ROYAL IRISH RIFLES GRAVEYARD
Laventie
Pas De Calais
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.61976, Longitude: 2.79068
Picture © Werner Van Caneghem
Location Information
Laventie is a village and commune, in the Department of the Pas-de-Calais, about 11 kilometres south-west of Armentieres. The Graveyard is 3 kilometres south-east of the village on a minor road from Fleurbaix to Couture.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to this site is possible, but may be by alternative entrance.
Historical Information
The Rue-du-Bacquerot runs South-East of Laventie, towards Fleurbaix; and the position of the road behind the British front line, during the greater part of the war, made it the natural line of a number of small British cemeteries. One of these was begun in November 1914, and used, at first, particularly by the 1st Royal Irish Rifles.
The Royal Irish Rifles Graveyard, was carried on by fighting units until July 1916; and these original burials are now in Plots I and II. It was increased after the Armistice by the concentration of graves (chiefly of 1914-15 and 1918) from the battlefields East of Estaires and Bethune and from certain smaller cemeteries, including:-
LAVENTIE SOUTH GERMAN CEMETERY, which was on the road to La Flinque and contained 3 U.K. of April 1918.
RUE-DU-BACQUEROT (WANGERIE POST) NEW MILITARY CEMETERY, LAVENTIE, which was close to the hamlet of Wangerie and contained 22 U.K. of 1915.
SAILLY-SUR-LA-LYS GERMAN CEMETERY, which was near the road to Bac-St. Maur and contained 8 U.K. of April 1918.
WINCHESTER ROAD CEMETERY, LAVENTIE, was a little West of Chapigny Farm and contained 18 U.K. (Royal Scots Fusiliers and Connaught Rangers) of 1914-15.
There are 806, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 341 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to three soldiers from the United Kingdom known to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of two soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in Laventie South German Cemetery, whose graves could not be found.
The Graveyard covers an area of 2,872 square metres.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and George Hartley Goldsmith
Total Burials: 806.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 462, India 2, Germany 1. Total 465.
Unidentified Casualties: 341.
SD/4 Company Serjeant Major
Nelson Victor Carter, V. C.
12th Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment
30th June 1916, aged 29.
Plot VI. C. 17.
Son of Richard Carter, of Harebeating, Battle Rd., Hailsham; husband of Kathleen Carter, of 33, Greys Rd., Old Town, Eastbourne.
Citation: An extract from the "London Gazette," No. 29740, dated 8th Sept., 1916, records the following:-"For most conspicuous bravery. During an attack he was in command of the fourth wave of the assault. Under intense shell and machine gun fire he penetrated, with a few men, into the enemy's second line and inflicted heavy casualties with bombs. When forced to retire to the enemy's first line, he captured a machine gun and shot the gunner with his revolver. Finally, after carrying several wounded men into safety, he was himself mortally wounded and died in a few minutes. His conduct throughout the day was magnificent."
Nelson Victor Carter, V. C.
12th Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment
30th June 1916, aged 29.
Plot VI. C. 17.
Son of Richard Carter, of Harebeating, Battle Rd., Hailsham; husband of Kathleen Carter, of 33, Greys Rd., Old Town, Eastbourne.
Citation: An extract from the "London Gazette," No. 29740, dated 8th Sept., 1916, records the following:-"For most conspicuous bravery. During an attack he was in command of the fourth wave of the assault. Under intense shell and machine gun fire he penetrated, with a few men, into the enemy's second line and inflicted heavy casualties with bombs. When forced to retire to the enemy's first line, he captured a machine gun and shot the gunner with his revolver. Finally, after carrying several wounded men into safety, he was himself mortally wounded and died in a few minutes. His conduct throughout the day was magnificent."
Picture © Geerhard Joos
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Picture © Werner Van Caneghem
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Lieutenant
Alan Appleby Drew
2nd Bn. Cameronians
(Scottish Rifles)
10th March 1915, aged 30.
Plot IV. H. 4.
