R.E. Farm Cemetery
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R.E. Farm Cemetery, CWGC, Wulverghem, Ypres, was the military name given to the Ferme des douze Bonniers. This building remained in Allied hands until April 1918. In December 1914 the 1st Dorsets, 15th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division, began a cemetery (No.1) on the east side of the farm, which was used by fighting units and field ambulances until April 1916, and occasionally in 1917. In January 1915, the same battalion began another cemetery (No.2) on the west side of the farm. This cemetery was little used and after the Armistice, the twenty-three British and one Canadian graves in it were moved into No.1, which was then renamed. Three French graves were removed.
Wulverghem (now Wulvergem)
There was a dressing station in the estimanet on the corner of the junction of the Neuve Eglise to Lindenhoek Road, the estimanet is still there today on the corner. Captain Henry Owens, a medical officer with the 3rd Cavalry Field Ambulance, 1st Cavalry Division records in his diary for 23 October 1914: ‘Hacked over with Irwin and Ward to the dressing station at Wulverghem…. Only 5 or 6 slight cases. Slept at Wulverghem.’ He was still there on 25 October when his unit got orders to move south with the 2nd Cavalry Brigade however, he was back in Wulverghem on 31 October writing in his diary ‘..About 12 went out to the Advanced Dressing Station at Wulverghem. Sent on a good many Indian troops.’ On 1 November he was sitting with his Field Ambulance on the Wulverghem to Neuve Eglise road and noted in his diary ‘..Began shelling Wulverghem just as they were coming through (this was some of his unit that had gone up to Messines to collect some wounded) Our men holding a line about half a mile beyond Wulverghem (towards Messines).’ He was back in the area in October 1917 and recorded in his diary: ‘One day I walked down to Wulverghem with Fry, the village where we had a dressing station on 1st November 1914 in a little estimanet. The pave road was still there, more or less intact, but every trace of the village and the houses had vanished. A few little bits of the walls of the church were still there and a few tombstones. I noticed a cross put up to Captain Macarthur-Onslow (16th Lancers), killed on 5th November 1914.’ This was Captain Arthur William Macarthur-Onslow, 16th (The Queen’s Lancers), killed in action on 5 November 1914, age 37. He is buried in Wulverghem-Lindenhoek Road Military Cemetery Grave III.C.4. Wulverghem was the scene of a German gas attack on the night of 29-30 April 1916 which was repulsed by the 3rd and 24th Divisions. The village was captured by the Germans on 14 April 1918 and reoccupied by the 30th Division on the following 2 September.
R.E. Farm Cemetery, CWGC, Wulverghem, Ypres, is a short distance along the road from the Kruisstraat Cabaret mine craters, now there are two mine craters there were three, blown on 7 June 1917. 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.
1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment, 15th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division
There are seven men buried here five of whom were killed in action on 3 December 1914. The Dorsets moved into the line relieving the East Surrey’s and taking over the trenches north of Wulverghem on 1 December 1914. On the 2 December the length of trench occupied by ‘C’ Company came under heavy shell fire. They were relieved by the Norfolks on 3 December and went back to billets in Dranoutre. There is no mention of casualties. 3/6755 Private William John Benjafield, age 19. Grave III.C.6. Son of Mr. Thomas. J. Benjafield, 4 Colliton Street, Dorchester. He was employed as a Labourer when he enlisted 14 January 1913. 7422 Private Sidney Drake. Grave III.C.6. Brother of Mr. Edward. J. Drake, 45 Grove Road., Mile End, London. 5901 Private William Luffman. Grave III.C.6. William was married to Mabel and they did not have any children. 3/6588 Private Sidney George Parsons, age 24. Grave III.C.6. Son of George and Emily Parsons, of Pine Cottages, Alcester, Shaftesbury, Dorset. 6556 Private Elias Winters, age 34 Grave III.C.6. Son of Frederick and Emily Winters, Beaminster, Dorset.
