Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery
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The Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery, CWGC, Ploegsteert, was begun in April 1915 by the 1st/4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment, 145th Brigade, 48th (South Midland) Division and was used at intervals until November 1917. Hyde Park Corner is the original of the two cemeteries located here, the other is Berks Cemetery Extension, and they face each other across the main road. Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery is a small cemetery which is dominated by the Ploegsteert Memorial opposite and by Hill 63. Hyde Park Corner was a road junction that stands some 200m from the cemetery. Hill 63 and the former 'Catacombs', deep shelters capable of holding two battalions, which were used from November 1916 onwards.
The Catacombs Generator shelter
In the western part of the wood, between Red Lodge and Hyde Park Corner, is the concrete shelter that housed a 16hp 480-volt electricity generator, supplied by the Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company known as ‘The Alphabeticals’ because of their initials, AE&MMBC. This provided power for the dugouts on Hill 63 and The Catacombs, officially named Hill 63 Dugouts, the Australians gave them the name Wallangara, although it was generally called The Catacombs. This was the most ambitious engineering project undertaken by the military on either side in the war. It was a system of chambers with connecting galleries, entrances and exits and had sleeping accommodation, on bunks, for 1,200 men and accommodation for 250 officers and men in steel huts outside, these were covered by the spoil from the workings. Before them, the Canadians in 1915, had shelters and dugouts on the southern and eastern slopes of the hill. The Catacombs were created by the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company and used throughout 1917 and 1918 by many Australian and other units. The main entrance at Hyde Park Corner was large enough to allow a large wagon to enter and this was set up in two one-way passage systems to allow the orderly entering and exiting of men. There were nineteen passages ‘streets’ lined with bunks and some of these streets were cordoned off for officers. Senior officers had rooms that contained two bunks, and a table. Platoon officers had smaller rooms and no table. There were also chambers for electrical equipment, signalling units, a small hospital, and a canteen. There were three exits to the north and the south. To ensure a flow of air and ventilation into The Catacombs the Australian engineers lit fires at some of the entrances, this created airflow, a technique that had been used by the Romans. In March 1918 plans were put in place to provide an alternative ventilation system using fans and passing the air through filters to purify it. The opening ceremony, in the spring of 1917, was an extraordinary affair given the location of the dugouts to the front line. It was attended by nineteen generals and their staff, a crowd of onlookers from officers and men from other units in billets nearby, a regimental band was in attendance and General Plumer, commander 2nd Army, was given the honour of opening The Catacombs. Today, the many entrances and workings are filled in or covered by the natural growth of the wood. However, you can see three of the access points from the Red Lodge Road. These are concrete culverts and span the ditch that runs alongside the road. Learn more about the Ploegsteert British Bunkers and Dugouts
Rugby Player
Lieutenant Ronald William Poulton Palmer, 1st/4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment, 145th Brigade, 48th (South Midland) Division. Killed in action 5 May 1915, age 25. Grave B.11. Son of Professor Edward Bagnall Poulton and Emily Palmer Poulton, of Wykeham House, Oxford. He was educated at Oxford Preparatory School, Rugby School, and at Balliol College, Oxford. He was an all-round sportsman excelling at hockey, he played for Oxford against Cambridge in 1909, 1910, and 1911. In Rugby Union, he played for the Varsity XV when at Oxford in 1909, 1910, and 1911. He also played, what we call today club rugby, for the Harlequins. In International Rugby he was capped seventeen time for England and played against Scotland in 1909,1911 to 1913, and Captained England against Scotland in 1914. He also played for and Captained England against Wales, Ireland, and the South Africans. Ronald joined the Oxford University Officer O.T.C. in December 1908 and resigned with the rank of Cadet Colour
Sergeant in 1911 and returned to the family home at Reading where he took an interest in the Huntly and Palmer biscuits factory. He moved to Liverpool in 1912 and he enrolled in the 1913-14 session as a student in the Manchester College of Technology, his sister’s husband Dr J C Maxwell Garnett was the Principal, and studied Mechanical Engineering Special Course with bread making and confectionary being among the topics he studied. He played for the Liverpool XV which was captained by Fred Turner who also played for Scotland against Poulton Palmer. Turner was to serve as a Lieutenant with the Liverpool Scottish and was to be shot and killed by a sniper in January 1915 and he is believed to be buried in Kemmel Churchyard Cemetery. Ronald was commissioned into the 1st/4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Territorial Battalion on 3 June 1912 as a Second Lieutenant and was gazetted Lieutenant on 24 July 1913. The Battalion was in camp on 2 August 1914 and on the
outbreak of the war on 4 August, while back in Reading, they mobilised and after a period of training went to the front in March 1915 and were in the Ploegsteert sector. In a letter to his parents he wrote about being billeted in the local school in Ploegsteert that was located next to the church. In a letter to his sister, written the day before his death, he wrote: ‘…. I was at work all the early part of the night, we had to ‘stand to’ as a Brigade order – that meant all being out. It was maddening – three hours messing about doing nothing. Then I got to bed at four, and was woken up and pulled out, because we were being shelled, and it is safer to be under the parapet than in a dug-out. They were shelling a house (Anton’s Farm) just in the middle of our trench, which they think we use for
sniping (and so we do)…..’ He had a view of Hill 63 and the ruins of the Chateau located on the hill writing: ‘…. As I sit in our mess, which is dug down out of sight, but has a lovely back view of the country to the rear - a large root field, a typical avenue main road to the right, a hill with a ruined chateau in front…’ He was to be the first officer of the Battalion to be killed and was shot by a sniper at 12.20am on 5 May while he was overseeing a working party repairing the trench. His body was taken to the Field Ambulance located in the nunnery on the Le Bizet road, this was the nunnery Winston Churchill referred to as a hospice and were he stayed in 1916. Ronald was buried at 6.30pm on 6 May and the Bishop of Pretoria presided at his funeral. At the time of his funeral there was only one other grave in the cemetery, that of 3053 Private Frederick William Giles, see his story below. After his death Ronald’s father wrote a very detailed book about his son’s life which contains much correspondence with Ronald, family, friends and military colleagues. On his headstone his father had the words ‘His was the joy that made people smile when they met him’ inscribed.
