WIELTJE FARM CEMETERY
West-Vlaanderen
Belgium
GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 50.86879, Longitude: 2.91102
© Werner Van Caneghem
Location Information
The cemetery is located to the North-East of the town of Ieper.
From Ieper station turn left and drive along M.Fochlaan to the roundabout, turn right and go to the next roundabout. Here turn left into M.Haiglaan and drive to the next roundabout. Here turn right into Oude Veurnestraat, this then changes into Diksmuidseweg and Brugseweg drive along this road to the traffic lights. Straight over the lights to the end of the road. At the T junction turn left (still Brugseweg) and continue along this road through the village of Sint Jan. The cemetery is on the left hand side of the road approx 200 metres after the village.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access with some difficulty.
Historical Information
Wieltje Farm Cemetery was made and used by fighting units (in particular by the 2nd/4th Gloucesters) in July-October 1917.
There are now 115 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 10 of the burials are unidentified and there are special memorials to 20 casualties whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. There is also one German war grave.
Total Burials: 116.
World War One identified Casualties: United Kingdom 103, Canada 1, Germany 1, New Zealand 1. Total 106.
World War One Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 10.
The cemetery was designed by A J S Hutton.
The cemetery is located to the North-East of the town of Ieper.
From Ieper station turn left and drive along M.Fochlaan to the roundabout, turn right and go to the next roundabout. Here turn left into M.Haiglaan and drive to the next roundabout. Here turn right into Oude Veurnestraat, this then changes into Diksmuidseweg and Brugseweg drive along this road to the traffic lights. Straight over the lights to the end of the road. At the T junction turn left (still Brugseweg) and continue along this road through the village of Sint Jan. The cemetery is on the left hand side of the road approx 200 metres after the village.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access with some difficulty.
Historical Information
Wieltje Farm Cemetery was made and used by fighting units (in particular by the 2nd/4th Gloucesters) in July-October 1917.
There are now 115 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 10 of the burials are unidentified and there are special memorials to 20 casualties whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. There is also one German war grave.
Total Burials: 116.
World War One identified Casualties: United Kingdom 103, Canada 1, Germany 1, New Zealand 1. Total 106.
World War One Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 10.
The cemetery was designed by A J S Hutton.
242341 Private
Winstanley Carlyon-Britton
2nd/5th Bn. Leicestershire Regiment
26th September 1917, aged 30.
Row C. 14.
Eldest son of Maj. Philip William Poole Carlyon-Britton, D.L. (Gloucestershire), J.P. (Middlesex) and Agnes Cassandra Carlyon-Britton, of Eversfield, Fishbourne, Chichester. Educated at Harrow School. A Member of Lincoln's Inn, formerly Lt. in the 5th Bn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
The Harrow School Roll of Honour sheds light on why he was once a Lieutenant in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and died as a Private in the Leicestershire Regiment.
"Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers (City of London) Regiment Special Reserve in 1908 and joint the 5th Bn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers in 1910, being promoted Lieutenant in 1911. He resigned his commission in 1912.
In September 1914, he was appointed temporary Second Lieutenant in the Worcestershire Regiment, but was invalided out early in the war and totally exempted from further service. After many months' rest he felt so much better that he decided that he ought to try and serve again, and not feeling sure how far the improvement in his health was permanent he decided to enlist as a Private, and not try for a commission again for a time. He therefore, in November, 1916, enlisted in the Leicestershire Regiment and went to France in February 1917. He had just been recommended by his Colonel for a commission, when, on September 25th, 1917, he was killed in action while acting as a runner to an advanced post, on the night before the attack on Polygon Wood."
Winstanley Carlyon-Britton
2nd/5th Bn. Leicestershire Regiment
26th September 1917, aged 30.
Row C. 14.
Eldest son of Maj. Philip William Poole Carlyon-Britton, D.L. (Gloucestershire), J.P. (Middlesex) and Agnes Cassandra Carlyon-Britton, of Eversfield, Fishbourne, Chichester. Educated at Harrow School. A Member of Lincoln's Inn, formerly Lt. in the 5th Bn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
The Harrow School Roll of Honour sheds light on why he was once a Lieutenant in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and died as a Private in the Leicestershire Regiment.
"Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers (City of London) Regiment Special Reserve in 1908 and joint the 5th Bn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers in 1910, being promoted Lieutenant in 1911. He resigned his commission in 1912.
In September 1914, he was appointed temporary Second Lieutenant in the Worcestershire Regiment, but was invalided out early in the war and totally exempted from further service. After many months' rest he felt so much better that he decided that he ought to try and serve again, and not feeling sure how far the improvement in his health was permanent he decided to enlist as a Private, and not try for a commission again for a time. He therefore, in November, 1916, enlisted in the Leicestershire Regiment and went to France in February 1917. He had just been recommended by his Colonel for a commission, when, on September 25th, 1917, he was killed in action while acting as a runner to an advanced post, on the night before the attack on Polygon Wood."
