Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery, Belgium (CWGC)

LARCH WOOD (RAILWAY CUTTING) CEMETERY

West-Vlaanderen

Belgium

GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.82814 Longitude: 2.923

Picture © Werner Van Caneghem

Location Information

Larch Wood Cemetery is located 4 Kms south-east of Ieper town centre, on the Komenseweg, connecting Ieper to Komen (N366). From Ieper town centre the Komenseweg is located via the Rijselsestraat, through the Rijselpoort (Lille Gate) and crossing the Ieper ring road, towards Armentieres and Lille. The road name then changes to Rijselseweg. 1 Km along the Rijselseweg lies the left hand turning onto Komenseweg. 2.7 Kms along the Komenseweg lies the left hand turning onto Larch Wood Cemetery. The cemetery itself is located 400 metres along a rough single tracked road which leads to an ungated railway crossing, immediately adjacent to the site.

Visiting Information

Wheelchair access to cemetery with some difficulty.

Historical Information

The cemetery was begun in April 1915 at the North-end of a small plantation of larches. It was used by troops holding this sector, particularly the 46th (North Midland) Division and the 1st Dorsets, until April 1918. It was enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields of Ypres and from the following smaller cemeteries:-

AMERICA CROSS ROADS GERMAN CEMETERY, WERVICQ, (named from a cabaret between Wervicq and Kruiseecke) contained the graves of five soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in October, 1914.
BRUGES GENERAL CEMETERY, ST. MICHEL, contained the graves of 32 soldiers and airmen from the United Kingdom and one Canadian merchant seaman.
CORTEMARCK GERMAN CEMETERY, No.1, a little North-West of the village, contained the grave of two R.F.C. officers.
EERNEGHEM GERMAN CEMETERY, a little East of Eerneghem, that of one R.A.F. officer.
GHISTELLES CHURCHYARD contained the graves of two British soldiers who fell in July, 1917. There was a German aerodrome at Ghistelles, and the Germans used a plot in the Churchyard for war burials.
GROENENBERG GERMAN CEMETERY, ZANTVOORDE (on the South side of "Shrewsbury Forest"), contained the graves of four soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in February, 1915,
HANDZAEME GERMAN CEMETERY (on the North side of the village) those of two Canadian soldiers who fell in May, 1915, and
ICHTEGHEM GERMAN CEMETERY (a little West of Ichteghem) those of two unknown R.A.F. officers.
LEFFINGHE GERMAN CEMETERY (on the North side of the village) contained the graves of one R.F.C. officer who fell in July, 1917, and three unknown soldiers from the United Kingdom; and
MARCKHOVE GERMAN CEMETERY, CORTEMARCK, those of ten soldiers and airmen from the United Kingdom who fell in 1918.
OUDENBURG CHURCHYARD contained the graves of two soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1917, and TENBRIELEN COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION those of six who fell in 1914.
THOUROUT GERMAN CEMETERY No.2 (on the road to Jabbeke, beyond the railway line), contained the graves of seven soldiers and airmen from the United Kingdom and one from Canada; VLADSLOO GERMAN CEMETERY (near the Church) those of two R.F.C. officers who fell in 1917; and WARNETON SUD-ET-BAS GERMAN CEMETERY those of two unknown British soldiers who fell in 1918.
WERVICQ COMMUNAL CEMETERY and its EXTENSIONS (on the Belgian side of the Lys) contained the graves of 62 soldiers from the United Kingdom and six from Canada.
WIJNENDAELE GERMAN CEMETERY, THOUROUT, contained the graves of two flying officers from the United Kingdom and one from Canada; and ZANTVOORDE GERMAN CEMETERY (called also De Voorstraat No.49) those of eleven soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1914.

The cemetery contains 857 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 321 of the burials are unidentified and there are special memorials to 82 casualties known or believed to be buried in the cemetery. Other special memorials record the names of five casualties buried in German cemeteries whose graves could not be found on concentration.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and William Harrison Cowlishaw

Total Burials: 857.

Identified Burials: United Kingdom 435, Canada 76, Australia 24, Germany 1. Total 536.

Unidentified Burials: United Kingdom 266, Australia 12, Canada 10, Unknown 33. Total 321.

26th August 1917 - Unidentified wounded soldiers being treated at an advanced field dressing station, 2nd Australian Division. Many of the wounded of the 2nd Division passed through this station after the advance on 31 July 1917. The dugout was situated in the Larch Wood tunnels, where the Headquarters of the 5th Australian Field Artillery Brigade was also located.