One of two brothers
11548 Sergeant Samuel Baird, ‘A’ Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, 74th Infantry Brigade, 25th Division. Killed in action 24 November 1916, age 20. Grave C.5. Son of James and Sarah Baird, 17 Spencer Street, Belfast. The Battalion was in the line at St Yves, Ploegsteert, with Battalion HQ in Hope House and they had support Companies in Rottenrow Dugouts and at St Andrew’s Drive. On the 24 November 1916 they had casualties of ‘3 OR KIA, 1OR WIA, later died of wounds.’ His brother, 14/17166 Rifleman John Cleland Baird, 14th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, is buried in the Berks Cemetery Extension opposite. He was killed in action on 17 February 1917, age 22. Grave I.O.1.
Royal Engineers
There are two men from the Royal Engineers buried here. 103026 Sapper Frederick Thomas Atkinson Potter, No.1 Section, 150th Field Company, Royal Engineers, 36th Division. Killed in action 8 December 1916, age 35. Grave A.15. Son of William and Mary Potter, 1 Victoria Homes, West Hartlepool. He was unmarried and employed as a joiner when he enlisted in the Royal Engineers. The Company had their HQ at Dranoutre and were working on the defences of Hill 63. The War Diary records that: ‘No 103026 Sapper Potter FTA Killed in action.’
Tunnellers
66946 Sapper Thomas Ellis, 171st Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers. Killed in action 13 May 1916, age 30. Grave B.24. Son of Evan Ellis and the late Catherine Ellis, 20 Treharne Street, Cwmpark, Glamorgan. He had originally enlisted in the 9th Battalion Welch Regiment and was transferred to 171st Tunnelling Company. The Company was working on the main gallery for the Factory Farm mine at Ploegsteert which was blown on 7 June 1917. The War Diary records that: ‘No.66946 Sap Ellis T killed in action.’ His brother, Private Edgar Ellis, 6th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment, age 24 ,was killed in action on 2 April 1918 and is buried in Valenciennes (St Roch) Communal Cemetery. Grave IV.E.9.
Canadian
Lieutenant Gerald Galt, 3rd Tunnelling Company, Canadian Engineers. Killed in action 25 December 1916, age 28. Grave C.22. Son of the Hon. Mr Justice Galt and Mrs Ella Galt, 219 Montrose Street, Winnipeg. He was employed as a Mining Engineer when he enlisted in Ottawa on 27 May 1916, and arrived in the UK on 5 July and went to Shorncliffe Camp. He proceeded to France on 12 July to join the 3rd Tunnelling Company. He enjoyed a period of leave from 12 to 22 December 1916. The Company was working on the shaft at Seaforth Farm in front of Le Petit Douve Farm, the British mine workings here had been discovered by the Germans and the British subsequently flooded the workings. He was killed by enemy shell fire with the War Diary recording: ‘Mr G Galt was killed at about 9pm just outside the dugout 123 trench.’
