CALVAIRE (ESSEX) MILITARY CEMETERY
Hainaut
Belgium
GPS Coordinates Latitude: 50.71878 Longitude: 2.89843
Picture © Werner Van Caneghem
Location Information
Calvaire (Essex) Military Cemetery is located 16 km from Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the N365, connecting Ieper to Wijtschate, Ploegsteert and on to Armentieres.
From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg. 2 km after passing through the village of Ploegsteert lies the left hand turning onto Witteweg (Chemin de la Blanche). The cemetery lies 2 km along the Witteweg on the right hand side of the road.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to this cemetery is possible via the main entrance.
Historical Information
This cemetery was established beside a building known as Essex House and is an example of a regimental cemetery, many of which were made in 1914 and 1915.
It was begun in November 1914 by the 2nd Essex and 2nd Monmouthshire Regiments (Rows A to M of Plot I), continued by the 9th Royal Fusiliers and the 11th Middlesex Regiment (Plot I, Row 0), the 7th Suffolk and 9th Essex Regiments (Plot II), the 6th Buffs (Plot III), and the 1/7th and 1/8th Worcestershire Regiment (Plot IV, Rows A to C). Apart from two later burials, the cemetery was completed by the 11th Queen's Royal West Surrey and 10th Royal West Kent Regiments in June and July 1916. It was in German hands from 10 April to 29 September 1918.
There are now 218 First World War burials in the cemetery.
The cemetery was designed by G H Goldsmith.
Casualty Details: United Kingdom 218; Total Burials: 218.
Calvaire (Essex) Military Cemetery is located 16 km from Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the N365, connecting Ieper to Wijtschate, Ploegsteert and on to Armentieres.
From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg. 2 km after passing through the village of Ploegsteert lies the left hand turning onto Witteweg (Chemin de la Blanche). The cemetery lies 2 km along the Witteweg on the right hand side of the road.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to this cemetery is possible via the main entrance.
Historical Information
This cemetery was established beside a building known as Essex House and is an example of a regimental cemetery, many of which were made in 1914 and 1915.
It was begun in November 1914 by the 2nd Essex and 2nd Monmouthshire Regiments (Rows A to M of Plot I), continued by the 9th Royal Fusiliers and the 11th Middlesex Regiment (Plot I, Row 0), the 7th Suffolk and 9th Essex Regiments (Plot II), the 6th Buffs (Plot III), and the 1/7th and 1/8th Worcestershire Regiment (Plot IV, Rows A to C). Apart from two later burials, the cemetery was completed by the 11th Queen's Royal West Surrey and 10th Royal West Kent Regiments in June and July 1916. It was in German hands from 10 April to 29 September 1918.
There are now 218 First World War burials in the cemetery.
The cemetery was designed by G H Goldsmith.
Casualty Details: United Kingdom 218; Total Burials: 218.
Images in this gallery © Werner Van Caneghem
Red Cross motor ambulance and water cart outside dressing station at Le Bizet on the France/Belgium border. © Q 103674
Lieutenant
George Aked
5th Bn. Leicestershire Regiment
5th March 1915.
Plot I. H. 7.
George Aked
5th Bn. Leicestershire Regiment
5th March 1915.
Plot I. H. 7.
120 Company Quartermaster Serjeant
W. J. Allsopp
1st/2nd Bn. Monmouthshire Regiment
17th March 1915, aged 39.
Plot I. K. 2.
Husband of Mabel Ellen Allsopp, of Commercial St., Pontnewydd, Newport, Mon.
His headstone bears the inscription "He Giveth His Beloved Sleep"
W. J. Allsopp
1st/2nd Bn. Monmouthshire Regiment
17th March 1915, aged 39.
Plot I. K. 2.
Husband of Mabel Ellen Allsopp, of Commercial St., Pontnewydd, Newport, Mon.
His headstone bears the inscription "He Giveth His Beloved Sleep"
Second Lieutenant
Harold Picton Bamkin
7th Bn. Suffolk Regiment
19th July 1915, aged 20.
Plot II. B. 3.
Son of Ernest Picton Bamkin and Lilian Margaret Bamkin, of Thornton Hall, Milford Haven, South Wales. Dulwich College, 19071914. Entered at Jesus College. Oxford.
His headstone bears the inscription "Dulwich 1907-'14 Detur Gloria Soli Deo"
Harold Picton Bamkin
7th Bn. Suffolk Regiment
19th July 1915, aged 20.
Plot II. B. 3.
Son of Ernest Picton Bamkin and Lilian Margaret Bamkin, of Thornton Hall, Milford Haven, South Wales. Dulwich College, 19071914. Entered at Jesus College. Oxford.
His headstone bears the inscription "Dulwich 1907-'14 Detur Gloria Soli Deo"
2295 Private
Raymond Henry Cole
2nd Bn. Monmouthshire Regiment
23rd November 1914, aged 19.
Plot I. C. 4.
Son of Ebenezer and Mary Ann Cole, of 12, Woodland St., Cwmbran, Mon.
Raymond Henry Cole
2nd Bn. Monmouthshire Regiment
23rd November 1914, aged 19.
Plot I. C. 4.
Son of Ebenezer and Mary Ann Cole, of 12, Woodland St., Cwmbran, Mon.
3/3105 Corporal
John Tippins
2nd Bn. Essex Regiment
26th November 1914, aged 27.
Plot I. C. 6.
Son of Luke R. and Rose A. Tippins, of Mistley, Essex. A noted rifle shot and member of Empire Team. Born at Winsford, Somerset.
John Tippins
2nd Bn. Essex Regiment
26th November 1914, aged 27.
Plot I. C. 6.
Son of Luke R. and Rose A. Tippins, of Mistley, Essex. A noted rifle shot and member of Empire Team. Born at Winsford, Somerset.
Ploegsteert Wood, Belgium. 26 December 1917. Men of the 22nd Battalion, laying down wire entanglements, behind the line at Ploegsteert Wood. Hill 63 is seen in the background. The men were living in hutments at Kortepyp Camp where Christmas Day was spent. The Battalion was in reserve and fatigue parties were sent forward daily by the light railway to Ploegsteert where wiring was carried out and extensive salvaging operations undertaken under the supervision of Major J. S. Dooley MC. The area was very quiet at this time and received only desultory shelling.
Lieutenant-Colonel C M Ross-Johnson commanding 14th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery in the front lint trenches with Major Jackson, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment near Le Touquet (Frelinghien) November 1914. The trenches in this neighbourhood were very close together. © The rights holder (IWM Q 56726)
Cemetery pictures in this gallery © Geerhard Joos
Canadian troops in the front line trenches at Ploegsteert, March 1916. © IWM Q 446
British troops taking up timber for a trench support through a communication trench at Ploegsteert, March 1917. © IWM Q 5092
Brigadier-General George Francis Milne at Le Touquet, near Frelinghien. "The two wagons blocked the road and you entered the communication trench showing just this side of them and went up to the front line. Our mine was started in the houses just off the photo to the right." October 1914. © The rights holder (IWM Q 56734)