Images in this gallery © Geerhard Joos

10th October 1918; Ypres-Comines Line. Hill 60 Cutting, looking towards Comines from the Road Bridge.

28744 Private
James Hartley Bannister
11th Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment
10th October 1917, aged 35.
Plot V. A. 21.

Son of William and Sarah Bannister, of Nelson; husband of Charlotte May Bannister, of 13, Wickliffe St., Nelson, Lancs.

The following is a verse published by the family after James's death;

He sleeps beside his comrades,
In a hallowed grave unknown;
But his name is written in letters of love,
In the hearts he left at home.

May the heavenly winds blow softly
O'er that sweet and hallowed spot;
Though the sea divides his grave and us,
He will never be forgot.

"He gave his life, his best, his all."

"His duty nobly done."

2566 Sergeant
Harley James Baron
3rd Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
2nd September 1916, aged 22.
Plot I. L. 12.

Son of John Henry Allcock Baron and Emily Baron, of 17, Broughton St., Drummoyne, New South Wales.

A farmer prior to enlisting in June 1915, Pte Baron embarked from Sydney with the 8th Reinforcements on board HMAT Runic (A54) on 9 September 1915. He served at Gallipoli and was appointed Lance Corporal in Egypt in February 1916. He arrived in France for service on the Western Front in March. In August he was promoted to the rank of Temporary Corporal and then Sergeant (Sgt). Sgt Baron was killed in action at Ypres, Belgium, on 2 September 1916. He was 22 years of age.

33252 Gunner
William Blakey Bell
11th Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery
12th October 1917, aged 37.
Plot IV. H. 4.

Son of Frederick John and Sarah Bell. Native of Glenmaggie, Victoria, Australia.

A school teacher prior to enlisting, he embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Shropshire (A9) on 11 May 1917. On 12 October 1917, he was killed in action at Passchendaele, aged 37.

William Bell was killed when a shell exploded in his gun pit, witnessess said that "He was mutilated very badly and death was instantaneous." He was buried close to where he died, his body was exhumed after the war and identified by his clothing, disc and numerals. He was re-interred into Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery.

14669 Private
Robert Dickson
2nd Bn. South Lancashire Regiment
9th May 1915, aged 37.
Plot II. H. 14.

Son of John and Margaret Dickson, of Blawearie, Roberton, Hawick, Roxburghshire.

27598 Private
William H. Henson
1st Bn. Northamptonshire Regiment
18th July 1917.
Plot IV. F. 4.

Picture was taken shortly before William was killed

Picture courtesy of Joanne Johnson (Great Granddaughter)

Click on image to enlarge

Second Lieutenant
Hubert Hollings
202nd Sqdn. Royal Air Force
28th September 1918, aged 19.
Plot IV. F. 28.

Son of Tom and Jane Hollings, of 16, Middleton Lane, Rothwell Haigh, Leeds.

Originally buried at Bruges General Cemetery, records show him as "buried amongst Germans," he was re-interred at Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery.

26025 Private
Joseph Pimblett
8th Bn. East Lancashire Regiment
22nd September 1917, aged 25.
Special Memorial A. 32.

Son of Peter and Mary Pimblett, of Blackburn; husband of Nellie Pimblett, of 16, Plymouth St., Blackburn.

Joseph was killed when he was involved with holding the line at Mont Vidaigne and that day there were 15 more casualties. The pictures above show Joseph, his wife and his 18 month year old son. His wife never remarried and continued to have a picture of him by her bedside.

All pictures and information courtesy of Lynda Burns (Granddaughter)

34996 Private
James Towers
11th Bn. Border Regiment
12th July 1917, aged 30.
Plot IV. F. 3.

Son of John William and Margaret Towers, of 4, Heads Lane, Keswick, Cumberland.

1917 - The grave, with original grave marker, of 7526 Sergeant (Sgt) Jack Donaldson Howes, 15th Battery, 5th Field Artillery Bridgade (FAB), of Centennial Park, NSW. Sgt Howes was a tailor, working for Frank Howes and Sons, and a member of the 11th Battery, Australian Field Artillery, before enlisting on 8 September 1915. He was killed in action on 14 August 1917 in the Ypres sector, at the age of 22. He is buried in the Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery, Zillebeke.