La Belle Alliance Cemetery

Admin
Nov 14
4 min read

La Belle Alliance Cemetery was made in February and March 1916, by the 10th and 11th Battalions King's Royal Rifle Corps, 59th Infantry Brigade, 20th (Light) Division and was used again in July and August 1917. It was originally named from a farmhouse which used to stand some two hundred yards to the north east. The cemetery is located on Coney Street which was one of the communication trenches. This area was also a major hub for rail and tramway traffic, guns sites, and Field Ambulances. Located on the other side of the road is the Divisional Collecting Post Cemetery & Extension, and New Irish Farm Cemetery is located some 500 metres from La Belle Alliance.

Royal Flying Corps

2nd Lieutenant Percy Eric Palmer, attached from 1st Battalion Australian Imperial Force, 29th Squadron, Killed in action 17 July 1917, age 20. Grave C.6. Son of Herbert Frederick Young Palmer and Teresa Clare Palmer, of "Melrose," 4, Feltham Street, Petersham, New South Wales. The 29th Squadron was based at Poperinghe. Percy was flying a Nieuport 23 aircraft B3453, when he was shot down in aerial combat. A claim being made by Leutnant A Niederhoff of Jasta 11 who claims to have shot him down in combat over Noordschoote. A claim is also made by Leutnant W Gottsch of Jasta 8 who claims to have shot him down at 11.50am south west of St Jan. His wrecked aircraft was abandoned due to heavy shell fire. This was Percy’s second combat flight and a report states that he was ‘seen to have been driven down by three Hun machines within our lines, he was in a single seater machine… he was found later shot dead amongst the wreckage of his machine.’

Royal Engineer

88845 Pioneer John Glennie, 284th Army Troops Company, Royal Engineers, Killed in action 5 August 1917, age 38. Grave D.4. Son of Mr. and Mrs. James Glennie, 50 North Ellen Street, Dundee. Native of Montrose. John was single and nominated his sister Annie as his Next of Kin and Annie received a pension as a dependent. The 284th Company was a specialized unit of the Royal Engineers and was formed in January 1916 and performed engineering work on the lines of communication undertaking such tasks as maintaining roads, railways, bridges, and water supplies. On the 5 august the Company was working on keeping improving the approaches to Bridge No.4 across the Yser Canal. This was located at Essex Farm. This work attracted the attention of enemy artillery fire and aircraft. The War Diary records that John was killed at the Corps Dump.

Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

Two men serving with the 1/7th Battalion which was the territorial Battalion associated with Falkirk District and Stirlingshire. The Battalion was part of 154th Infantry Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division. 275119 Corporal W Ditty, Killed in action 24 July 1917, age 22. Grave C.3. Son of Frederick and Margaret Ditty, 101 Barrhill, Twechar, Glasgow. He had two younger sisters. On the 24 July 1917, the Battalion carried out a daylight trench raid on the German trenches Calendar Trench (front line), Calendar Support, (support line), and Calendar Reserve (reserve line) at the junction with Caledonia Lane. This was to be supported by a Box Barrage which opened at 6am. The aim of the raid was to obtain identifications and to find out what lines the enemy were holding. A good many of the 18 pounder shrapnel shells from the barrage fell short and this was the cause of the whole of the Battalions casualties of one Officer wounded, two Other Ranks killed, one Other Rank died of wounds, and four wounded.

278966 Private John Thomson, Killed in action 3 August 1917, age 25. Grave D.2. Husband of Helen Thomson and they lived at 46 Gauze Street, Paisley with their two children Ellen age 5, and John age one. On the 3 August one Company of the Battalion was in the old British front line trenches in front of Turco Farm with the War Diary recording ‘1 Other Rank killed, and 3 wounded.’ The casualties can only have come from enemy artillery fire as the British front line had moved forward.

Location

La Belle Alliance Cemetery is 3.5 Kms south of Boezinge and the same distance north-east of Ieper. It stands on the Zwaanhofweg, and is best approached via the N908 Ieper by-pass turning off north at the junction with Briekestraat-Zwaanhofweg is then the first road on the left.

The cemetery was designed by J.R. Truelove.