TANCREZ FARM CEMETERY
Hainaut
Belgium
Location Information
Tancrez Farm Cemetery is located 17 Kms south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate 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 Kms after the village of Ploegsteert lies the left hand turning onto Chemin de la Blanche (Witteweg).
The cemetery is located by taking the first right hand turning from the Witteweg, past Motor Car Cemetery. At the end of this road the road turns to the left towards Touquet. The cemetery is located 500 metres along this road (Rue du Touquet) on the left hand side of the road.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access is possible via the main entrance.
Historical Information
The commune of Ploegsteert remained under Allied occupation for much of the First World War, but was in German hands from 10 April to 29 September 1918.
Tancrez Farm Cemetery stands behind a rebuilt farm house which during the war housed an aid post. It was begun in December 1914 and was carried on by field ambulances and fighting units until March 1918.
The cemetery now contains 333 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. Six of the burials are unidentified but there is a special memorial to one casualty known to be buried among them. There are also two German war graves.
Casualty Details: UK 307; Australia 19; New Zealand 3; South Africa 4; Germany 2; Total Burials: 335
The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.
Tancrez Farm Cemetery is located 17 Kms south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate 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 Kms after the village of Ploegsteert lies the left hand turning onto Chemin de la Blanche (Witteweg).
The cemetery is located by taking the first right hand turning from the Witteweg, past Motor Car Cemetery. At the end of this road the road turns to the left towards Touquet. The cemetery is located 500 metres along this road (Rue du Touquet) on the left hand side of the road.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access is possible via the main entrance.
Historical Information
The commune of Ploegsteert remained under Allied occupation for much of the First World War, but was in German hands from 10 April to 29 September 1918.
Tancrez Farm Cemetery stands behind a rebuilt farm house which during the war housed an aid post. It was begun in December 1914 and was carried on by field ambulances and fighting units until March 1918.
The cemetery now contains 333 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. Six of the burials are unidentified but there is a special memorial to one casualty known to be buried among them. There are also two German war graves.
Casualty Details: UK 307; Australia 19; New Zealand 3; South Africa 4; Germany 2; Total Burials: 335
The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.
2348 Private
Eric John Lipscomb
34th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
16th May 1917, aged 22.
Plot II. D. 13.
Eric was born on 24 September 1894, son of William & Jessie Lipscomb of Normanhurst, NSW. He was a Farmer & Soldier having enlisted at Gunnedah, 13th July 1916 and trained at Armidale and Maitland before later embarking from Sydney on 17 October 1916 on the 'Borda', calling in at Melbourne, Durban, Cape Town, and Freetown, Sierra Leone. He disembarked 9th January 1917 at Plymouth and moved to Durrington Camp, Lark Hill, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
He joined 34th Battalion, 3rd Division, AIF.; on 30th April 1917 and moved to the Armentieres sector of the front before he was killed in action only ten days after going into the line, he was 22. Eric's brother, Neville was killed five weeks later near Bullecourt.
Photograph and information courtesy of Adrian Lipscomb, nephew of this soldier
Eric John Lipscomb
34th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
16th May 1917, aged 22.
Plot II. D. 13.
Eric was born on 24 September 1894, son of William & Jessie Lipscomb of Normanhurst, NSW. He was a Farmer & Soldier having enlisted at Gunnedah, 13th July 1916 and trained at Armidale and Maitland before later embarking from Sydney on 17 October 1916 on the 'Borda', calling in at Melbourne, Durban, Cape Town, and Freetown, Sierra Leone. He disembarked 9th January 1917 at Plymouth and moved to Durrington Camp, Lark Hill, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
He joined 34th Battalion, 3rd Division, AIF.; on 30th April 1917 and moved to the Armentieres sector of the front before he was killed in action only ten days after going into the line, he was 22. Eric's brother, Neville was killed five weeks later near Bullecourt.
Photograph and information courtesy of Adrian Lipscomb, nephew of this soldier
1218 Sergeant
Douglas Laurie Page
34th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
17th May 1917, aged 21.
Plot II. G. 12.
Brothers 1218 Corporal (Cpl) Douglas Laurie Page (left) and Lance-Sergeant (LSgt) 1210 Sgt Gregory Valentine Page (right), 34th Battalion, of Dungog, NSW. The brothers had enlisted together on 18 January 1916 and left Australia for England in May 1916 as Non Comissioned Officers, despite neither of them having any previous military experience. After arriving in France for service on the Western Front in November 1916, both men had officially been promoted to Sergeant (Sgt) by March 1917. Sgt Gregory Page was killed at Armentieres on March 1917, aged 19, and is buried at Cité Bonjean Military Cemetery. Sgt Douglas Page was killed two months later by a German shell whilst in the line near Messines on 19 May 1917, aged 21.
Douglas Laurie Page
34th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
17th May 1917, aged 21.
Plot II. G. 12.
Brothers 1218 Corporal (Cpl) Douglas Laurie Page (left) and Lance-Sergeant (LSgt) 1210 Sgt Gregory Valentine Page (right), 34th Battalion, of Dungog, NSW. The brothers had enlisted together on 18 January 1916 and left Australia for England in May 1916 as Non Comissioned Officers, despite neither of them having any previous military experience. After arriving in France for service on the Western Front in November 1916, both men had officially been promoted to Sergeant (Sgt) by March 1917. Sgt Gregory Page was killed at Armentieres on March 1917, aged 19, and is buried at Cité Bonjean Military Cemetery. Sgt Douglas Page was killed two months later by a German shell whilst in the line near Messines on 19 May 1917, aged 21.
2380 Private
William H. Tudor
23rd Bn. Middlesex Regiment
7th July 1916.
Plot I. H. 20.
William H. Tudor
23rd Bn. Middlesex Regiment
7th July 1916.
Plot I. H. 20.
27284 Private
Charles Umbers
2nd Bn. Border Regiment (previously 35460 Manchester Regiment)
28th October 1916
Plot II. A. 6.
He was my Mothers Uncle Charlie and when he went to war (called up) he gave my Nan a sixpence and told her to share it with the children, as he said he wasn't coming back. He was as blind as a bat and couldn't see the end of his rifle, he asked if he could serve in the Pay Corps due to his bad eyesight but was thought to be "dodging the column" but as my Nan said to my Mother "the Government killed him by sticking a rifle in his hands".
He was killed when a trench mortar shell landed in his trench killing him and two other soldiers and they are all buried side by side in Tancrez Farm. Prior to the war he worked in a pawnbrokers shop. He enlisted in Ashton-under-Lyne and lived in Miles Platting, Manchester. He is commemorated in the Book of Remembrance in Carlisle Cathedral.
Picture courtesy of Ralph Davidson of Milnrow, Rochdale.
Charles Umbers
2nd Bn. Border Regiment (previously 35460 Manchester Regiment)
28th October 1916
Plot II. A. 6.
He was my Mothers Uncle Charlie and when he went to war (called up) he gave my Nan a sixpence and told her to share it with the children, as he said he wasn't coming back. He was as blind as a bat and couldn't see the end of his rifle, he asked if he could serve in the Pay Corps due to his bad eyesight but was thought to be "dodging the column" but as my Nan said to my Mother "the Government killed him by sticking a rifle in his hands".
He was killed when a trench mortar shell landed in his trench killing him and two other soldiers and they are all buried side by side in Tancrez Farm. Prior to the war he worked in a pawnbrokers shop. He enlisted in Ashton-under-Lyne and lived in Miles Platting, Manchester. He is commemorated in the Book of Remembrance in Carlisle Cathedral.
Picture courtesy of Ralph Davidson of Milnrow, Rochdale.
