British Airmen-Wytschaete Military Cemetery
Wytschaete Military Cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from isolated positions surrounding Wytschaete (now Wijtschate). The village was known to the Tommies as ‘Whitesheets’ and was taken by the Germans early in November 1914. It was recovered by the British during the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917, but fell into German hands once more on 16 April 1918. The village was recovered for the last time on 28 September.
Royal Flying Corps
Second Lieutenant John Victor Ariel Gleed, Pilot 45th Squadron. Killed in action 7 July 1917, age 20. Grave IV.C.33. Son of John Wilson Gleed and Mary Gleed, of West Elloe, Spalding. He was piloting Sopwith 11⁄2 Strutter (A8281) accompanied by observer Lieutenant John Beveridge Fotheringham on an observation patrol when they were shot down near Houthem. Fotheringham is listed on the Arras Flying Services Memorial. John’s body was exhumed and reburied here. The victory was claimed by the ace Leutnant Hans Klein of Jasta 4 and they were victory number 14 of 22. Klein was to be wounded on 13 July in a fight with two aircraft from 29 Squadron. He was wounded again on 19 February 1918 when in command of Jasta 10. He saw no further action but served as ground commander of Jasta 10 to the end of the war. In 1935 he joined the Luftwaffe as a Major and commanded JG53 from 1 October 1939 to the end of that year. He was then promoted to command a fighter area and was later Deputy Commander of all fighters in the Luftwaffe. He was Major General when he died on 18 November 1944.
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