Kemmel No.1 French Cemetery
- Admin
- Sep 12
- 9 min read
Updated: Sep 13
This is a front line cemetery and of great interest. In April 1918, this sector and the nearby villages of Vierstraat and Kemmel were the scene of fierce fighting in which both Commonwealth and French forces were engaged. From 26 April to the end of August, the villages were in German hands.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission state that the origin of the cemetery is not known; it was found by the French Graves Services soon after the Armistice and contained Commonwealth, French and German graves. As for the origins of this cemetery being unknown, the Graves Registration Report Form indicates that this cemetery was certified as ‘a wholly concentrated cemetery’ and that the graves were ‘Exhumed by French Place Unknown’ and reburied here.
It would seem that the French created this cemetery after the war hence the name of the cemetery. Additional Commonwealth graves were brought into the cemetery from the battlefields of the Ypres Salient and from some other burial grounds in the area (for instance, BECELAERE CHURCHYARD and BEERST GERMAN CEMETERY), as were some German burials found by the Belgian Graves Services. The CWGC records show that 94 Germans are buried here however, it could be as high as 253. Two mass graves of twenty three German soldiers were moved inside the cemetery in 1929 and two of the first three headstones in the back row, Row B, mark the mass graves of unknown with the first and third marking twenty three graves each, and with the second headstone marking the graves of three identified men. Many of the remaining German headstones mark the graves of small numbers of unknown Germans. The French graves were removed later to the Kemmel French Ossuary, and to the French cemetery at Potijze.
Cavalry
1048 Corporal Albert Edward Appleton. ‘B’ Squadron, Essex Yeomanry, 8th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division. Killed in action 14 May 1915, age 25. Grave II.A.2. He was the oldest of four sons and two daughters of William and Sarah Appleton. He married Daisy Maud in 1914 and went to France on 30 November 1914. In April 1915 the Essex Yeomanry ware caught up in the desperate fighting at Frezenberg ridge with the Germans, using gas for the first time to break the French line at Langemark. The Battle of Frezenberg Ridge began on 8 May, the name is deceptive because the Frezenberg ridge, which lay to the north-east of the town rose to only 50 metres above sea level and was one of a series of low ridges that ran in a generally westerly direction and branched off the main ridge that ran north-easterly from Kemmel to Passchendaele. The ridge was of strategic importance as it gave a commanding view of Ypres. On the night of 12/13 May 1915, 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Cavalry Division relieved the hard pressed battalions of 28th Division just in time to take the full force of the German attempt to break through on this front and capture Ypres. At 3.30am on 13 May there began an incessant and heavy bombardment of the front and back areas of the British positions the trenches taken over by the Cavalry were in a poor condition having only recently been dug they had no communication trenches nor was there any barbed wire protecting the front approaches. The heaviest bombardment fell on the front between Hooge and the Ypres-St Julien road and at 8am the Germans broke into the trenches on 7th Cavalry Brigade’s front, held by the Leicestershire Yeomanry, 1st Lifeguards and 2nd Lifeguards, all about 300 strong. The Germans then bombed out the remaining defenders and the Leicestershire Yeomanry were driven into the trenches held by 6th Cavalry Brigade including the 10th Hussars. Also shelled out of their trenches were the 5th Dragoon Guards in the centre of the 1st Cavalry Division front and a squadron of 18th Hussars of 2nd Cavalry Brigade on the extreme left, nearest 4th Division. Although hard pressed, 4th Division managed to eventually contain this attack as did 80th Brigade to the right of the Cavalry and 2nd Cavalry Brigade (4th Dragoon Guards, 9th Lancers and 18th Hussars) held their ground as well. It was only on 7th Cavalry Brigade’s front where there was real concern. Here communications were very difficult and dense black smoke from the shelling obscured vision. The extent of the gap caused by the German breakthrough was not known. To the right of this gap the North Somerset Yeomanry of 6th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division held on as did the 2nd Dragoon Guards of 1 Cavalry Brigade, to the left while 8 Cavalry Brigade of 3rd Cavalry Division (Royal Horse Guards, 10th Hussars and the Essex Yeomanry) were deployed behind this gap. At 2.30pm a counter attack was launched by part of 9th Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (15th Hussars, 19th Hussars and Bedfordshire Yeomanry) and some of the old line was regained. The Germans were evicted and even pursued but heavy fire made it impossible to regain all the lost ground. By the evening a new line of mainly shell holes on a reverse slope 1000 yards back was occupied extending from Railway Wood on the right to the trenches of 1st Cavalry Brigade (2nd Dragoon Guards, 5th Dragoon Guards and 11th Hussars) on the left.
