Lone Tree Cemetery, Spanbroekmolen, Wijtschate
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Lone Tree Cemetery, Spanbroekmolen, Wijtschate, CWGC, Ypres, nearly all the graves are of men killed in action on 7 June 1917, during the Battle of Messines. The cemetery lies is what was formerly No Man’s Land next to the German front line that ran through the farm and along the edge of the mine crater. The Royal Irish Rifles have sixty six men buried here. This position here had seen action before June 1917, when on 30 April 1916, the Germans used poison gas against the trenches held by the 10th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 76th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Division.
36th (Ulster) Division
This Division was reconstituted following its near annihilation on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. On the 7 June 1917, the Battalions of the Royal Irish Rifles attacked through this area, following the mine explosion at Spanbroekmolen, and captured the Wytschaete to Messines Road. The Spanbroekmolen mine was blown fifteen seconds late and the fall-out from the mine explosion caught the 8th Battalion (East Belfast) Royal Irish Rifles in No Man’s Land. There are twenty one men buried here who were caught in the fall-out are buried here.
On the 12 March 1915, the 1st Battalion Wiltshires and 3rd Battalion Worcesters, both 7th Brigade, 3rd Division, attacked and captured a section of German trenches near here and held them for a few hours before withdrawing. They had casualties of twenty officers and 400 hundred Other Ranks. Lieutenant Cyril Gordon Martin, V.C.,CBE, D.S.O., won his V.C. here during this action. He led No.2 section from 56th Company, Royal Engineers, and despite a flesh wound to his hip, he led a party of six bombers from the 3rd Battalion Worcesters against a part of the German line and drove them out and held the ground against counterattacks for over two hours, before receiving the order to withdraw. The Second Supplement of The London Gazette, 16 April 1915: ‘For most conspicuous bravery at Spanbroek Molen on 12th March, 1915, when in command of a grenade throwing party of six rank and file. Although wounded early in the action, he led his party into the enemy’s trenches and held back their reinforcements for nearly 2½ hours, until the evacuation of the captured trench was ordered.’ The six bombers received the DCM. He was later promoted to Brigadier and served in World War II and died in 1980.
Spanbroekmolen British Cemetery was destroyed in later fighting but found again after the Armistice.
Next to Lone Tree Cemetery, Spanbroekmolen, Wijtschate, CWGC, Ypres, is Lone Tree Crater, Spanbroekmolen mine crater blown on 7 June 1917. Also located within a short walk you will find the Peckham Farm and Kruisstraat mine craters. On the 7 June 1917 the British Second Army launched its attack along the Messines Ridge with the detonation of nineteen mines comprised of one million pounds of ammonal explosive beneath the German defenders. The Battle of Messines was the most effective integration of mines with an infantry attack that was supported by an artillery barrage which stupefied the German defenders. The overall objectives of the British Second Army attack were to seize the villages of Wytschaete and Messines and to move beyond them to establish a line, the Black Line, just over the crest of the ridge. The first phase would see nine divisions move forward and had a series of subsidiary objectives to take supported by the fire of the artillery that lifted and moved forward at a precise time.
Royal Engineers
Chemical Warfare Pioneers
On the night of the 8/9 October 1916, ‘K’ Company were in the trench area held by the 36th Division and at 1.30am discharged gas cylinders containing ‘White Star’, this was a Phosgene-Chlorine mixture, towards the German trenches. The valves were open for 15 minutes and closed at 1.45am and raiding parties were to enter the German trenches. The raid was made by two officers and 15 men of the 10th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles with an NCO and pioneer of ‘K’ Company included. Three prisoners were taken and they were brought back the two ‘K’ Company men. The War Diary records that the casualties were ‘2 men of the Special Company killed.’ The circumstances of how they died was not explained. The dead are buried in Pond Farm Cemetery ‘K’ Special Company was part of the 3rd Battalion, Special Brigade Royal Engineers, formed in January 1916 for chemical warfare during WWI. As a ‘cylinder company,’ it specialized in launching gas attacks. From 1917, they were equipped with the Livens Projector, a crude but effective mortar which fired chemical ammunition and oil bombs. The attack on 31 July 1917, the opening day of the Third Battle of Ypres, by the 51st (Highland) Division at Hill Top Ridge was supported by Livens Projectors firing oil bombs. The company operated gas cylinders and later Livens Projectors to dispense chemical ammunition and oil bombs. Part of the reorganisation of gas services into the Special Brigade in January 1916. The 3rd Battalion consisted of J, K, L, and M Companies. Often manned by soldiers transferred from infantry units. K Special Company was generally known to consist of sections 55 to 60. Read more about Gas and Chemical Warfare
Artillery
173rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, 36th Divisional Troops
There are six men from the Royal Field Artillery buried here. Four are from the 173rd Brigade. The Brigade was in the area of Regent Dugouts facing Spanbroekmolen. German artillery was active in counter-battery fire against the Brigade positions.
