Mud Corner Cemetery
- Admin
- Mar 26
- 7 min read
Mud Corner Cemetery, CWGC, Ploegsteert, Ypres, was the name given to a road junction on the northern edge of Ploegsteert Wood, very close to the front. The cemetery was used from 7 June 1917, when the New Zealand Division captured Messines, to December 1917.
Cratering the Ridge – The Battle of Messines
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. For the Australian and New Zealand Divisions (ANZAC), which comprised one third of Second Army, this was to be their finest hour.
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. Once the Black Line had been reached there was to be a pause to allow the artillery to reorganise and the reserve divisions to move up and through the Black Line to capture the next line the Green Line which to II ANZAC was the trench line known as the Oosttaverne Line. From the 8 to 10 June chaos and confusion was to rein in their attacks to secure the Green Line and the II ANZAC Battalions were to suffer grievously. Ploegsteert Wood Bunkers & Dugouts
1st Battalion Auckland Infantry Regiment, 1st New Zealand Infantry Brigade, New Zealand Division.
The Auckland Infantry Regiment in the NZEF was one of four regional infantry groupings, along with Canterbury, Otago and Wellington, which made up the bulk of New Zealand’s infantry forces during the First World War. It served as the Auckland Battalion at Gallipoli in 1915 before being divided into 1st Auckland Infantry Battalion and 2nd Auckland Infantry Battalion in March 1916.
Alias
Men used aliases when enlisting for various reasons, including being underage, trying to hide from families or legal problems, re-enlisting after a misconduct discharge, or to avoid ridicule due to a foreign-sounding or disliked name. Other reasons included hiding a failed marriage, bankruptcy, or criminal record. 12/1627 Serjeant James Henry Frew DCM, (served as FRANCIS). 1st Battalion Auckland Infantry Regiment, Killed in action 26 July 1917, age 28. Grave II.C.12. Son of James and Margaret Frew, of Oamaru, New Zealand. He was employed as a Labourer in the Public Works Department and was unmarried when he enlisted on 14 December 1915. He served at Gallipoli. He was promoted to L/Cpl on 25 April and then to Corporal on 31 August, and then to Sergeant on 9 January 1916. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 10 April 1916 and his DCM was gazetted on 3 June 1916. On the 26 July 1917, the New Zealand Division was located in the south of the Salient around Frelinghien and they played a diversionary role for the main attack with a feint towards Frelinghien and La Basseville. On the 26 July the Battalion trenches were heavily shelled and they had four men killed and eleven wounded. He is listed in the CWGC Roll as: ALIAS United Kingdom. He was not British by birth but was born in New Zealand. There is no connection with the UK. Therefore, as in other cases, the CWGC records are incorrect on the numbers buried here.
On the 29 July 1917 the Battalion was heavily shelled at 9.40pm with a German raiding party of 60 men attacking the 15th Company lines with a flamethrower and forcing one section back, another moved to its flank to escape the bombardment and the third stood their ground. The reserve company came forward and helped to restore the line. The casualties were 60 dead, wounded, and missing. 12/678 Private John Atkinson, 15th Company, Killed in action 29 July 1917, age 27. Grave II.D.7. Son of Robert and Maria Atkinson, of Cambrian Hill, Victoria, Australia. He was employed as a Labourer in the Public Works Department when he enlisted on 16 October 1914. When in France he contracted VD in June 1916 and spent three months in the VD Hospital in Rouen rejoining the Battalion on 3 October 1916. 12/2232 L/Cpl Ernest Carlton, Killed in action 29 July 1917, age 23. Grave II.D.19. Son of Mrs Lillian May, MacKay Town, Karangahake. His mother had remarried before his death. He was employed as Miner when he enlisted on 15 February 1915. On the 9 June 1917, he was admitted to the 1st New Zealand Field Ambulance wounded in action, he was suffering from shell shock, and was discharged back to his unit on 14 June. 31620 Private Albert Victor Fisher, Killed in action 29 July 1917, age 35. Grave II.D.18. Son of Victor and Sarah Jane Fisher, Dalhousie Street, Haberfield, Sydney. He was employed as a Labourer by Cockburn Brothers when he enlisted on 25 July 1916. He landed in the UK on 30 January 1917 and was then posted to the Base at Etaples, France on 3 March 1917. He then joined the Battalion in the field on 31 March. He was wounded on 7 June 1917 and admitted to No.1 New Zealand Field Ambulance and was discharged back to the Battalion on 18 June.
