Dragoon Camp Cemetery
- Admin
- Dec 6, 2025
- 5 min read
This is a small CWGC Cemetery that is approximately 500 yards from the road named Kleine Poelstraat and on British trench maps as Huddleston Road. Dragoon Camp is approached by a track leading from a point near what the British named Dragoon House or named House 10 or Villa Gretchen. This was behind German lines until the opening day of Third Battle of Ypres on 31 July when the site was taken by the 38th (Welsh) Division and the cemetery, called at first the Villa Gretchen Cemetery, was begun by the 13th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers on 9 August. It continued in use until October 1917. It seems likely that the burial party form the 13th Royal Welch Fusiliers buried up to forty bodies here that had lain on the battlefield for ten days when they opened the cemetery on 9 August 1917.
Major Evan Davies, Mentioned in Despatches, 15th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, 113th Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division. Killed in action 28 July 1917. Grave B.1. He was the son of Evan and Mary Davies, Arnant, Llwyncelyn. The War Diary for 27th July makes for interesting reading regarding his fate: ‘Reports having been received from the R.F.C. that the enemy had withdrawn from the front & second line of trenches, A Company was ordered to push forward and reconnoitre. Unfortunately the report proved false and the enemy was engaged in the second line, inflicting severe casualties on the company. O.C. A Company Major Evan Davies was wounded and taken prisoner as were a number of the N.C.Os and men. One platoon, D Company, in charge of an N.C.O. who went forward as support to A Company were badly cut up.’ Evan was wounded on 27th July and taken prisoner, and he must have died the following day in German captivity. There is no evidence that he was then buried by them, or simply laid to one side, what is known is that wherever his body lay between 28th July and 9th August, it was then found and brought to Dragoon Camp for burial.
Royal Artillery
On the 4 October 1917, ‘D’ Battery with ‘B’ and ‘C’ were firing a standing barrage 400 yards beyond the creeping barrage in support the advance of the 110th Infantry Brigade attack, only one Battalion took part, the Seaforth Highlanders, with the artillery Forward Observation Post in Eagle Trench in the Gheluvelt – Langemarck Line beyond Langemarck, and the telephone line from here back to Au Bon Gite. The War Diary recorded that at 10am ‘Lieut W J Pinniger D/91 Killed by a shell at Battery position.’ The shell also killing Gunner Fraser. Second Lieutenant Wilfred James Pinniger, ‘D’ Battery, 91st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Killed in action 4 October 1917, age 20. Grave A.2. On the original Grave Registration Form for the cemetery he is listed as ‘Finniger’. The youngest son of Charles John and Annie E. Pinniger, Maerbrook, Exmouth, Devon. 93595 Gunner Alexander Fraser, ‘D’ Battery, 91st Howitzer Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Killed in action 4 October 1917, age 28. Grave A.6. He was married to Catherine, and they lived at 31 West Russell Street, Glasgow with their two children Isabella and Margaret. Royal Flying Corps attached to 91st Howitzer Battery 50208 Air Mechanic 2nd Class Edward Thomas Rose. 9th Squadron Royal Flying Corps attached ‘D’ Battery, 91st Howitzer Brigade, Royal Field Artillery Killed in action 4 October 1917, age 19. Grave A.3. Son of George and Florence Rose, 76 Moray Road, Finsbury Park, London. He was attached to the artillery to assist with communication with the aerial support during the British attack. Although the period of good weather had ended on 3 October the assault still took place on 4 October. Despite the return of the rain, and with light winds and clouds down to as low as four hundred feet, a significant amount of the air co-operation associated with the assault still went ahead.
Lieutenant Richard Henry Lyster Rogers, 27th Battery, 32nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Killed in action 4 October 1917. Grave A.1. The 32nd Brigade was firing in support of the 4th Division attack along a 750 yard front, 500 yards in front of Eagle Trench between White Mill on the lower Langemarck – Poelcappelle road and Schreiboom on the upper road. The Brigade assisted the 11th Brigade in the fight for 19 Metre Hill and also in fighting off enemy counterattacks that took place at 2pm and 5pm on 4 October. The Brigade War Diary records that ‘Lt RHL Rogers 27th Batty killed, seven OR’s wounded.’
Royal Engineer
62902 Corporal Arthur Sidney Banbury, 38th Divisional Signal Company, Royal Engineers. Killed in action 31 July 1917, age 34. Grave A.5. Son of John and the late Mary Ann Banbury, Cardiff. He was married to Florence Mary Banbury, and they lived at 10 Grenville Road, Roath, Cardiff with their son Phillip who was 17 months old when Arthur was killed. The 1911 census records Arthur as working as a Telephonist in Cardiff. The War Diary records that the 38 Division had attacked as part of the XIV Corps on the opening day of the Third Battle of Ypres. Communication with the Brigades had been maintained by wireless with great difficulty experienced in keeping the telephone lines open due to the mud. Linesmen going forward to keep the lines open would have been exposed to enemy shell fire and snipers. The War Diary records the casualties amongst the Other Ranks on 31 July as 3 killed, one died of wounds, and one missing.
Location
Boezinge is located north of the town of Ieper on the N369 road, direction Diksmuide. The Cemetery is located in Kleinepoezelstraat east of the village. From the N369 turn right into Brugstraat, over the bridge and bear right into Langemarkseweg. Follow this road to the first crossroads and turn right into Kleine Poezelstraat. The cemetery is located on the left-hand side of the road approximately 200 metres past the crossroads.
The cemetery was designed by A J S Hutton.
Burials
Dragoon Camp Cemetery contains 66 First World War burials, ten of them unidentified. Thirty-six of the fifty-six graves belong to the Royal Welch Fusiliers with fourteen of the identified graves from the 13th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers.
UK – 56
Unidentified – 10 British
Comments