Son of Daniel and Rhoda Drew, of Burnley.
Alan's father owned the Lowerhouse Print works in Burnley and the family lived in specially built houses within the print works grounds.
The image to the left of Alan is the grave of his parents, Daniel and Rhoda in Burnley Cemetery.
The image to his right is a side view of the grave with Alan's death recorded.
Alan Appleby Drew
2nd Bn. Cameronians
(Scottish Rifles)
10th March 1915, aged 30.
Plot IV. H. 4.
Son of Daniel and Rhoda Drew, of Burnley.
Alan's father owned the Lowerhouse Print works in Burnley and the family lived in specially built houses within the print works grounds.
The image to the left of Alan is the grave of his parents, Daniel and Rhoda in Burnley Cemetery.
The image to his right is a side view of the grave with Alan's death recorded.
This image is the grave of Alan's' parents, Daniel and Rhoda in Burnley Cemetery.
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This image is a side view of the grave with Alan's' death recorded.
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Images in this gallery © Geerhard Joos
September 1964 (L) and October 1964 (R) - ©CWGC
Shot at Dawn
8662 Private Oliver W. Hodgetts, 1st Bn. Worcestershire Regiment, executed for cowardice 4th June 1915, aged 20. Plot IV. D. 2.
A pre-war Regular, he arrived in France on 6 Nov 1914. In mid-January 1915, Hodgetts went absent when his battalion was preparing to march to the trenches, for which 3 days’ Field Punishment No 1 was imposed. On 17 Feb, he went absent again, which resulted in 90 days’ Field Punishment No 1. Less than a month into this sentence, during the battle of Neuve Chapelle, Hodgetts received a further 28 days’ Field Punishment No 1 for leaving the firing-line with permission.
On 9 May, during the battle of Aubers Ridge, he went missing from roll-call in the assembly trenches. Hodgetts was seen loitering about over the next few days; & on 13 May reported to his CSM at Laventie, saying that he had sprained his ankle — of which the MO found no sign.
At trial he was unrepresented, & scarcely defended himself, merely stating (not on oath) that he had tripped & hurt his ankle, remaining where he fell all day; & that he had later gone to the rear to look for the doctor, but had failed to find him. Hodgetts added: ‘There was a lot of shell-fire going on & I was quite dazed & not aware of what I was doing’.
After trial, his CO wrote that from a fighting point of view Hodgetts was quite worthless, & that his sole motive had been to save his own skin. (Corns, pp.177-180, 211)
8662 Private Oliver W. Hodgetts, 1st Bn. Worcestershire Regiment, executed for cowardice 4th June 1915, aged 20. Plot IV. D. 2.
A pre-war Regular, he arrived in France on 6 Nov 1914. In mid-January 1915, Hodgetts went absent when his battalion was preparing to march to the trenches, for which 3 days’ Field Punishment No 1 was imposed. On 17 Feb, he went absent again, which resulted in 90 days’ Field Punishment No 1. Less than a month into this sentence, during the battle of Neuve Chapelle, Hodgetts received a further 28 days’ Field Punishment No 1 for leaving the firing-line with permission.
On 9 May, during the battle of Aubers Ridge, he went missing from roll-call in the assembly trenches. Hodgetts was seen loitering about over the next few days; & on 13 May reported to his CSM at Laventie, saying that he had sprained his ankle — of which the MO found no sign.
At trial he was unrepresented, & scarcely defended himself, merely stating (not on oath) that he had tripped & hurt his ankle, remaining where he fell all day; & that he had later gone to the rear to look for the doctor, but had failed to find him. Hodgetts added: ‘There was a lot of shell-fire going on & I was quite dazed & not aware of what I was doing’.
After trial, his CO wrote that from a fighting point of view Hodgetts was quite worthless, & that his sole motive had been to save his own skin. (Corns, pp.177-180, 211)
Picture © Geerhard Joos
Portuguese troops holding a trench in the Fauquissart sector, near Laventie. Note graves in the back of the trench. © IWM (Q 60295)
