British Airmen - Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery
Updated: Oct 3
Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, CWGC, was started by French troops in 1914 and was taken over by Commonwealth forces in April 1915. It was used by fighting units and Field Ambulances until June 1917, when the land adjoining the cemetery was claimed for a military railway preventing further extension. The cemetery is remarkable for the care with which men of the same unit were buried side by side if they died at about the same time. There is also a very high proportion of graves of Territorial units, in particular Lancashire Territorials, who have nearly 250 graves in plots IV, V and VI. During the early months of 1917, whenever it was possible, the 55th Division brought their dead from the front for burial here. The German Uhlan Cavalry occupied the area in early October 1914 before retreating. A deciding factor in their retreat was the arrival of the French 87th and 89th Territorial Divisions, with the 89th Division being deployed between Vlamertinghe and Reninghelst. By February 1915 the sector had been handed over to the British.
Grave V.E.15 1678 Sergeant Cecil Stephen Tooms. Pilot. 41 Squadron RFC. Age 22. KIA 24.1.17. Son of Stephen and Ellen Tooms, of Northampton. He had served as an observer in No.1 Squadron in early 1916 and obtained his pilots certificate on 26 October 1916. He was to claim 41 Squadrons first victory on the morning of 24 January 1917 however, he did not have much time to enjoy this. He was flying in an FE8, 6453, when he was shot down and killed by Leutnant Alfred Ulmer of Jasta 8 on the afternoon of 24 January 1917. This was also to be Ulmers fifth and final victory.
Grave V.B.10 Lieutenant Claude A Felix Brown. Observer. 46 Squadron RFC. Age 21. KIA 26.12.16. Son of Ernest Henry and Ethel Mabel Felix-Brown, 13 Leeside Crescent, Golders Green, London. Grave V.B.11 Captain John William Washington Nason. Pilot. 14th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment attached 46 Squadron RFC. Son of Doctor and Mrs. Nason, 23 Grosvenor Crescent, St. Leonards-on-Sea. They were flying in a Nieuport 12, A3294, on a photography patrol when they became 46 Squadron’s first casualties when they were shot down over Railway Wood by Leutnant Alfred Ulmer. They were his third victory. Their aircraft crashed between the British first and second lines at Railway Wood. Leutnant Alfred Ulmer – He joined Jasta 8 as a Vizefeldwebel on 10 September 1916. He was promoted to Leutnant and was severely wounded on 5 February 1917 over Dranoutre. On recovering from his wounds, he rejoined Jasta 8 and was shot down and killed on 29 June over Hollebeke his aircraft, an Albatros DV, caught fire. The victory, their first, was claimed by Canadians Lieutenant H W Joslyn and Private E A Potter flying in FE2d A6415 of 20 Squadron. They would go on to be aces.
Grave VII.B.1 77646 Sergeant Frederick Bird. Observer. 20 Squadron RFC. Age 24. KIA 23.5.17. Son of Thomas L. and Eliza Bird, of Elm Villa, Elm Road, Sidcup, Kent. They were flying in an observation patrol in an FE2d, A6466, when they were in a fight with aircraft of Jasta 28. They were forced to land near Vlamertinghe and the pilot, 2nd Lieutenant W Howarth, was wounded in the action.
Grave III.E.9 8177 Air Mechanic 2nd Class Arthur Francis Jackson Phillips. 6 Squadron RFC. KIA 12.12.15. There is no recorded RFC losses on 12 December. It is likely that Arthur was working as ground liaison between the artillery and the aircraft who were spotting the fire on the German lines from the artillery.
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