Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery
- Admin
- Mar 8, 2021
- 10 min read
Updated: Dec 13, 2025
This CWGC cemetery was established by the 8th Division during the Battle of Messines in June 1917 and was used, mainly for burials from the nearby Dressing Station until October 1918. Belgian Battery Corner was the name the Army gave to the point where the Dickebusch Road bends sharply to the south and forks from the road to Brandhoek. The name is believed to originate after the Belgian battery 1st Groupe Regiment d’Artillerie Provisoire, 97, 98 and 99 Batteries positioned here in 1915. There are the graves of 206 men from artillery units which operated in this area. Counter battery fire from the Germans against the British positions accounting for the dead.
FALKIRK DISTRICT MEN BURIED HERE
Muiravonside
‘B' Battery 112th Bgde, Royal Field Artillery
Age
4/9/1917
I.L.8
Royal Engineers
438340 2nd Corporal Henry Boardman, 430th Field Company, Royal Engineers, 66th Division. Killed in action 16 November 1917, age 24 Grave II.E.21. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Boardman, Longsight, Manchester. He was married to Florence, and they lived at 10 Brook Avenue, Levenshulme, Manchester. They did not have any children. His epitaph reads HE SLEEPS WITH HIS COMRADES. The Company was at Zonnebeke and were working on repairing the road from St Josephs Road to gasometer as well as repairs to the duckboard walkway with infantry working party digging a support line. This work in
the open drew enemy shelling down onto their position.
2nd Lieutenant Charles Valentine Boulton, 314th Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers. Killed in action 9 November 1917, age 38. Grave I.HI.2. Son of Thomas Cantis Boulton and Martha Louisa Boulton, Wandsworth Common, London. He was married to Constance, and they lived at 14 Deauville Mansions, Clapham Park, London. He was employed as Senior Assistant to Borough Engineer of Wandsworth. He was a Lieutenant in the Wandsworth Volunteer Battalion before he was Gazetted to the Royal Engineers. These companies were a vital, though often overlooked, part of the massive engineering effort that kept the armies supplied and moving during the war. Their purpose was to keep supply lines open by building, repairing, and maintaining roads, vital for moving troops, artillery, and supplies. Their composition was made up of experienced civilian road builders
(roadmen) and skilled tradesmen, often over military age, recruited through local appeals. They faced immense challenges working in the open and facing constant bombardment.
30930 Private John Burns, 10th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, transferred 10th Company Labour Corps. Killed in action 15 September 1917, age 19. Grave I.L.12. Son of Jane B. MacDonald (formerly Burns), 142 Gloucester Street, Glasgow. His headstone does not mention he was a member of the Labour Corps. In 1919 it was decided that the headstone of a member of the Labour Corps, who previously served in any other unit, should record his connection with his previous regiment.
In Plot II there are 29 burials of men from the 1st Australian Pioneers who were buried here from September to November 1917. This is a sample of three men killed on the same day.
1912 Private Frederick William Stock, 1st Pioneer Battalion, Australian Imperial Force. Killed in action 25 October 1917, age 27. Grave II.D.1. Son of John E and Emily Stock., New South Wales. He was married to Rosa and they lived at 10 Raleigh Street, Northcote, Melbourne, Victoria, although he listed his mother as his next of kin altering his Will to this effect on 2 March 1917. He was employed as a Carpenter when he enlisted on 17 January 1916. He sailed from Alexandria on 28 May 1916 and landed in Plymouth on 11 June and went to Perham Down, located at Salisbury Plain, from where he went to France and the Base Camp at Etaples on 16 September 1916. He joined the Battalion in the field on 7 October 1916. He enjoyed a period of leave in England from 10 to 21 October 1917.
Following his death a solicitor acting for
his wife had written seeking his certificate of death his wife subsequently wrote to the Depot in Melbourne advising them that she was now acting for herself and no longer using a solicitor. Both Rosa and Fredericks mother had submitted a claim for a gratuity and it was his mother who received the payment a letter from his estranged wife was used to substantiate his mother’s claim. His wife had written to Frederick on 17 April 1917 advising him that she was now seeing another man. His mother received a photograph of Fredericks grave and the location on 15 September 1919 and she was also the recipient of his memorial plaque and medals.