North Staffordshire Regiment
Between April and June 1915, the 46th Division entered a learning curve and its role was to defend a section of the line at Wulverghem. Although it had gone through a period of trench instruction the Division now had to learn to be self-reliant. There are thirty two men from the Regiment buried here. The German Front Line was about 50 yards away on the North, and curved away until on the Southern end the distance was about 300 yards. When the 1st/5th Battalion or 1st/6th Battalion were in the line, the two support Companies occupied two farms, known as Burnt Farm and RE Farm this is a description of one of them from ‘History of the 5th North Staffords (Meakin): ‘The trenches are 200 yards in front, and another 150 yards in front are the German trenches. Round the farm itself are dug-outs, into which we have to get if the Germans start shelling us. This farm has no comforts except what we bring, and our room is a shed 12 by 20 feet, with straw at one end, and a table at the other, and no door. The men sleep in barns on either side, and all day we keep busy on little jobs, such as draining the field at the back, cleaning the well, and improving the dug-outs. A little work goes a long way in this heat. We live here in extraordinary security and comfort, and the men are cheerful. At night we sleep with our rifles beside us, and our boots on, ready to dash up to the first trench that is attacked.’
1st/5th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment, 137th Infantry Brigade, 46th Division
2590 Private Thomas Bateman, Killed in action 14 May 1915, age 19. Grave IV.C.6. Only son of Samuel and Eliza Bateman, 47 Newcastle Street, Burslem, Staffs. The Battalion trenches The War Diary is rather reticent on what the Battalion was doing it simply states ‘In trenches’ although Wulverghem was considered to be a quiet sector the units were still subjected to regular shelling and sniping and as such, the Battalion suffered a steady stream of casualties with the North Staffs having their Regimental Aid Post located at RE Farm.
1st/6th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment, 137th Infantry Brigade, 46th Division
On 15 June the Battalion relieved the 1st/5th Battalion in trenches D2 to 15 and ‘C’ Company, 6th Somerset Light Infantry attached for instruction and the two support Companies were in Burnt Farm and RE Farm. On the 19 June the Battalion was relieved in the line by 1st/5th Battalion, less ‘D’ Company which remained at Burnt Farm. The Battalion casualties for the period were ‘1 officer killed, 1 wounded, Other Ranks, 3 killed, 1 died of wounds, 5 wounded.’ 2143 Lance Corporal Herbert John Evans, ‘A’ Company, Killed in action 19 June 1915, age 20. Grave IV.A.16. Son of James Evans, 107 Hawkins Lane, Burton-on-Trent, and the late Mary Ann Evans. 2377 Private Raymond Fisher, Killed in action 19 June 1915, age 22. Grave IV.A.18. Son of Samuel Joseph and Elizabeth Annie Fisher, 9 Needwood Street, Burton-on-Trent. 2495 Private H Patrick, Killed in action 19 June 1915, age Grave IV.A.17. Husband of C. Patrick, 8 Stanley Road, Stratford, London.
2nd Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers, 13th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division
The Battalion was in the trenches at Sector D near Wulverghem. The Regimental history describes the trenches here: ‘Owing to the danger of high breastwork and the fact that the water was retained in the trenches and could not be drained away, the men stood in water up to the ankles or knees. The usual trench equipment was non-existent. Draining was lost labour, for parapets fell in after the porridge had been ejected…. trench feet were a phenomenon only too common, and costly in man power. In thirteen days there were about 130 evacuations from the Battalion.’ There are three men from the Battalion buried here and killed in action on 5 February 1915. 6783 Private William John Brown, age 18. Grave II.B.5. Son of William and Sarah Brown, 38 English Street, Dumfries. They also had a daughter. William was 17 years of age when he enlisted on 6 November 1913, and listed his trade as shoemaker. He then applied to join the Regular Army and to join the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders on 6 March 1914. He was accepted but was then discharged on 17 April 1914 for making a misstatement as to his age. He then rejoined KOSB. 11760 Private Robert William Green, age 19. Grave II.B.6. Son of Fred George and Amelia Green, Castle Acre, Swaffham, Norfolk. He was employed as a farm labourer when he enlisted. 13619 Private James Henry Murphy, age 20. Grave II.D.3. Son of William and Elizabeth Hannah Murphy, of 16, Sharston Street, Harpurhey, Manchester. He was employed as a Labourer in a warehouse when he enlisted.
1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, 15th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division
Second Lieutenant Maurice William Hand, Killed in action 25 January 1915, age 30. Grave I.A.7. Eldest son of the late Edward Hand, of Culvert Road, Tottenham. He was married and had two children. His wife remarried. He enlisted in June 1904 in the East Surrey Regiment and reached the rank of Colour Sergeant Major and was commissioned in September 1914 and went to the Cheshire Regiment. Maurice was the Battalion Machine Gun Officer. He had been on leave for six days from 15 January and had only returned to the Battalion on 22 January. He wrote to his wife on 24 January that he expected to go into action on 25 January. On the 24 January the Battalion relieved the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in D sector trenches. The War Diary recording that: ‘2/Lt MW Hand (MG Officer) & 1 NCO killed.’
