As the Brandhoek Military Cemetery had become full this cemetery was begun in anticipation of high casualties from Third Ypres. It was used by the 32nd, 44th and 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Stations. This cemetery remained open until late august 1917 when it to became full.
A CCS could be found anywhere from 8 to 15 miles from the front line. Brandhoek CCS, which had opened in mid-1915, was located less than 10,000 yards from the front line. In July 1917, it had become a Field Ambulance incorporating CCS’s 32, 44, and 3 Australian. It was shelled on 21 August 1917 and this was recorded by Lt. Col. Arthur Marin-Leake VC in the 46th Field Ambulance War Dairy:
About 11am today shelling began in this neighbourhood. Two shells fell in our area close to the building. There were lots of patients about at the time, but nobody was hurt; this is to be accounted for by the wet and soft ground where the shells pitched. Shells have dropped in the three CCS, and Number 44 has had a nurse and orderly killed. The shelling continued and off all day, mostly near the Railway. CCS evacuated in the evening.
Brandhoek was abandoned on 25 August and moved to Remy Siding (Lijssenthoek). The nurse killed was Staff Nurse Nellie Spindler along with 44 others. She is buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.
The experience of large numbers of battle casualties led to the grouping of two or three CCS’s together as we have seen with Brandhoek. The distribution of the wounded to the CCS was either geographical or according to the Corps engaged. The CCS at Brandhoek performed specialised abdominal, chest, thigh operations in addition to the removal of shell fragments.
Cemetery Location
All three cemeteries at Brandhoek lie to the west of Vlamertinghe and are on the new road between Poperinge and Ieper. They are visible from the road.
(Linesman Map showing locations of the CCS at Brandhoek)
FALKIRK AND DISTRICT MEN BURIED HERE
Falkirk
41271 Pte John McPartlane
8th Battalion Suffolk Reg
13.8.17
VI. F. 3
Denny & Dunipace
49986 Sapper James Thomson
74th Field Company, Royal Engineers
31.7.17
III.A.6
Also buried here
Captain Noel Chavasse M.C. D.S.O. V.C and Bar
Royal Army Medical Corps, attached 1/10th (Liverpool Scottish) King’s (Liverpool Regiment), 166th Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Division
Son of the Bishop of Liverpool and identical twin brother of Christopher Chavasse O.B.E., M.C. and Croix de Guerre
His headstone is unique in that it has two Victoria Crosses carved upon it.
Marin-Leake was the first man to be awarded a bar to his VC winning his at Zonnebeke and was one of only three men to have won a bar to his VC. The others being Captain Noel Chavasse and Charles Upham of the New Zealand Military Forces. Martin-Leake commanded No.46 Field Ambulance, 15th (Scottish Division) at Red Farm which was located near Brandhoek CCS.
On the 31 July 1917, 2,153 casualties passed through No.46 Field Ambulance. The casualty figure for the period 1 to 2 August totalled 26 officers, 859 other ranks, and 83 prisoners. One of those on 2nd August was Noel Chavasse who was brought to the Field Ambulance as a patient. He was MO to the 1/10 King’s (Liverpool Regiment), the Liverpool Scottish of the 55th Division. The War Diary of No.46 Field Ambulance does not record if Martin-Leake had seen Chavasse. Dr J A Campbell Colston, an American doctor attached to 46th Field Ambulance recorded seeing Chavasse and he wrote in his diary: 'An Ambulance came up late tonight and in it was Captain Chavasse, VC, RAMC, of the King’s Liverpool Battalions of the 55th Division. His face was unrecognizable, all blackened from a shellburst very near and he seemed to be unconscious, as he had an abdominal wound besides, I did not take him out of the Ambulance which was sent on direct to 32 CCS where he will probably die.' He was indeed fatally wounded, and he died on 4 August. Chavasse won his Bar posthumously, his award of the Bar was announced on 14 September, at Wieltje which is only a few miles from where Martin-Leake had won his.
Burials
UK – 514
Australian – 11
Canadian – 6
German – 25
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