Lieutenant Frederick Vyvyan Coupland-Smith, 173rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Killed in action 2 July 1917, age 20. Grave I.D.1. Son of Frederick Geoffrey and Ida Mary Coupland-Smith, of The Slades, Cleeve Hill, Gloucester. He attended Blundell’s school from September 1909 to 1913. He had an interest in training for the church however, with the outbreak of war he enlisted as a Private in the RFA joining the 54th Brigade and was gazetted Second Lieutenant in September 1914. He saw service in Gallipoli, Egypt, and Salonika. He transferred to the 173rd Brigade and was promoted to Lieutenant on 2 July 1917, gazetted in December 1917. At the age of 44, his father served as an orderly with the British Red Cross initially in France from August 1915, and then in Greece until August 1917. He was in Salonika when his son was killed in action. 120485 Serjeant Percy Sydney Patrick Hill, ‘B’ Battery, 173rd Brigade, Killed in action 30 June 1917, age 36. Grave I.D.19. Son of Arthur and Theresa Hill. Served in the South African Campaign, Zulu Rebellion and German West Africa. 22283 Gunner W J March, ‘B’ Battery, 173rd Brigade, Killed in action 3 July 1917, age Grave I.A.3. He was married to Mrs. H. E. Marsh, 34 Peacock Street, Newington Butts, London. 25184 Serjeant Harry Leslie Charles Page, ‘B’ Battery, 173rd Brigade, Killed in action 3 July 1917, age 24. Grave I.A.2. Only son of Harriett Jane Page, 24 Park Road, Bowes Park, London, and the late William George Page.
16th Infantry Labour Corps King’s Liverpool Regiment
There are four men buried here who were killed on 5 July 1917 with the 16th Labour Company, transferred to 81st Company Labour Corps. Their headstones do not mention they were a member of the Labour Corps. In 1919 it was decided that the headstone of a member of the Labour Corps, who previously served in any other unit, should record his connection with his previous regiment. It was following the Battle of the Somme that the need for the fighting men to be ready for the offensive rather than to work as labour was recognised. In early 1917, prior to the Arras offensive, the demand for Infantry Labour Companies increased and it was not uncommon for Infantry Labour Companies to be created within two or three weeks, the men having been employed in various occupations in civilian life, and then sent to France. They were employed in the forward areas generally unarmed and under the threat of German shell fire and attacks by aircraft. They worked on road maintenance, drainage and ditching, loading and unloading stores and supplies of ammunition, and in providing men to Casualty Clearing Stations. 48037 Private Joseph Ernest Brown, age 41. Grave I.B.18. He was married to Florence Gertrude Brown, and they lived with their five children at 5 Ilford Street, Clayton, Manchester. 48101 Private Peter Campbell. Grave I.B.19. 48129 Private Thomas Davies, age 36. Grave I.B.22. Son of David and Amy Davies, of Nolton, Pembrokeshire. He was married to Hilda Twigg (formerly Davies), 7 Union Street, Gelli, Ystrad, Glam.48448 Private Fred Walker, age 29. Grave I.B.21. Son of Thomas and Harriet Walker, of Ashton-under-Lyne. He was married to Ellen Walker, 110 South Street, Highfields, Doncaster.
Location
Lone Tree Cemetery (Spanbroekmolen) is located 8.5 kilometres south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg, N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate and on 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. On reaching the village of Wijtschate the first right hand turning leads onto Hospicestraat which leads onto the village square. Leave the village square following signs for Kemmel along Wijtschatestraat. After 2 kilometres turn left onto Kruisstraat. The cemetery lies 1 kilometre along the Kruisstraat on the right hand side of the road and is located at the rear of a farm.
The cemetery was designed by J R Truelove.
Burials
The cemetery contains 88 First World War burials.
UK – 88
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