(Royal) Berkshire Corner Memorial

The Memorial to the Missing dominates the cemetery. It was unveiled on 7 June 1931 by the Duke of Brabant and was designed by H Charlton Bradshaw and sculpted by Sir Gilbert Ledward. There are 11,447 names of the missing listed on the wall panels, most are from the fighting that took place outside the Salient, the Battle of Armentieres in 1914, Aubers Ridge, Loos, and Fromelles in 1915, Estaires in 1916, and Hazebrouck, Scherpenberg and Outersteene Ridge in 1918.

(Royal) Berkshire Corner Memorial. Authors image

The Memorial takes the form of a circular temple and is 22m in diameter and 12m high, with the names of the missing listed on panels within. There are two large stone lions at the entrance.

Son Of MP Commemorated Here

Shot at Dawn

There are three men listed on the Memorial who were executed in 1914 and 1915 under the terms of the British Army Act and whose graves were subsequently lost.

Awarded the Victoria Cross

There are three men who are commemorated on the Memorial who were awarded the Victoria Cross.

Sapper W Hackett, 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers. 22 to 23 June at Givenchy. Age 43. Son of the late John and Harriet Hackett, of Nottingham; husband of Alice Flinders (formerly Hackett), of 53, Cross Gate, Mexborough, Rotherham.

An extract from "The London Gazette," dated 4th Aug. 1916, records the following: 'For most conspicuous bravery when entombed with four others in a gallery owing to the explosion of an enemy mine. After working for 20 hours, a hole was made through fallen earth and broken timber, and the outside party was met. Sapper Hackett helped three of the men through the hole and could easily have followed, but refused to leave the fourth, who had been seriously injured, saying: 'I am a tunneller, I must look after the others first.' Meantime, the hole was getting smaller, yet he still refused to leave his injured comrade. Finally, the gallery collapsed, and though the rescue party worked desperately for four days the attempt to reach the two men failed. Sapper Hackett well knowing the nature of sliding earth, the chances against him, deliberately gave his life for his comrade.'

Private James Mackenzie, 2nd Scots Guards, 20th Brigade, 7th Division. 19 December 1914, at Rouges Bancs. Age 27 the son of Mrs. Marion Mackenzie, of 22, Terregles St., Maxwelltown, Dumfries. An extract from "The London Gazette," dated 16th Feb. 1915, records the following: 'For conspicuous bravery at Rouges Bancs on the 19th Dec., in rescuing a severely wounded man from in front of the German trenches, under a very heavy fire and after a stretcher-bearer party had been compelled to abandon the attempt. Private Mackenzie was subsequently killed on that day whilst in the performance of a similar act of gallant conduct.'

Acting Captain Thomas Tannatt Pryce, 4th Grenadier Guards, Special Reserve, 4th (Guards) Brigade, 31st Division. 11 April 1918, at Vieux Berquin. Age 32 the son of Thomas and Rosalie S. Pryce, of Pentreheylin Hall Mont; husband of Margaret Sybil Pryce, of Craufurd Lodge, Maidenhead, Berks. An extract from "The London Gazette," dated 21st May 1918, records the following-'For most conspicuous bravery, devotion to duty, and self-sacrifice when in command of a flank on the left of the Grenadier Guards. Having been ordered to attack a village he personally led forward two platoons, working from house to house, killing some thirty of the enemy, seven of whom he killed himself. The next day he was occupying a position with some thirty to forty men, the remainder of his company having become casualties. As early as 8.15 a.m., his left flank was surrounded and the enemy was enfilading him. He was attacked no less than four times during the day, and each time beat off the hostile attack, killing many of the enemy. Meanwhile the enemy brought three field guns to within 300 yards of his line, and were firing over open sights and knocking his trench in. At 6.15 p.m., the enemy had worked to within sixty yards of his trench. He then called on his men, telling them to cheer and charge the enemy and fight to the last. Led by Captain Pryce, they left their trench and drove back the enemy with the bayonet some 100 yards. Half an hour later the enemy had again approached in stronger force. By this time Captain Pryce had only 17 men left, and every round of his ammunition had been fired. Determined that there should be no surrender, he once again led his men forward in a bayonet charge and was last seen engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand struggle with overwhelming numbers of the enemy. With some forty men he had held back at least one enemy battalion for over ten hours. His company undoubtedly stopped the advance through the British line, and thus had great influence on the battle.'

