Gwalia Cemetery
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The cemetery was begun in July 1917 and remained in use until September 1918. It lay among the camps in flat, wet country and was used by infantry units, artillery and field ambulances. The cemetery took its name from the farm you pass on your left as you walk in from the road and it was named as Gwalia Farm on the trench maps and was surrounded by Browne Nos. 1, 2 and 3 camps and the St John’s supply dump. In Plot I, Row H, are buried 14 men of the 9th Lancashire Fusiliers who were killed in the early morning of 4 September 1917, in a German air raid over Dirty Bucket Camp. There are 179 men from various artillery units, thirty from the Royal Engineers, and thirty from the Labour Corps.
Main Dressing Station
In 1917, Gwalia Farm Hospital, was the furthest MDS from the front, and was located a short distance from Poperinghe on the road to Elverdinghe alongside the Peselhoek-Poperinghe-Woesten rail Junction, and it was surrounded by Browne Nos. 1, 2 and 3 camps and the St John’s supply dump. On December 13, 1916, the 134th Field Ambulance moved to Gwalia Farm and took over the MDS and the ADS’s at Essex, Sussex Farms and the Canal Bank. Not all casualties were as a result of enemy action as they discovered. On 22nd December they had to deal with some Cerebro-spinal cases and it was found that the ward orderly was the carrier of this disease and was immediately evacuated. From 31 July 1917, Gwalia Farm was the MDS for XIV Corps and the staff billeted in Browne No.3 camps. The site was temporarily evacuated between September and November 1917 due to enemy shelling.
Those casualties arriving at Gwalia Farm were taken to the Receiving Room, this was a large barn. They were then recorded and examined and given anti-tetanus injections and those cases that required resuscitation or were too ill to be moved were taken for immediate attention to a surgical dressing station. Gas cases were taken to a separate tent. When the casualties had been taken care of they were moved onto a large hospital tent to await evacuation by Motor Ambulance or light railway this was the responsibility of the Dispatching NCOs. They were sent to the Casualty Clearing Station specialising in their particular wound. Colonel David Rorie, in ‘A Medico’s Luck in the War’ recorded his experience: 'Here came as much work for the despatching NCO’s: head cases and chest cases going to one CCS, fractured thighs to another, gas cases to a third, general cases to a fourth, and so on. As the nature of the casualties taken by the various CCS’s occasionally changed at short notice, everyone had to be alert and on the look-out to see each class of case reached its proper destination. A large diagram of the human body was at one time hung up in the receiving room with arrows pointing from each part - head, chest, and thigh - to the name of the CCS whither each special case should go. The figure being depicted as unclad bore, very properly, and after the manner of statuary, a fig leaf: and one bright morning I discovered that some brighter orderly had duly and appropriately adorned the divisions of the fig leaf with the touching legend APM.' Those awaiting evacuation were despatched to the relevant CCS. Those who had died were buried in Gwalia cemetery next to the MDS. Rorie also described his billet at Gwalia Farm CCS: ‘Our mess was in the tile-floored kitchen of a little farmhouse whose owners lived in the back premises – father, mother, grandmother, two young children and three adult male relatives, one of whom was killed during our stay by a shell which landed in a field on the other side of the road. The kitchen had a wide and high fireplace recess in which was fixed a stove. This kitchen was the dining and sitting room accommodation for the officers of the three Field Ambulances supplying personnel for the Corps Main Dressing Station: our sleeping quarters being Armstrong huts – none too weatherproof – and tentage in the neighbouring field.’
On either side of the Elverdinge Road were Oakhanger, Ryde, Browne 1, 2 and 3, (were situated around Gwalia Farm and were hospital camps). Between Brandhoek and the Elverdinghe Road were Dirty Bucket camp, Hospital Farm, O Camp, Border camp, and the Casualty Clearing Stations at Brandhoek. There were also gun batteries, ammunition depots, storage depots, and horse-lines. These were all linked by a series of light railways which ran from Poperinghe via Oosthoek, Peselhoek via Dromore Corner, and joining together on the western edge of Elverdinghe. A.30 Central, which was the map reference, for the camp and a particular estimanet gave the name to Dirty Bucket Corner and Camp. This was the location for a divisional or a brigade HQ and the area was frequently shelled and bombed by the Germans.
