Hospital Farm Cemetery
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Hospital Farm was the name given to a farm building used as a dressing station. It was traditionally called Hospitaalhoeve as the farm was once owned by the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta The cemetery was used particularly in 1915 and in 1917 by regiments and batteries engaged in the fighting around Ypres. The farm was completely destroyed during a bombardment on 17 June 1916, after which only the barn could still be used as an aid post. The cemetery contains 115 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and one Belgian war grave.
Captain James Cook Gray MC, 11th Battalion Border Regiment, 97th Infantry Brigade, 32nd Division. Killed in action 22 December 1917, age 26. Grave D.1. Son of William Dixon Gray and Marion Brewster Gray, Stanfield, Airdrie. James Gray was an Advocate, a legal professional in Scotland, and his epitaph reads M. A., LL. B., ADVOCATE HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE. His MC was awarded in September 1917 for ‘Conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty at a time when all communication with the front line had been severed by intense hostile barrage. He repeatedly made his way through the barrage to advanced Company Headquarters and brought back information to his Battalion Commander who was thereby enabled to make suitable dispositions to repel the enemy of whose advance he would otherwise be totally unaware. The officer’s fearlessness and devotion to duty were above all praise’ He saw some of the most desperate fighting of the War and was three times mentioned in despatches, and refused a staff job as he did not wish to leave his comrades for a comparatively ‘safe’ post. On the 20 December 1917, the Battalion was at Wurst Farm on Gravenstafel Ridge and had gone forward relieving the 17th Battalion Highland Light Infantry at Point 83 near Poelcappelle. On the 22 December the War Diary recorded that: ‘Situation quiet. Capt. J. Cook Gray M.C. killed. 1 OR killed.’ On the 25 December the Battalion had been relieved and was back in billets at Siege Camp and the War Diary recorded: ‘Coys at disposal of Coy Commanders during morning. Battalion attended burial service of Capt. J Cook Gray M.C. during the afternoon.’
40764 Private Joseph Edward Cope, ‘C’ Company, 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers, 87th Infantry Brigade, 29th Division. Killed in action 19 July 1917, age 24. Grave C.20. The youngest son of Thomas and Mary Anne Cope, 5 Fairs Cottages, Beacontree Heath, Romford, Essex. They had three children two boys and a girl. His epitaph reads NOT ONE DAY HAVE WE FORGOT HIM SINCE HE SAID GOODBYE MOTHER & SISTERS. Joseph was working as a Farm Labourer when he enlisted. On the 19 July 1917, the Battalion War Diary records that the Battalion was in Forest Camp Woesten and was providing working parties for work with the Heavy Artillery. They make no reference to casualties.
Alias
3300 Lance Corporal T Coleman (served as George Houghton), 1st Battalion, King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), 12th Infantry Brigade, 4th Division. Killed in action 8 July 1915, age, 32. Grave B.12. Husband of Jane Ann Houghton, 39 Mordaunt Street, Wernerth, Oldham, Lancashire. On the 7 July 1915 the Battalion was in the support trenches at La Belle Alliance and the War Diary records that the line held was heavily shelled and attacked by the Germans but that the attacks were beaten off. The Battalion was relieved in the evening by a Battalion of 49th Division. George died of his wounds on 8 July.
Royal Flying Corps
Lieutenant Lambert Playfair, 1st Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, attached 1st Battalion Royal Scots. Killed in action 6 July 1915, age 21. Grave B.9. Son of Sir Harry and Lady Jessie Playfair, Gloucester Terrace, Hyde Park, London. They had previously lived in Dalaguri, Letekujan P.O., Sibsagar, Upper Assam, India. After leaving Oakham School he went to Sandhurst in 1912 having won a Prize Cadetship and was gazetted to the 1st Battalion Royal Scots in January 1913. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as a Lieutenant and joined 1st Squadron. The squadron was based at St Omer. On 6 July Lambert was flying as an observer in an Avro 504 piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Oliver Filley on an observation patrol when at 11.40am they were attacked by two Aviatiks over St Julian at five thousand feet, they had earlier chased off two Aviatiks. Their aircraft was hit in the engine and Lambert was hit in the head and killed and Filley managed to crash land the aircraft near Hospital Farm.
3329 2nd Air Mechanic Herbert George Eldridge, 6th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Killed in action 16 June 1915, age U/K. Grave A.8. The 6th Squadron was operating from Abeele airfield. Herbert was the air gunner flying in an FE-2a serial 4228 with pilot Lieutenant Edward Fraser Norris. Shortly after take-off the aircraft crashed, injuring Norris and killing Herbert.