Memorial Location

The Memorial is located on the Armentieres Road 1km north of the village of Ploegsteert and at the foot of Hill 63, which is 13km south of Ieper. It is opposite what the British named Hyde Park Corner

Linesman Map

FALKIRK DISTRICT MEN COMMEMORATED HERE

There are thirty one men from Falkirk District. Select the town or village from the Roll of Honour

Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

Panel 9 & 10

Falkirk

3/5361 Pte James Horn

2nd Battalion

Age 40

21.10.14

178 Pte Neil McCulloch

2nd Battalion

Age 23

10.11.14

3.6880 Pte William McKenzie

2nd Battalion

Age 28

10.11.14

Bainsford

3/6875 Pte Robert Rae

2nd Battalion

Age 19

21.10.14

Bonnybridge

9080 Pte John Reilly

2nd Battalion

10.11.14

Grangemouth

936 Pte Alexander Hendrie

2nd Battalion

Age 20

21.10.14

Laurieston

306 Sgt James Brand

'D' Coy, 2nd Battalion

Age 24 2

10/11/14

Black Watch

Panel 7

Muiravonside

291973 Pte John Turner

7th (Fife) Bttn Territorial

Age 18

DoW 16/10/16

Royal Scots

Panel 1

Falkirk

41201 Pte Andrew Bissett

16th Battalion

Age 38

16.4.18

19424 Sgt John Mandie Boyd

16th Battalion

Age 28

10.4.18

352616 Pte James McLellan

16th Battalion

16.4.18

Polmont

48799 Pte John Caldwell

16th Battalion

10.4.18

Bo’ness

40428 William Robb Wallace

'B' Coy, 2nd Battalion

Age 20

12.4.18

Laurieston

19424 Sgt John Boyd (M.M.)

16th Battalion

10/4/1918

Scots Guards

Panel 1

Grangemouth

9440 Guardsman Peter Campbell

2nd Battalion

16.11.14

Royal Scots Fusiliers

Panel 4

Camelon

29931 Pte George McIntyre

1st Battalion

12.4.18

Kings Own Scottish Borders

Panel 5

Bainsford

15262 Pts William Waugh

1st Battalion

11.4.18

Grangemouth

41548 Pte William Lapere

1st Battalion

Age 19

11.4.18

Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

Panel 5

Carron

12532 L/Serg James Young

1st Battalion

Age 21

13.4.18

Gordon Highlanders

Panel 9

Denny & Dunipace

S/22643 Pte James Miller

4th Battalion

Age 18

14.4.18

Highland Light Infantry

Panel 9

Stenhousemuir

37609 Private James Gardiner

10th/11th Battalion

Age 28

9.4.18

Bonnybridge

53597 Pte Alexander Pettigrew

14th Battalion

9.4.18

East Yorkshire Regiment

Panel 4

Larbert

29446 Pte John Taylor

1/4th Battalion

Age 22

10.4.18

Son of James and Isabella Taylor, Dobbie’s Buildings, Muirhall Road, Larbert

East Lancashire Regiment

Panel 5 & 6

Falkirk

12201 Pte John James Sargent

2nd Battalion

9.5.15

Queens Own (Royal West Kent)

Panel 8

Larbert

G/31171 Pte William Baird

1st Battalion

Age 18

28.6.18

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

Panel 5

Bonnybridge

6445 Pte William Gentles

2nd Battalion

7.11.14

Leinster Regiment

Panel 10

Bonnybridge

9820 Pte Joseph Gorry

2nd Battalion

20.10.14

Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)

Panel 11

Muiravonside

25731 Pte William Younger

40th Coy

13.4.18

Links to the area

7173 Pte Patrick Longworth

2nd Prince of Wales Leinster Reg (Royal Canadians)

20.10.14

Panel 10

332372 Pte William Morrison

9th (Glasgow Highlanders), Highland Light Infantry

Age 21

15.4.18

Panel 9

Seaforth Highlanders

Panel 9

6899 Pte James Thomas

2nd Battalion

26.10.14