Canadian
Alias
James Farquharson served as 21598 Private James Ferguson, 5th Battalion, 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division. Killed in action 2 March 1916, age 26. Grave III.C.5. Son of Alexander and Helen Farquharson, Balnagown, Knockando, Morayshire. Three of his brothers also fell. He was unmarried and listed his trade as a Butcher when he enlisted on 23 September 1914 in Valcartier. His sister was living at 505 Greenwood Place Winnipeg. He went to Lark Hill Camp in the UK in February 1915 and from there joined the 5th Battalion. He was wounded in the hip on 13 May 1915 and spent three months recovering and rejoined the Battalion on 21 August and then went on six days leave on 6 November. On the 5 February 1916 he went to the 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Company and was killed in action on 2 March 1916. The Kruisstraat mines were begun by 250 Tunnelling Company in late December 1915. The shaft was sunk in the remains of a thicket just off Kingsway communication trench that led to the British front line at D.5 opposite the Germans at Kruisstraat. The 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Company took over the work three weeks later and by the end of January 1916 the shaft was down 66 feet, including a sump, and 50 feet of gallery had been driven. The Canadians continued the work until mid-April, when they had taken the drive to 1,051 feet, and were relieved by 175 Tunnelling Company who continued the work until June 1916. Today, there are only two of the three mine craters remaining. The two remaining craters. Now used for private fishing.
1st Canadian Machine Gun Company, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, 1st Canadian Division. On the 3 March 1916, the War Diary records that two men were killed while stripping a German shell in the support trenches. 416617 Private Ovila Ayotte, Killed in action 3 March 1916, age 20. Grave III.A.6. Son of Joseph Ayotte, Deschenes Mills PQ, this was the property of R & W Conroy near Quebec. Ovila was employed as a Labourer when he enlisted on 24 February 1915. 406276 Private Alexander Black Craigie, Killed in action 3 March 1916, age 24. Grave III.A.5. Son of the late Mr. and Mrs. J. D. G. Craigie, 3 Market Street, Edinburgh. He was employed as a Teamster when he enlisted on 14 April 1915.
2nd Battalion Canadian Infantry, 1st Canadian Brigade, 1st Canadian Division
The Battalion relieved the 3rd Battalion in the trenches at D3, D4, 14, 15 and 16 and they had one company of the 43rd Canadian Battalion attached for instruction. The War Diary records that they worked on improving the trenches and the nigh patrols saw nothing of note. They do not note any casualties. 19086 Private William Jeffery, No.3 Company, 2nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry, Killed in action 3 March 1916, age 23. Grave III.A.20. Son of Margaret Jeffery, of Burrowgate, Penrith, Cumberland, England, and the late William Jeffery. He was employed as a Steam fitters Helper when he enlisted on 22 September 1914 at Valcartier. Initially joining the 9th Battalion he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion on 7 February and went to France on 8 February 1915.413129 Private James S. Steinburg, 2nd Battalion Canadian Infantry, Killed in action 3 March 1916, age 22. Grave III.A.19. He gave his sister Mrs Stanley Cooper, Malone, Ontario, as his next of kin. He was employed as a Miner when he enlisted on 10 May 1915. He initially joined the 39th Battalion and was transferred to the 2nd Battalion on 6 October 1915 when at Shorncliffe Camp, Kent, and went to France on 27 October as part of a reinforcement draft.
Location
R.E. Farm Cemetery is located 9.5 Kms south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate, Mesen 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, (N365). On reaching the village of Mesen the first right hand turning leads onto Mesenstraat, towards Wulvergem. On reaching the village of Wulvergem the first right hand turning at the church leads onto Wulvergemstraat. 500 metres along this road lies the junction with Vrooilandstraat. The cemetery itself lies 500 metres beyond this junction on the left hand side of the Wulvergemstraat.
The cemetery was designed by W C Von Berg.
Burials
R.E. Farm Cemetery contains 179 First World War burials, 11 of them unidentified.
UK – 132
Canadian – 47
Unnamed - 11
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