On the 31 July 1917, the New Zealand Division undertook a diversionary attack at Basseville with the plan to take and hold Basseville, clear the hedge 500 yards to the north of the village, and a raid on the German positions between the front of the New Zealand line and the railway on the extreme left towards the River Douve. The 2nd Wellington Battalion was allocated the attack on Basseville, and the Auckland Battalion was allocated the northern area. At 3.50am the Battalion went forward supported by artillery and machine gun barrages, they were supported by a party from the 2nd Auckland who were to consolidate the gains. The Battalion were successful in taking their objectives. 12/3925 Private Henry Montgomery, 15th Company, Killed in action 31 July 1917, age 26. Grave II.D.14. Son of Thomas and Alice Ann Montgomery. He was a Storekeeper working for Montgomery Brothers in the town of Mititai when he enlisted on 12 October 1915. He was admitted to the VD Hospital in Rouen on 5 March 1917 and discharged back to the Battalion on 3 June 1917.
1st Battalion Wellington Regiment
On the 31 July 1917 a small party of the Battalion reinforced the infantry posts at Basseville and were part of an ad hoc attack that was led by Lt R K Nichol, his trench mortars having been put out of action he now took command of an infantry post of ten men plus the party from the 1st Battalion, and they charged a group of fifty Germans who were preparing to attack. They successfully beat the Germans off bayonetting thirteen and shooting twenty. 24353 Second Lieutenant William Trenton Doughty, Killed in action 31 July 1917, age 28. II.D.3. Son of William Richard and Kate Phillips Doughty, of Wellington, New Zealand. He listed his profession as a Traveller and employed by Dawson’s Ltd when he enlisted on 3 April 1916. He was a Sergeant Major when he was gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant on 11 September 1916. 10/1740 Private Edgar Norman Bentley, Killed in action 31 July 1917, age Grave II.D.4.Son of Mrs Mary George, 37 Botanical Road, Palmerston North, Wellington. He was employed as a Labourer in the Public Works Department when he enlisted on 11 January 1915.
2nd Battalion Wellington Regiment
On the 31 July 1917 the Battalion were engaged in repulsing German attacks on the village of Basseville. The Battalion had casualties of one officer killed and four wounded, and twenty six Other Ranks killed and one hundred wounded. 11774 Second Lieutenant James Gordon Kinvig, 11th Company, Killed in action 31 July 1917, age 29. Grave II.D.5. Son of Richard C. and Annie M. Kinvig, 47 Bradwell Street, Wellington. He was employed as a Warehouseman in the family business when he enlisted on 16 November 1915. He was promoted to Sergeant on 14 January 1916 and went to France on 5 September 1916. He joined the 17th Company, 1st Battalion Wellington Regiment on 30 September 1916. He was nominated for a commission on 1 January 1917 and was gazetted as Second Lieutenant on 21 April 1917. He then joined the 11th Company of the Battalion on 8 July 1917.
Location
Mud Corner Cemetery is located 12 Kms south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate, Mesen, Ploegsteert 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. 2 Kms after Mesen lies the left hand turning onto rue St Yvon. Immediately after passing Prowse Point Military Cemetery lies a right hand turning onto a small road track (unsuitable for vehicles), 300 metres after this junction lies the cemetery.
The cemetery was designed by G H Goldsmith
Burials
The cemetery contains 85 First World War burials. All of the burials, save one, are of New Zealand or Australian forces.
UK – 1 (Alias) - There are no UK burials here. See the entry for Sergeant James Henry Frew above.
Australian – 31
New Zealand - 53
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