Royal Garrison Artillery
Captain Robert William Christian Meyers Rodgers, 1st Lancashire Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Killed in action 29 July 1917. Grave B.6. Son of Robert and Mary Anne Rodgers, of Liverpool. Under the Haldane Reforms that created the Territorial Force, the 1st Lancashire RGA (V) merged with part of the 1st Cheshire RGA (V) to become the Lancashire and Cheshire RGA as a defended ports unit. The single command facilitated coordination between the defences on the Lancashire and Cheshire banks of the Mersey Estuary. The Cheshire side included Fort Perch Rock armed with three 6-inch Mark VII BL guns in 1914. There was also a detachment at Barrow-in-Furness defending the shipyards and airship works. On 31 August 1914, the formation of Reserve or 2nd Line units for each existing TF unit was authorised; each was prefixed '2/' to distinguish it from the 1st Line ('1/'). Initially these were formed from men who had not volunteered for overseas service, and the recruits who were flooding in. By October 1914, the campaign on the Western Front was bogging down into Trench warfare and there was an urgent need for batteries of siege artillery to be sent to France. The War Office decided that the TF coastal gunners were well enough trained to take over many of the duties in the coastal defences, releasing Regular RGA gunners for service in the field. Soon the TF RGA companies that had volunteered for overseas service were also supplying trained gunners to RGA units serving overseas. The L&C RGA is known to have supplied cadres for 39th and 95th Siege Battery’s in 1915 and 256th in 1916. Both the 39th and 95th Siege Battery’s were involved in the preparatory barrage for Third Ypres. The 39th Battery supported the successful Battle of Messines on 7 June and then moved to forward positions under Fifth Army for the bombardment preceding the opening of Third Ypres Offensive on 31 July 1917. The 95th Battery was also involved in these actions with the battery placed in the 70th Heavy Artillery Group and in the Northern Counter-Battery Group. Both Batteries were subjected to fierce German counter-battery fire.
21st Heavy Heavy Battery Casualties
Lieutenant Alfred Ebenezer Voysey, Special Reserve attached 21st Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, Killed in action 29 July 1917, age 32. Grave B.4. Son of the late Reverend Alfred J. Voysey and Emma Voysey, Lewisham. He was married to Mildred and they lived at 4 Mountney Road, Eastbourne. He was a Special Reserve who joined as a Driver with number 140217 on the outbreak of war and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 21 December 1916. Captain Andrew Duncan MacNeill, 21st Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, Killed in action 29 July 1917, age 36. Grave B.5. Husband of Jean MacNeill, 37A Great Cumberland Place, London. Andrew was the eldest of two boys and was educated at Eaton and at Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1901, Andrew was living at home with his now widowed mother and siblings Elizabeth and William at 81, London Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. On 2nd April 1902, Andrew MacNeill became a 2nd Lieutenant of the Carmarthen Artillery rising to the rank of Lieutenant on 6th May 1903. He married Jean on 15 April 1913 and they had no children. On the outbreak of war he was a Captain with the Royal Garrison Artillery, 21st Heavy Battery. The 21st Heavy Battery was raised as divisional artillery for 21st Division in September 1914 as part of Kitchener's Third New Army [K3]. They left the Division in July 1915 and proceeded to France on the 21st August 1915 with the 23rd Heavy Artillery Brigade. There is no War Diary for the 23rd Heavy Brigade but it would be safe to assume that Andrew was a casualty of counter-battery fire.