Australian
Major George Holbrook Patterson, Commanding 107th Howitzer Battery, 7th Brigade, Australian Field Artillery. Killed in action 14 April 1917, age 28. Grave C.1. George’s father Samuel had died and he was living with his widowed mother Theresa Patterson at ‘The Oaks’, Park Street, South Yarra, Melbourne. He graduated from Melbourne University in 1904 and in 1908 held the rank of Lieutenant in the Military Cadet Corps. He was serving as a Captain in the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery, these units were trained in the use of large-calibre guns and were crucial in defending Australian ports early in the war before being integrated into forces serving in France. George enlisted for overseas service on 1 April 1916 and arrived in England on 29 December before going to France on 22 January 1917. He was listed as a temporary Major while commanding the Battery. The Battery had been shelled on 8 April with damage to a gun carriage and it seems likely that George was killed in a subsequent counter battery fire. Originally raised
as 28th Battery at ‘Warren’ Marrickville, Sydney, in 1915 and equipped with 18 pounders, it formed part of 7th Field Artillery Brigade. The Brigade embarked on the SS Argyllshire on 11th May 1916 and arrived in England on 12th July 1916. At this time the Australian Artillery was reorganised to match its British counterpart. Initially howitzer brigades of three four-gun batteries were established, with the batteries numbered consecutively from 101. However by the time 7th Brigade arrived in England the howitzer brigades had been abolished and one howitzer battery was allocated to each of the field brigades. 28 Battery was re-equipped with 4.5-inch howitzers and redesignated 107th Howitzer Battery. 107th Howitzer Battery first saw action near Armentieres in early 1917, as part of 3rd AIF Division commanded by General Monash. Subsequently it saw action at Ypres, Ploegsteert, Zonnebeke, Passchendaele, Hell Fire Corner, Messines and Menin Gate. At armistice, the battery strength was 181 all ranks; having lost 19 killed in action, 12 died of wounds, one died of illness, 119 wounded and 41 gassed.
Royal Scots
There are nine men from the 12th Battalion, 27th Infantry Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division who were killed between February and May 1916. The Battalion was in the front line at Ploegsteert Wood in trenches 124 to 127 in front of what the British named Factory Farm. Life was pretty routine with the trenches being subjected to German shelling on the 3, 4, and 5 February resulting in Other Rank deaths. 14870 Private Joseph Banks. Killed in action 3 February 1916, age Grave B.18. He was born in Salford and lived in Tranent, East Lothian were enlisted and went to France on 11 May 1915. 26139 Private John Stephen, Killed in action 4 February 1916, age Grave B.17. Son of Elizabeth Stephen, Kirkton, Logie-Pert, Montrose. He enlisted in Brechin and went to France on 2 October 1915. 2534 Private James Wright, Killed in action 5 February 1916, age 21. Grave D.15. Son of James and Isabella Wright, 5 Lyne Street, Abbeyhill, Edinburgh. On the 2 March the Battalion was relieved by the 5th Cameron Highlanders with the relief complete by 9.40am. At 5.30am the Germans heavily shelled the trenches and sent over a number of rifle grenades. The War Diary records: ‘Casualties 2/Lt WH Bryce killed, 10 OR wounded.’ Second Lieutenant William Hutton Bryce, 14th Battalion attached 12th Battalion, Killed in action 2 March 1916, age 27. Grave D.17. Son of William Bryce, 25 Park Avenue, Portobello, Edinburgh. He was gazetted Second Lieutenant on 16 April 1915 and joined the 14th Battalion, Royal Scots.
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 in the same way 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 under age 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 see Richard Van Emden’s excellent book Boy Soldiers of
the Great War. There two Boy Soldiers buried here. 3053 Private Frederick William Giles, 1st/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment, 145th Brigade, 48th (South Midland) Division. Killed in action 28 April 1915, age 17. Grave B.13. Son of Frederick James and Sarah Giles, 9 Hilcot Road, Reading. The Battalion was in the line at Antons Farm to Prowse Point sector and the casualties recorded for the day were ‘1 man died of wounds.’ He was the first burial in the cemetery. When he was shot he fell, wounded, onto Lieutenant Poulton Palmer. C/7259 Rifleman Albert Edward French, 18th (Service) Battalion (Arts & Crafts), King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 122nd Infantry Brigade, 41st Division. Killed in action 15 June 1916, age 16. Grave B.2. Son of Edward and Annie French, 60 Young Street, Wolverton, Buckinghamshire. They had two other sons, William age 16, and George age 15. They also had a daughter May age 22. He gave his age as 19 and his trade as a Labourer when he enlisted on 18 October 1915. His story featured in a radio programme and a collection of his letters written to his father, which provide an insight into trench life, were published in a booklet in 1992. He was killed one week before his 17th birthday. The Battalion was in the line at Ploegsteert, St Yves sector. In the afternoon the German trenches were bombarded and they retaliated. Later that evening at 8.30pm a number of shells were fired on the left of their line. Casualties for day were one Other Rank killed.
5009 Rifleman Samuel McBride, 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, 74th Brigade, 25th Division. Grave A.17. He was already under a two year sentence of hard labour for previously going absent. He was executed for desertion at Hope Farm near Prowse Point Cemetery on 7 December 1916.
Location
Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery is located 12.5 km south of Ieper town centre, on the Rijselseweg (N365), a road connecting Ieper 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. The cemetery lies 12.5 km along the N365 after passing through the settlements of Wijtschate and Mesen. The cemetery is located on the left hand side of the road and opposite the prominent Ploegsteert Memorial.
The cemetery was designed by H. Chalton Bradshaw.
Burials
It contains 83 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and four German war graves.
UK – 81
Australian – 1
Canadian – 1
German – 4
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