La Brique Military Cemetery No.1
- Admin
- Oct 18
- 3 min read
La Brique Military Cemetery No 1 is the smaller of the two cemeteries and is opposite La Brique Military Cemetery No 2. The two cemeteries are opposite each other on either side of the main road (Pilkemseweg). Behind the cemetery is the Jan Yperman Hospital and you can see White House Cemetery beyond the hospital. La Brique is a small hamlet named from an old brick works that used to stand nearby before the First World War. La Brique No.1 was begun in May 1915 when the 6th Division took over the line here from the 4th Division, and was used until the following December.
Gunner 771 William Fishwick, 5th (Durham) Howitzer Battery (Hebburn-on-Tyne), 4th Northumbrian (County Durham) Howitzer Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, 50th (Northumbrian) Division. Killed in action 8 May 1915, age 18. Grave A.5. Son of Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Wilkes, 20 Peel Gardens, Hebburn Colliery, Co. Durham. William was a Territorial and landed in France on 21 April 1915. He joined the 5th Durham Battery in March 1914 aged 17, which based in South shields and was part of the 4th Northumbrian (County Durham) Howitzer Brigade (Territorial Force). He was killed by counter battery fire and was the first casualty of the Northumbrian Brigade.
Private 4734 John Halligan, ‘B’ Company, 2nd Battalion Leinster Regiment, 17th Infantry Brigade, 6th Division. Killed in action 8 June 1915, age 19. Gave B.6A. Son of John and Kate Halligan, Church Street, Trim, Co. Meath. The Battalion was in the reserve trenches around Irish Farm near Wieltje. In his diary ‘Stand To’ Captain F C Hitchcock M.C. recounts the death of John Halligan: ‘Scrounging around the men discovered a field of potatoes near Irish Farm. At all hours of the day the men used to get out behind the trench and dig for national fodder. In time, this drew shell-fire on our line near the farm, and we got crumped with 8-inch shells or 5.9s. Accordingly orders were issued that men must not get out of the trench in daylight. However, the two men of ‘A’ company went out this evening (8 June) to get their ‘buckshee’ ration, as they called it, and ill-luck would have it, one solitary crump landed beside them, killing one, No.4734 Pte. Halligan, and missing his companion completely. I got our stretcher-bearers and hurried off to the potato patch, where we found the terribly mangled body of Halligan lying on the brink of a smoking shell crater. Both his legs and one arm had been blown off. He was, of course killed instantaneously, while his companion was absolutely unscathed, except for concussion and slight bleeding from the ears! Just before the shell landed, one man had been seen holding a biscuit tin for his pal to put the potatoes into. It came out afterwards that Halligan had got permission to get ‘the spuds but his companion had not. Such indeed was the irony of circumstance.’
Location
The cemetery is located to the North-East of the town of Ieper. From the station turn left and drive along M.Fochlaan to the roundabout, turn right and go to the next roundabout. Here turn left into M.Haiglaan and drive to the next roundabout. Here turn right into Oude Veurnestraat, this then changes into Diksmuidseweg and Brugseweg drive along this road to the traffic lights, at the lights turn left into Industrielaan then turn first right into Pilkemseweg, the cemetery is approximately 300 metres on the right.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield
Burials
It contains 91 First World War burials, four of them unidentified.
UK – 91
Unidentified - 4
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