy Artillery Group)
Royal Garrison Artillery
30/06/1917, aged 31.
Plot III. D. 4
Picture courtesy of grandson Brian Tucker
Captain
Oswald Leslie Jennings Steel
14th Brigade Australian Field Artillery
06/08/1917
aged 33.
Plot VIII. D. 1
Son of Oswald Gleghorn Steel and Elizabeth Ann Steel; husband of Bertha Steel, of "Mapleton," Victoria St., Bowral, New South Wales. Native of Wallsend, New South Wales.
Remembered by Christopher Albertson, Mrs Val Gibney and Mr Leslie Steel. Oswald was Les and Val's grandfather
Picture and Biography courtesy of Christopher Albertson
Please Click Here for full Biography
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