British West Indies Regiment
The British West Indies Regiment was a unit of the British Army formed of volunteers from British colonies in the West Indies. The 1st and 2nd Battalions served in Egypt and Palestine while the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th Battalions served in France and Flanders, with the 5th Battalion acting as reserve draft unit. The 8th and 9th Battalions also served in France and Flanders, before being transferred to Italy in 1918, while the 10th and 11th Battalions also served in France and Italy. The Regiment was fifteen thousand strong with two hundred and sixty two men lost their lives overseas during the conflict, 105 to enemy action and 157 dying of disease; a further 573 were wounded. Not far from Winnipeg and Montreal Camps was De Drie Groens Farm. It was here that a segregation camp was built to house the labour battalions of the British West Indies Regiment. In his diary Achiel van Walleghem records his meeting with them, and his language is both racist and patronising to today’s reader: 'At Drie Groens niggers arrived from Jamaica, in the West Indies, to work hereabouts. Dressed like all British soldiers, they are both civilised and softly spoken. Generally, they are not very popular because they have long fingers and civilians, in particular, would much rather see them leave than arrive... I came across a letter to one of these black people from his mother, what Christian and motherly feelings she expressed, not one of our mothers express herself better. Extremely frightened by the shelling these black people stare afraid when they hear a shell approaching and, when it hits the ground nearby, they dash off as of possessed.' Following the bombing of the British West Indian camp the wounded were taken to the CCS at Gwalia Farm and Colonel David Rorie in his 'A Medico's Luck in the Great War' recorded the scene, the language is both racist and offensive to today’s reader: '..the place was suddenly filled up with wounded niggers. Naturally emotional, and, equally, scared to death, besides - in many cases - being badly injured, the black men made the dressing-room an inferno of shrieks, groans and cries which were impossible to still... as one gazed around the dim-lit hall of suffering at the gleaming teeth and rolling white eye-balls of the recumbent blacks on the operating tables and stretchers, the scene and din, inside and outside, suggested an impromptu revival meeting in nether regions.' There are fourteen men from the British West Indies Regiment 4th and 6th Battalions buried at Gwalia. I have selected four men from the 6th Battalion killed on the 11 July 1917, and buried together. 8141 Private E Francis, Grave I.B.9. 7427 Private Uriah Matts, Grave I.B.10. 7389 Private Jeremiah Kemist, Grave I.B.11. 7286 Private L Campbell, age 28. Grave I.B.12. Son of Frederick and Marion Campbell. The 6th Battalion was formed in 1917 and was composed of 36 white officers and 1656 men; it was part of the 5th Jamaica War Contingent. The 6th Battalion was not deployed as front-line combat troops but as labourer’s responsible for digging trenches, latrines, moving ammunition and generally supporting troops on the frontline. Their main duties were handling ammunition at dumps, railheads and batteries where they often came under heavy shelling. They had to abandon their camp soon after arrival when the wood where it was located came under heavy fire. Detachments offloaded and delivered ammunition to batteries at Vlamertinge, Elverdinge, Burnt Farm, Joffre Farm, Essex Farm and other locations along the front. They were often exposed to shellfire and bullets and suffered casualties. They arrived as the preparations for the Battle of Third Ypres were underway and they served a battery of guns at Essex Farm. One member of the Battalion was Shot at Dawn; Private Herbert Morris and he is buried in Poperinghe New Military Cemetery.