One of the many casualties during this day of heavy fighting was Edward Appleton of Essex Yeomanry, who was killed and although his death was recorded as 14 May by CWGC, it was more likely that he was killed in this action on 13th May. He was listed on the Menin Gate Memorial as one of the missing when it was inaugurated in July 1927 however, his body was found in February 1930, some fifteen years after his death, and he was reburied here. After the action on 13 May the dead were buried in shell holes and Edward was the only one identified of nineteen men found piled one on top of the other in what was the site of an old shell hole, seven were identified as Unknown Essex Yeomanry with the others listed as Unknown British soldiers and Unknown British Officer. They are all buried in the same row. Edward was identified from his uniform and disc. As a footnote, the Essex Yeomanry Association are sure that the Unknown British Officer is 2nd Lieutenant Glen Swire, ‘B’ Squadron, Essex Yeomanry.
4058 Private Ernest Pacey. 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen’s Bays) attached 2nd Life Guards, 7th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division. Killed in action 6 November 1914, age 24. Grave I.C.19. Son of Maria Pacey, 8 West View, New Park, Harrogate, Yorks, and the late William Pacey. He was a regular soldier. On the 6 November 1914, the 2nd Life Guards were supporting the Irish Guards and the 2nd Grenadier guards at Klein Zillebeke. They were in reserve in eh woods near the 4th Guards Brigade. At about 3.30pm the Brigade were sent forward to support the French on the right of the Guards Brigade at Zillebeke. They were dismounted and under fire when they were ordered to establish a line at Klein Zillebeke ridge keeping in touch with the 1st Life Guards on the right who were to hold the line to the right of the Guards Brigade. Major The Honourable Hugh Dawnay, commanding the Regiment and later killed in the action, ordered ‘B’ squadron to advance across the open and take the high ground on their front and ‘D’ squadron was sent across the Zillebeke to Zwarteleen road. ‘Troop were kept in reserve along with the machine guns to support ‘B’ squadron. Almost at once the right flank of ‘B’ squadron came under enfilade fire and were to have withdrawn however, French troops cam forward to support. The squadron then fixed bayonets and charged the wood with ‘C’ troop coming up to fill the gap. They attacked the village of Zwarteleen at the point of the bayonet to great effect taking a number of prisoners and riving back the enemy. Severe casualties were incurred when they became involved in heavy fighting around Zwarteleen with part of the ground gained being lost. They were relieved by 22nd Infantry Brigade. Ernest was buried on the battlefield and his body was found in 1929 and was reburied here on 8 November 1929. His body was identified from his service number in his boots. Also killed was Captain The Hon. Arthur Edward Bruce O’Neill M.P., ‘A’ Squadron, the first M.P. to be killed in the war. Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon Chesney Wilson, Royal Horse Guards, and Second Lieutenant William Sinclair Peterson, Royal Horse Artillery, attached to the 2nd Life Guards are buried in the CWGC plot in Zillebeke Churchyard. Major the Hon Hugh Dawnay, commanding 2nd Life Guards, he was only in command for twelve days before he was killed. He was a close friend of Winston Churchill with whom he had served at Omdurman. Captain Sir Morgan Crofton, an officer with the 2nd Life Guards, 7th Cavalry Brigade, wrote in his diary on Wednesday 11 November of the deaths of Dawnay and O’Neill: ‘Saw the account in the Daily Mail of Dawnay’s and Arthur O’Neill’s deaths. They were killed in the counter attack at Zillebeke on Nov 6th when the Regiment was brought up to fill a gap in the line. We had several Casualties that day. Dawnay had only just returned from the staff to take command as we had had so many losses. A very fine soldier and a delightful man. Arthur O’Neill returned to the Regiment on the outbreak of War from being a Member of Parliament.’