Boy Soldiers
In the Ypres Salient, we are drawn to the graves of 6322 Private John Condon, 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, killed in action in May 1915, age 14 and the youngest known battle casualty of the war, although this is now questioned, and the grave of 5750 Valentine Strudwick, 8th Rifle Brigade, killed in action in January 1916, age 15. Strudwicks grave attracts a great deal of attention because of its location at Essex Farm and that locations association with Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae and the poem ‘In Flanders Fields.’ There are many more ‘Boy Soldiers’ buried across the Salient and who are not remembered and these include three from Falkirk District Private William Jamieson, age 17, Private James Duchart, age 16, and Private Herbert Richmond, age 17. There were many reasons why underage boys enlisted in 1914 and 1915 boredom with their jobs, looking for adventure, and escaping family pressures. The checks on age and qualification to enlist were more relaxed than later in the war. The army preferred younger recruits, there was a history of boy soldiers in the army going back over one hundred years. At Waterloo the army had a number of boy soldiers in their ranks. The army preferred younger recruits as they would follow orders and accept discipline more readily than older men. The boys had a belief in their own indestructibility and were prepared to take more risks. We tend to also forget the number of boys who served in the Royal Navy and we do not seem to have the same passionate response to their service as we do those who fought on the Western Front. With regards to the army, the difference was the sheer number who served on the Western Front and there were more boy soldiers in 1915 than served in Wellington’s army at Waterloo. For further reading on this subject I recommend Richard Van Emden’s excellent book Boy Soldiers of the Great War. There are two boy soldiers buried here. 4945 Private William H Walton, 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, 12th Infantry Brigade, 4th Division. Died of Wounds. 22 June 1915, age 16. Grave A.2. Son of George and Mary Walton, 87 Cook Street, Whit Lane, Pendleton. IF DEATH BE THE PRICE OF VICTORY O GOD FORBID ALL WARS R.I.P. The Battalion were in the line west of Shell Trap Farm. The War Diary records that on 21 June two men were killed and one was wounded. William died of his wounds on 22 June.1838 Private Albert Seal, 1st/5th Battalion West Yorkshire (Prince of Wales’s Own), 146th Infantry Brigade, 49th Division. Died of wounds 23 July 1915, age 17. Grave B.16. Youngest of two sons of Stephen and Hanna Lydia Seal, 50 Nunmill Street, York. They also had two daughters. The Battalion was in the line at Turco Farm. On the 23 July the War Diary records that they fired rifle grenades, four heavy trench mortar shells at the German salient at Morteldje Estimanet. The Germans replied with whizz bangs and breached the parapet in several places. There is no mention of casualties however, Albert died of wounds that day.
Experience of Shelling
Edwin Campion Vaughan wrote of his experience in his diary ‘Some Desperate Glory’ of a German shelling of Dirty Bucket Camp on 13 August 1917. He had been unable to sleep following a return to the camp from an evening at La Poupee in Poperinghe and had gone for a walk: '… I felt my head was bursting, so in my pyjamas and slippers I went out again into the wood. A gentle rain was falling and the mud cam over my bare ankles. I had walked about 30 yards from the hut when without warning another salvo fell around us, chunks whizzed past my head and I heard the splintering of wood and a clatter as if the table had gone over. Then I heard a voice screaming faintly from the bushes. Jamming on my tin hat I ran up the track and stumbled over a body. I stopped to raise the head, but my hand sank into the open skull and I recoiled in horror. The cries continued and I ran on up the track to find the water cart had been blown over on to two men. One was crushed and dead, the other pinned by the waist and legs. Other men ran up and we heaved the water cart up and had the injured man carried to the aid post. I took the papers and effects from the dead men and had the bodies moved into the bushes until morning. Then soaked with rain and covered in mud I returned to the hut there was a blinding flash and a shell burst close beside me. Staggering back I hurried to the hut as three more crashed down among the trees. Kneeling on the steps I groped along the floor for my tin hat; at the same moment.' He had had a lucky escape as shrapnel had gone through his valise and three pieces missed his head and embedded themselves in the wall above his head. The three casualties that he referred to are buried in Hospital Farm Cemetery. 200313 Private Percy Rands, attached to the 143rd Trench Mortar Battery, 1/5th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Grave E.14. son of Henry and Catherine Rands, Birmingham. 265314 Sergeant Reginald Frederick Worgan MM, 1/6th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, Grave E.15. He was married to Beatrice and they lived with their three children at 14 White House Crescent, Philip Street, Bedminster, Bristol. 85695 L/Cpl William James Edward Burns, 143rd Company Machine Gun Corps, the son of James and Harriet Burns, Bootle, Lancashire. Grave E.13. He was married to Alice and they lived with their two children at 149 Litherland Road, Bootle, Liverpool.
Location
Hospital Farm Cemetery is located 6.5 km west of Ieper town centre, on the Hospitaalstraat, a road leading from the N308 connecting Ieper to Poperinge. From Ieper town centre the Poperingseweg (N308), is reached via Elverdingsestraat then directly over two small roundabouts in the J. Capronstraat. The Poperingseweg is a continuation of the J. Capronstraat and begins after a prominent railway level crossing. 4 km along the N308, in the village of Vlamertinge just beyond the church, lies the right hand turning onto Hospitaalstraat. The cemetery itself is located 2.5 km after this turning on the left hand side of the road. Visitors should note that access to the site is via a field often used by livestock and is unsuitable for vehicles and wheelchairs.
The cemetery was designed by N A Rew.
Belgian Civilian
Marcel Top. Died 11 August 1915. Grave B.18
Burials
UK – 115
Belgian civilian – 1
Unidentified - 4
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