Tank Corps
There are eight men of the Tank Corps buried here. They died of their wounds received when the Germans shelled ‘C’ Battalion HQ which was located in Oosthoek Wood north of Vlamertinghe. In ‘With the Tanks 1916-1918 Memoirs of a British Tank Commander in the Great War’ WHL Watson DSO., DCM wrote of his experience. On the 2 July he had driven to the wood to inspect the area ahead of his Battalions arrival. The tanks for the assault on 31 July were hidden in the wood and the ramp for unloading them from their rail transport was also located here: ‘I found after a hot and dusty ride that the site of our proposed camp was on the northern edge of the wood, close by the siding and very obvious ramp. It was a part of the world which the German gunner found interesting…The ramp and the northern edge of Oosthoek Wood were shelled nightly… We took the opportunity of studying the approaches to the ramp… the route in which we were instructed to hide our tanks, was only a couple of hundred yards long… Before I left I was told that a shell had dropped into ‘C’ Battalion lines and nearly wiped out Battalion Headquarters….’ five died on 4 July, one on 7 July, and one on 10 July. 75944 Gunner Gilbert Harries, ‘C’ Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch), Tank Corps, Killed in action 4 July 1917, age 26. Grave I.A.4 Son of Isaac and Emma Harries, The School House, Burwell, Cambridgeshire. 76112 Gunner Jack Kingsley Wilcockson, ‘C’ Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch), Tank Corps, Killed in action 4 July 1917, age 20. Grave I.A.5. Only son of Arthur Edward and Marian Wilcockson, 26 Susans Road, Eastbourne, Sussex. 2227 Corporal Philip John Evans, ‘C’ Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch), Tank Corps, Killed in action 4 July 1917, age 21. Grave I.A.6. Son of John and Annie Elizabeth Evans. Native of Chester. 77497 Gunner Benjamin Isaac Downing, ‘C’ Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch), Tank Corps, Killed in action 4 July 1917, age 29. Grave I.A.7. Son of Charles and Rachael Downing, Shadow Barn Cottages, Bungay, Suffolk. 76713 Gunner David Hanton, ‘C’ Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch), Tank Corps, Killed in action 4 July 1917, age 31. Grave I.A.8. Eldest Son of William and Jessie Hanton, 3 Wallace Street, Arbroath. Native of Greenlaw, Farnell, Brechin. 206186 (38893) Gunner Thomas Atkinson, ‘F’ Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch), Tank Corps, Killed in action 7 July 1917, age 33. Husband of Mary Lizzie Taylor (formerly Atkinson), 18 Gilbert Street, Harle Syke, Burnley, Lancs. Grave I.A.14. 23680 Lance-Corporal George Wallace, ‘C’ Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch), Tank Corps, Killed in action 10 July 1917, age 22. Grave I.B.6. Son of George and Margaret M. Wallace, 53 Skene Street, Aberdeen. Born at Wealthieton, Keig, Aberdeen.
Artillery
Captain John Beech, Commanding ‘I’ Sound Ranging Section 4th Field Survey Company, Royal Engineers. Formerly 10th Battalion. South Staffordshire Regiment. Killed in action 12 May 1918, age 30. Grave II.F.24. Son of John and Kate Beech, Newcastle-under-Lyme; husband of Anna Nellie Beech, 65 Eltisley Avenue, Cambridge. The Flash Spotting Groups and the Sound Ranging Sections were detachments of the Field Survey Battalions of the Royal Engineers. Sound Ranging Sections were always known as that name. The Field Survey Battalions were first known as the 1st Ranging Section and then this section became 1st Ranging and Survey Section. Then came the Topographical Sections, the Field Survey Companies, and the Field Survey Battalions, these are better known by their code name ‘Maps’. In the official history of the war there is little or no reference to the part played by these units and it is fair to say that they played a major role in the ultimate victory. In April 1918 the Germans launched their Lys offensive with the British falling back. Towards the middle of April, the central part of the Army front was taken over by the French and as this divided the Army front into two portions, a second Artillery section was established with the Groups and Sections being allotted to these two Artillery sections. ‘I’ Sound Ranging Section was in the northern artillery section at Locre and then moving to La Lovie Chateau. On the 29 April, with the German offensive now halted, the Sound Ranging Sections were again brought up into the line. It was during the fighting that Captain John Beech was killed.
Chaplain
Reverend Cecil Langdon, Chaplain 4th Class, Army Chaplains’ Department attached 11th Battalion, Border Regiment, 97th Infantry Brigade, 32nd Division. Killed in action 31 October 1917, age 35. Grave II.E.11. Son of the late Augustin William Langdon, M.A., Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln's Inn, and Catherine Langdon. He had four brothers and a sister. On 1 January 1911 he married Elizabeth Mercer and they lived at Horeham Road, Sussex with their two children August John and Thomas Cecil. He was gazetted as a Captain and Chaplain to the Forces in November 1916 and went to France were he was attached to the Border Regiment. On the 31 October 1917, the Reverend R.E. Grice-Hutchinson M.C., Chaplain to the 32nd Division recorded in his diary of a visit hi made to the Casualty Clearing Stations: ‘I went up to the C.C.S.’s in the morning, which is a longish way away, to see the wounded, but there were only a few in. I found a note from the senior Chaplain when I got back and it gave me a shock when I heard that poor Langdon, who is attached to the Borders, had been killed at St. Julien. He had apparently gone up with some Infantry officers for a walk – they must have been sent on a reconnaissance, the Infantry being fully 20 miles back – and was struck by a bomb and killed instantly.’ The War Diary of the 11th Border Regiment only records on the 3 November ‘Church parades. Memorial service to the late Chaplain Langdon C.F. at 2.00pm.’ Following his death Lieutenant Colonel Tweedy, commanding officer, wrote to Cecil’s wife: ‘……. He was a great deal more than a Chaplain to us, he was a brother, a fighting comrade: he ran our mess, organised our sports, provided recreation and amusement, and dealt with the hundreds of inquiries from people at home in reference to killed and missing men. His tragic end has left an ache in the hearts of all who knew him, and his place in our thoughts will never be usurped by anyone. I feel certain that the work he loved to do amongst us will bear ripe fruit and make all of us better and stronger men. Your boys have been left to a wonderful heritage in the knowledge that their father was one of the best and bravest of men. He died almost immediately, but had time for just one sentence, in which the man showed himself far better, than any words of mine can describe. As soon as he fell men rushed to pick him up, but he waved them aside and said, “Don’t mind me, look after the others.” A fitting epitaph of the passing of a very gallant gentleman.’