Airman Buried here
2nd Lieutenant Charles Leonard Kelly. 204th Squadron, RAF and The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, Killed in action 20 September 1918, Grave I.D.7. He was shot down north east of Dixmude at 8.30am while flying a Sopwith Camel number D8205 on an offensive patrol. The kill was accredited to Oberleutnant zur see Theodor Osterkamp who was an ace and commanded Marine Flying detachment JII. He ended the war with 32 victories to his name as well as the Pour le Merite, Iron Cross 1st Class, and the Knights Cross. Post-war he fought with the Freikorps in the Baltic. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1935 and became commander of Jagdfleigerschule Nr.1 in 1939 before being given command of JG51 on 19 September a post he held until 23 July 1940. With JG51 he scored six victories during the Battle of France and in the early action against Britain being awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 August 1940. He was known as Uncle Theo to his men and he held various command positions including commander of fighters in Northern France, and in Sicily in 1943. He held the rank of Lieutenant-General when he was retired on 31 December 1944 for criticising the High Command. He died in Baden-Baden on 2 January 1975.
Charles was exhumed from Beerst German Cemetery and reburied here on 23 August 1929.
Royal Scots Fusiliers
There are two men from the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, 21st Infantry Brigade, 7th Division who were killed on 24 October 1914. 9728 Private Frederick George Lawson, age 22. Grave I.A.4. Son of William Walter and Ellen Mary Lawson, 27 Norfolk Road, Merton, London. He was listed on the Menin Gate Memorial as missing and his body was exhumed from Becelaere Churchyard and reburied here on 17 January 1930. 9187 Private Frederick Charles Lynn, age 25. Grave I.A.5. Son of John and Esther Lynn, 35 Shortlands Road, Leyton, Essex. He was listed on the Menin Gate Memorial as missing and his body was exhumed from Becelaere Churchyard and reburied here on 17 January 1930.
On the 24 October 1914, the Battalion, as part of 7th Division, were holding the line between Reutel and Poezelhoek. On the night of the 23/24 October 40 Germans had penetrated the British line and had got round behind ‘C’ Company and enfiladed the machine gun trench however, the Germans subsequently surrendered. Very early on the morning of the 24th the 2nd Wiltshires, located near Becelaere were surrounded by the Germans with the bulk of the Battalion forced to surrender. ‘C’ Company had been supported by ‘D’ Company and both Companies had been forced to abandon their trenches owing to enemy enfiladed fire. ‘C’ Company now found their left flank turned and the Germans had now entered the Chateau Wood. The Battalion received a message to ‘Hold on like hell: the 2nd Division is coming’ the Royal Scot Fusiliers facing north put every available man into the firing line, ‘C’ Company was reduced to 2 officers and 75 men, the left of the Battalion line was thinly held near the Reidelbeck stream by one Platoon of the Royal Scots Fusiliers and the remainder of the Wiltshires. Lt Stewart of the Royal Scots Fusiliers stopped an attack by an enemy machine gun company by single handedly shooting down every one of the enemy. They held on and prevented the enemy from rolling up the left of the British line.
Location
Kemmel No.1 French Cemetery is located 6 Kms south west of Ieper town centre, on the Poperingestraat, a road leading from the Kemmelseweg, joining Ieper to Kemmel (N331). From Ieper town centre the Kemmelseweg is reached via the Rijselsestraat, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort), and straight on towards Armentieres (N365). 900 metres after the crossroads is the right hand turning onto the Kemmelseweg. (Made prominent by a railway level crossing). 5 Kms along the Kemmelseweg lies the right hand turning onto the Vierstraat. The cemetery lies 1 Km along the Vierstraat, on the left hand side of the road.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens
Burials
The cemetery now contains 296 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 260 of which are unidentified. There are also 94 German graves, of whom the majority are unidentified.
UK – 277
Australian – 12
New Zealand – 3
Canadian – 3
German – 94
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