Sergeant Percival Albert Blakeman, 1st Australian Pioneers, Killed in action 25 October 1917, age 29. Grave II.D.16. Son of Frederick and Eliza Blakeman, of "Arcadia," Edward Street, North Sydney, New South Wales. He was employed as a Plumber and Gasfitter when he enlisted on 23 August 1915. He was unmarried and listed his mother as his next of kin. He has previously served in the Light Horse for six years. He sailed from Alexandria on 27 March 1916 and landed in Marseilles on 3 April and was promoted to Sergeant on 16 April before he joined the Battalion in the field in May 1916. He was then promoted to Temporary Company Quartermaster Sergeant. He enjoyed a period of leave in England from 6 January to 26 January 1917. On 19 May he was found guilty of drunkenness when on active service and reprimanded. On 4 August he was found guilty of using language unbecoming of an NCO in a public place and making a false accusation. He was again reprimanded. Following his death, his mother wrote a moving letter to the Australian authorities on 17 September 1920 concerning correspondence and that of her late husband 'died of a broken heart through the loss of our boy'. She visited England in 1921 and lodged the details of the inscription on his headstone at Australia House. There is no evidence that she visited his grave but one can only assume she must have done having travelled from Australia.
3107 Corporal William Leonard Paterson, 1st Australian Pioneers, Killed in action 25 October 1917, age 20. Grave II.D.17. Son of Edward Favenc Paterson and Mary Jane Paterson, Carthage Street, Tamworth, New South Wales. He was age 18 and employed as a Bank Clerk when he enlisted on 17 July 1915. He embarked at Alexandria on 1 June 1916 with the 13th Infantry Battalion and landed in Marseilles on 8 June. They went into the line and he was promoted to Temporary Corporal when one of his colleagues was wounded on 19 August. He relinquished the rank of Temporary Corporal when he was transferred to the 1st Pioneer Battalion on 23 September 1916. On the 1 January 1917 he was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal and then promoted to Corporal on 10 March. He enjoyed a period of leave in England from 16 to 28 July and on rejoining the Battalion went to the 1st ANZAC Crops School on 28 August rejoining the Battalion on 1 October. Following his death his parents were sent a photograph of his grave and the location. They also received his personal effects.
The War Diary of the 1st Battalion Australian Pioneers records that throughout October the Battalion HQ was located at Belgian Chateau and that on 25 October 1917 ‘A’ and ‘C’ Companies were working on road repairs from St Josephs to Zonnebeke to Moulin Farm, and ‘B’ Company was working on the section from Kit Kat up to St Josephs, with ‘D’ Company working on gun pits and splinter proof shelters. Shelling was heavy throughout the day resulting in casualties.
Alias
930 Private James Henry Ochs (Served as Oates), ‘D’ Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Brigade, Australian Infantry, Killed in action 25 October 1917, age 20. Grave II.E.10. Son of Jacob and Annie Ochs, Thane Creek, Warwick, Queensland. He had a sister, Florence and an older brother Leonard. He gave his name as James Henry Oates and his age as 19 and that he was employed as a Labourer when he enlisted on 4 March 1916, and gave his next of kin his uncle John Carley. He sailed from Sydney on 4 May 1916 and landed at Devonport on 9 July, and the Battalion went to France, the Base Depot at Etaples, on 16 September and proceeded to the front line on 22 September. He was hospitalised sick on 11 November going to the 38th Casualty Clearing Station as N.Y.D. (Not Yet Diagnosed), and was sent down the line to Rouen and the Base Hospital on 15 November. He had recovered and rejoined the Battalion on 14 December. He went sick again on 12 January 1917 with blistered feet (Trench feet) and went down the line to Rouen once again on 18 January and from there was transferred to England on 22 January and admitted to the Military Hospital at Lewisham. He went from here to Harefield on 21 March and then on furlough from 29 March to 13 April. He rejoined at Perham Down, Salisbury Plain, on 14 April and left here for France on 20 June and rejoined the Battalion on 14 July. He joined the list of Infantry Brigade Runners on 1 October. Following his death his sister wrote to the Australian authorities requesting the return of her brother belongings as she believed that the ‘Jug Purse’ was not all his possessions and questioning what had happened to his watch. It would seem that the ‘Jug Purse’ was all that were returned to his uncle. The Military Authorities wrote to Florence regarding a brother and Florence replied to the Military authorities on 9 April 1922 that James had enlisted under a false name as he was only age 18 at that time and that his parents were deceased. His brother Leonard, as the oldest living relative, received James War Medals and Plaque. Florence applied for a War Gratuity but this application was rejected by the War Gratuity Board.
