Cabin Hill Cemetery

Cabin Hill Cemetery. Authors image

Wytschaete (now Wijtschate) was taken by the Germans early in November 1914. It was recovered by Commonwealth forces 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 1918. The CWGC Cabin Hill Cemetery was begun by the 11th Division in June 1917 and used as a front line cemetery until March 1918. In October 1914, the 9th (Queen’s Royal) Lancers held the line here, though they only numbered 150 men. They were pushed back by the Germans, who held a numerical advantage of 6:1, along with ‘J’ Battery, Royal Horse Artillery. The 10th Battalion Royal Warwickshires were holding the line here during the German spring offensive in April 1918 and suffered casualties of 450 men before being forced to withdraw.

Two men from Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

36836 Private Henry Dick. ‘C’ Company, 5th/6th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 19th Infantry Brigade, 33rd Division. Died of Wounds, 1 November 1917, age 19. Grave C.1. Son of Henry and Mary Dick, 5 Paradise Road, Dundee. 204010 Private George Dunn Gow. 5th/6th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 19th Infantry Brigade, 33rd Division.  Killed in action 2 November 1917, age 28. Grave C.2. Son of William and Janet Gow, 23 Dunearn Street, Glasgow. He had six brothers and four sisters. His mother died in November 1899. The 5th/6th Battalion was formed in May 1916 by the merger of the 5th Battalion and the 1/6th Battalion. At the end of October, the 33rd Division was withdrawn from around Polygon Wood and Inverness Copse and took over the newly-captured line East of Messines. Owing to the heavy nature of the ground, the river Douve had burst its banks and flooded the area, it was a place of relative inactivity with considerable German shelling at night. The War Diary recording the casualties for the month of November, the Division was moved again to the northern sector of the Salient on 7 November, as 1 Officer killed, 6 wounded. Other Ranks 19 killed and 51 wounded.

Second Lieutenant Frank Mewburn Dunn

Durham Light Infantry

Second Lieutenant Frank Mewburn Dunn, 10th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, 43rd Infantry Brigade, 14th Division. Killed in action 23 September 1917, age 27. Grave C.6. Son of Robert and Mary I. Dunn, 437 Stannard Avenue, Victoria, British Columbia. He was on the editorial staff of The Colonist and Times in British Columbia before he enlisted in the Canadian Number 5 General Hospital and went to Salonica in 1915. He was with the hospital until he sought a transfer in early 1917 and joined the Durham Light Infantry after a period of officer training. The Battalion was holding the line east of Messines at Gapaard. During the night of 23 September the enemy shelled their lines and the communication trenches at Fanny’s Avenue and Wellington Avenue, and at Blauwen Molen continuously with 4.2s, 5.9s, Trench Mortar’s, gas shells, and with machine-gun fire. The War Diary does not mention any casualties. Frank was killed when a shell hit the parapet of his trench his commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Hubert Merant wrote to his parents that: ‘I very much regret to have to inform you that your son was killed in action on the night of 23-24 September. He was hit by a shell which hit the parapet of the trench and he was killed, I believe, practically instantaneously.’ 12866 Private William McTear, 10th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, 43rd Infantry Brigade, 14th Division. Killed in action 23 September 1917, age 29. Grave C.7. Son of Josiah and Mary McTear, Langley Park, County Durham. Husband of Agnes, 9 South Street, Council Houses, Houghton-le-Spring, Co. Durham. They had three children. He was employed as a miner when he enlisted in August 1914. He was wounded in the left hand in May 1916 and had a period of convalescence in a Military Hospital in Eastbourne before returning to the Battalion in mid-June 1916. William was killed by the same shell that killed 2nd Lieutenant Frank Dunn above.

Linesman Map. Trench lines east of Messines held by the Cameronians and the Durham Light Infantry

Location

Cabin Hill Cemetery is located 8.5 km south of Ieper town centre on a road leading from the Rijselseweg (N365) connecting Ieper to Wijtschate and on to Armentieres. From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg, (N336). After 4 km the N336 road forks with the N365 towards Wijtschate. On passing through the village of Wijtschate, there lies a left hand turning onto a street called Langebunderstraat. Langebunderstraat leads towards Torreken Farm Cemetery and beyond reaching a crossroads after 1.5 km Cabin Hill Cemetery is located 100 metres beyond the crossroads, having taken the left hand turning. Visitors this site should note a small, grassed access path to this cemetery which is unsuitable for vehicles.

Cabin Hill Cemetery. Authors image

The cemetery was designed by N. A. Rew

Burials

UK – 42

Australian - 25