48494 Sapper
Thomas Walter Church
150th Coy. Royal Engineers
5th August 1917.
Row A. 2.
Thomas Walter Church
150th Coy. Royal Engineers
5th August 1917.
Row A. 2.
241177 Lance Corporal
John Dixon Fairhurst
1st/6th Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
19th September 1917.
Row C. 6.
John Dixon Fairhurst
1st/6th Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
19th September 1917.
Row C. 6.
129895 2nd Corporal
Archibald Forrest
"P" Special Coy. Royal Engineers
26th August 1917.
Row B. 12.
Archibald Forrest
"P" Special Coy. Royal Engineers
26th August 1917.
Row B. 12.
15140 Company Serjeant Major
Arthur Henry Godfrey, D. C. M.
419th Field Coy. Royal Engineers
31st July 1917.
Row B. 3.
Arthur Henry Godfrey, D. C. M.
419th Field Coy. Royal Engineers
31st July 1917.
Row B. 3.
Lieutenant
Henry Latham Kerrich
3rd Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
27th September 1917, aged 21.
Row A. 20.
Son of John D. Kerrich and Mary Kerrich, of Florida, Transvaal, South Africa.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Faithful Unto Death."
Henry Latham Kerrich
3rd Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
27th September 1917, aged 21.
Row A. 20.
Son of John D. Kerrich and Mary Kerrich, of Florida, Transvaal, South Africa.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Faithful Unto Death."
27747 Corporal
Thomas James McMath
10th Bn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
8th August 1917, aged 21.
Row C. 1.
Son of Thomas and Mary Jane McMath, of The Diamond, Kilrea, Co. Londonderry.
Thomas James McMath
10th Bn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
8th August 1917, aged 21.
Row C. 1.
Son of Thomas and Mary Jane McMath, of The Diamond, Kilrea, Co. Londonderry.
267777 Private
James Prescott
7th Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
31st July 1917, aged 20.
Sp. Mem. A. 2.
Son of Richard Prescott, of 6, Kay St., Summerseat, Manchester.
His headstone bears the inscription; "He Liveth In The Lord; Thy Will Be Done."
James Prescott
7th Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
31st July 1917, aged 20.
Sp. Mem. A. 2.
Son of Richard Prescott, of 6, Kay St., Summerseat, Manchester.
His headstone bears the inscription; "He Liveth In The Lord; Thy Will Be Done."
28801 Lance Corporal
Edgar Harvey Robertson
2nd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
24th October 1917, aged 21.
Row A. 32.
Son of the late John and Evelyn E. Robertson, of Orkney, Scotland.
Edgar Harvey Robertson
2nd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
24th October 1917, aged 21.
Row A. 32.
Son of the late John and Evelyn E. Robertson, of Orkney, Scotland.
203214 Private
Roger James Scragg
1st/5th Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
20th September 1917.
Row C. 6.
Roger James Scragg
1st/5th Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
20th September 1917.
Row C. 6.
Lieutenant
Laurence Whiteley
5th Bn. Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), attd. Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
31st July 1917, aged 32.
Sp. Mem. A. 4.
Son of Seth and Annie Elizabeth Whiteley, of 30, Collegiate Crescent, Sheffield. M.A. Durham University.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Their Glory Shall Not Be Blotted Out."
Laurence Whiteley
5th Bn. Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), attd. Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
31st July 1917, aged 32.
Sp. Mem. A. 4.
Son of Seth and Annie Elizabeth Whiteley, of 30, Collegiate Crescent, Sheffield. M.A. Durham University.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Their Glory Shall Not Be Blotted Out."
Wounded soldiers at a RAMC dressing station on a ruined farm near Wieltje, on the road to Broodseinde, 5 October 1917.
© IWM (Q 6042)
Images in this gallery © Werner Van Caneghem
St Jean, Belgium. c. 1918. A tin of bully beef being shared by some German Army prisoners of war during the Battle of Flanders.
In the moonlight, a British soldier walks through water-filled shell-holes near Wieltje, 11 January, 1918. © IWM (Q 8429)
A 9.2-inch howitzer and the gunners of the Royal Garrison Artillery at St. Jean, 19 August 1917. © IWM Q 5997
A member of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) provides tea for German prisoners of war near St Jean, 5th October 1917. Some of the British soldiers can be seen wearing body shields. © IWM Q 3572
Infantry wearing bandoliers of ammunition in support trench at Wieltje, 19 August 1917. © IWM (Q 5888)