The War Diary for 25 October 1917 records that the 1st Infantry Brigade was in the Canal area near Ypres with Brigade HQ located at Chateau Belge. The Battalion was providing Railway Fatigues working with the 9th Canadian Railway Company in the Hooge/Zillebeke area repairing shell breaks in the line. The Canadian War Diary reports that shelling was heavy throughout the day. The 3rd Battalion War Diary records that ‘4 ORs killed & 1 OR wounded.’
Boy Soldier
In the Ypres Salient, we are drawn to the graves of 6322 Private John Condon, 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, killed in action in May 1915, age 14 and the youngest known battle casualty of the war, although this is now questioned, and the grave of 5750 Valentine Strudwick, 8th Rifle Brigade, killed in action in January 1916, age 15. Strudwicks grave attracts a great deal of attention because of its location at Essex Farm and that locations association with Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae and the poem ‘In Flanders Fields.’ There are many more ‘Boy Soldiers’ buried across the Salient and who are not remembered in the same way and these include three from Falkirk District Private William Jamieson, age 17, Private James Duchart, age 16, and Private Herbert Richmond, age 17, There were many reasons why under age boys enlisted in 1914 and 1915 boredom with their jobs, looking for adventure, and escaping family pressures. The checks on age and qualification to enlist were more relaxed than later in the war. The army preferred younger recruits, there was a history of boy soldiers in the army going back over one hundred years. At Waterloo the army had a number of boy soldiers in their ranks. The army preferred younger recruits as they would follow orders and accept discipline more readily than older men. The boys had a belief in their own indestructibility and were prepared to take more risks. We tend to also forget the number of boys who served in the Royal Navy and we do not seem to have the same passionate response to their service as we do those who fought on the Western Front. With regards to the army, the difference was the sheer number who served on the Western Front and
there were more boy soldiers in 1915 than served in Wellington’s army at Waterloo. For further reading on this subject see Richard Van Emden’s excellent book Boy Soldiers of the Great War. There is one Boy Soldier buried here. 23143 Private Norman Graham Walker, 2nd Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 98th Infantry Brigade, 33rd Division. Killed in action 18 June 1918, age 17. Grave III.B.10. Son of John and Kate Walker, Walker's Buildings, Denbeath, Methil, Fife. On the 10 June the Battalion was in Brigade Reserve at Belgian Chateau and they relieved the 4th King’s Liverpool Regiment in the line on the night of 15/16 June. During the move into the line the Battalion incurred 20 casualties most of which were light with the exception of ‘2 ORs killed’ The CWGC list Norman’s death as occurring on 18 June and on the night of 18/19 June the Battalion undertook a fighting patrol in which they encountered a party of Germans killing three and taking one wounded prisoner. There is no mention of casualties. So, was he killed on the night of 15/16 June. The Battalion was relieved by the 5th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) on 20 June. During their time in the line the Battalion had American officers and NCOs attached for trench familiarization training. His Epitaph reads FOR BRITAIN AND FOR RIGHT.
Argyll & Sutherland Highlander
12451 Private Harold Victor Jameson, 2nd Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 98th Infantry Brigade, 33rd Division. Killed in action 18 June 1918, age 20. Grave III.B.9.
Son of Edgar and Ada Jameson, 9 Charles Street, Iffley Road, Oxford. He was killed during the same action as Private Norman Walker.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and John Reginald Truelove
Cemetery Location
The cemetery is located in the southern suburbs of Ieper and is about 300m west of the point where the N375 bends sharply to the south. A road to Brandhoek leaves the N375 here at the crossroads and the CWGC sign directs you to the cemetery.
Burials:
UK – 490
Australia – 123
New Zealand – 8
Canadian – 7
India – 2
Known unto God – 9
There is a special Memorial to two Australians whose graves have been lost. And two graves of Indian soldiers their dates of death are 14 and 15 March 1919.
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