Lieutenant Colonel Percy William Beresford DSO; twice Mentioned in Despatches. 3rd Battalion London Regiment of Royal Fusiliers, 173rd Infantry Brigade, 58th Division. Killed in action 26 October 1917, age 42. Grave II.E.9. Son of Frank Gilbert and Jessie Ogilvie Beresford. He graduated from Magdalen College, Oxford with hopes of entering the Church, but the ill health of his father meant he had to join the family business. In 1902 he moved to Westerham in Kent where he set up the first parish cadet corps in the country – the Westerham and Chipstead Cadet Corps, which was attached to the 1stVolunteer Battalion Royal West Kents. In 1905 he was ordained deacon and as a priest the following year by the Bishop of Rochester. When war broke out he left his position as Captain of the Cadet Corps and joined the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. He was wounded in April 1915 and was gassed in September the same year. He saw action at Neuve Chapelle, Hohenzollern Redoubt. Bullecourt, Ypres & Givenchy He was appointed acting Lieutenant Colonel of 2nd/3rd Royal Fusiliers on 23 May 1916. He won his D.S.O. at Bullecourt in March 1917 and the citation refers to his ‘ability to command his battalion during heavy enemy counter attacks’ and ‘his determination to hold on to an almost impossible position.’ He was Mentioned in Despatches twice. He continued to hold services and attend to the spiritual needs of those around him and still be a highly regarded C.O. by his men. They put his coolness under fire down to his religion and he was known as ‘Little Napoleon’ by his men. On the 26 October the Battalion attacked the German line north east of Poelcappelle at 5.40am. Owing to the appalling ground conditions and the German artillery, machine gun fire, and counter-attack they were only able to advance half-way to their objectives however, due to heavy casualties they had to withdraw to their assembly line. The War Diary records that Percy was mortally wounded early in the morning trying to reorganise the positions after being forced back.
Royal Flying Corps
Second Lieutenant Cecil Brannon Payne, Royal Artillery attached 21 Squadron Royal Flying Corps. Killed in action 20 August 1917, age 19. Grave I.H.7. Son of T. W. and Cecilia Payne, of Cordell Cot, Simla, India. Educated in Blundell's School, Tiverton, Devonshire, and Royal College of Science, London University. He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in October 1916 and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps on 4 May 1917 and trained as an observer joining 21 Squadron on 16 July 1917. At 08:40 on 20 August Cecil, and his pilot 2nd Lieutenant A. N. Donnet, took off in their RE8 A3603 to spot enemy artillery. They were engaged by enemy aircraft and their aircraft was badly damaged. Donnet managed to land the aircraft although severely wounded and Payne was killed in the action.
Location
Gwalia Cemetery is located 8.5 kilometres west of Ieper town centre on the Elverdingseweg (N333), a road leading from the Veurnseweg (N8) connecting Ieper to Elverdinge and on to Veurne. From Ieper town centre the Veurnseweg (N8) is reached via Elverdingsestraat, then turning right onto Haiglaan. Veurnseweg is a continuation of Haiglaan. 4 kilometres along the Veurnseweg (N8) in the village of Elverdinge, lies the left hand turning onto the N333 Steentjesmolenstraat. 4.5 kilometres along this road the cemetery will be located on the right hand side of the road.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.
Burials
UK – 444
Australian – 2
New Zealand – 5
South African – 1
British West Indies – 14
Chinese Labour corps – 4
German - 3
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