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We provide detailed records, personal biographies, and cemetery information for soldiers from Falkirk District who served in the Ypres Salient during WWI. Explore our Roll of Honour and other dedicated sections for comprehensive insights.

Ramparts Cemetery, Lille Gate

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Ramparts Cemetery, Lille Gate, is on top of the old rampart, over what had been dug-outs. It was begun by French troops in November 1914 and used by Commonwealth units at intervals from February 1915 to April 1918. From October 1914 to the summer of 1918, Ypres (now Ieper) formed the centre of a salient held by Commonwealth (and for a while French) forces. From April 1915, the town was bombarded and destroyed more completely than any other town of its size on the western front. This is a beautiful cemetery and best photographed from the other side of the surrounding moat.

The Lille Gate (Rijselpoort), it was at one time known as the Messines Gate, and is located close to the cemetery. The Lille Gate was one of the main exits from Ypres to the front line and was used more than the Menin Gate as it was sheltered from enemy guns. The Gate dates from 1383 with the balcony over the road and the bridge over the moat being post-war. Walking in a westerly direction along the rampart will bring you to the Menin Gate you will eventually come to the Lion Tower which also dates from 1383 and there are also two Moir Pill Boxes, designed by Sir Edward Moir a prominent engineer attached to the Ministry of Munitions. Dating from 1817 and immediately behind the pill box is the powder magazine for the Ypres Town Infantry Barracks. It was used by the British during the four years of the war in the Ypres Salient and was refurbished in 1998.

Suffolk Regiment

Major George Henry Walford, Mentioned in Despatches, Brigade Major, 84th Infantry Brigade, 28th Division. Killed in action 19 April 1915, age 36. Grave F.1. Eldest son of the late Lt. Col. H. A. Walford, 20th Hussars, and of Mrs. Walford, of Wrecclesham Grange, Farnham, Surrey. He was married to Inez N. Walford (nee Treadwell), of Link Hill Cottage, Sandhurst, Kent, and they had a son Richard George born in 1913. He was educated at Rugby School and then the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and was gazetted Second Lieutenant in February 1898 and promoted to Lieutenant in January 1900, and then served with the Somaliland Field Force in 1903. He was promoted to Captain in April 1905 and then Adjutant of his Battalion from 1906 to October 1909, and attended the Staff College in 1911 and was appointed as the Secretary of the Military Manoeuvres Commission in 1913 joining the General Staff as a Brigade Major in April 1914. He promoted to Temporary Major on 11 September 1914 and promoted to General Staff Officer G2 in October 1914. He was confirmed Major on 11 December 1914. He went to France on 18 January 1915. At 6.30am on the 19 April 1915 he was observing the German lines from Trench 21 near Zonnebeke when he was killed.

3rd Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 85th Infantry Brigade, 28th Division

Captain Edward Graeme Ozanne, 3rd Battalion, Killed in action 15 February 1915, age 32. Grave C.17. Only son of Sir Edward C. Ozanne, K.B.E., and Lady Ozanne, of Guernsey. He was married to Aline H. Ozanne (nee Cloete), 14 Queen Street, Mayfair, London. He was educated at Elizabeth College and then Rugby School and then the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was gazetted Second Lieutenant on 8 May 1901 and saw service in the South African War and was promoted to Lieutenant on 19 October 1904, and Captain on 23 April 1912. On the outbreak of the war the Battalion was based in India and arrived back in England in December 1914 and then sent to France in January 1915. On the 15 February 1915 the Battalion was in the line occupying trenches X,Y, Z at The Bluff. They were relieved on 16 February with the War Diary recording: ‘Total casualties since 6th February 2 officers & 16 men killed, 2 officers & 70 men wounded, 1 man missing.’

1st Battalion Norfolk Regiment, 15th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division

Captain William Cecil Kennedy Megaw, M.C., Twice Mentioned in Despatches. Adjutant 1st Battalion, Killed in action 31 March 1915, age 29. Grave D.29. Son of Kennedy and Mamie Megaw, of Chesham Road., Brighton, Sussex. He married Alice May Megaw (nee Gaussen), of Farnborough, Hants on 1 October 1913. He was educated at Wellington College and then the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and was gazetted Second Lieutenant on 16 August 1905, and was then promoted to Lieutenant on 20 March 1908. He served as Adjutant from 1910 to 1913, promoted to Captain on 26 March 1913. On the outbreak of war the Battalion were in Belfast and moved to France on 14 August 1914. On the 31 March 1915 the Battalion was in the line at St Eloi and eh War Diary records: ‘Relieved from trenches by KOYLI. Moved back into Divisional Reserve at Ouderdom. Capt & Adjt WCK Megaw killed.’ He was Mentioned in Despatches on 17 February 1915 and also gazetted for the Military Cross on 22 June 1915 without a citation.

6th Battalion The King’s (Liverpool Regiment), 15th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division

Captain William Sproat Montgomery, ‘D’ Company, 6th Battalion, Killed in action 13 March 1915, age 33. Grave E.10. Son of Hugh Montgomery, of The Allports, Bromborough, Cheshire. He was educated at Liverpool College and was employed by Simonds, Hunt, and Montgomery, general merchants of Fenwick Street, Liverpool. He was a keen sportsman playing Rugby for Lancashire and for Liverpool Rugby Club he was captain and then Club Secretary. He joined the Territorials on 14 March 1909 and was a Lieutenant when war broke out and was promoted to Captain on 8 September 1914. Following a period of training at Canterbury they went to France on 25 February 1915.The Battalion was in the line between St Eloi and the Ypres-Comines Canal and The Bluff. The ground immediately to the rear of the trenches was swept by rifle fire by day and night, and a number of casualties used to occur while reliefs were going on. The enemy artillery was also active. On the 13 March 1915 the War Diary recorded: ‘Capt W S Montgomery wounded in Trenches & Died the same day. Other Ranks 2 wounded (1 died same day).’

Royal Artillery

Lieutenant Walter George Frederic Welch, 117th Battery, 26th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Killed in action 30 October 1914, age 24. Grave I.4. The only son of Reginald. Courtenay Welch, Principal of the Army College, Heath End, Farnham, Surrey. He was educated at Charterhouse and the Army College and in November 1908 went to the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. He was gazetted Second Lieutenant in July 1910 and was posted to the 127th Battery then at Bordon. He was promoted to Lieutenant in January 1913 and went to the depot at Preston and on mobilisation for war in August 1914 he joined 44th Ammunition Column. Shortly after he was posted to the 117th Battery. It was on the evening of 30 October 1914, during the First Battle of Ypres, his guns were positioned south of Veldhoek, east-south-east of Ypres, when he was struck by a shell and ‘buried alongside the guns he had fought.’ Originally buried in a

permanent isolated grave by the officers and men of his Battery at Herenthage Wood, which lies on the south side of the Menin Road. A cross was erected in 1924 and if you look at the diagram you will see on the small map the location of his grave. His body was exhumed and reburied at Ramparts Cemetery on 8 November 1956. There is no point in speculating on why his grave was moved.

Royal Army Medical Corps

There are seven men from the RAMC buried here.

Lieutenant Walter Tennyson McCurry, Mentioned in Despatches, Killed in action 14 March 1915, age 22. Grave D.27. Elder son of Joseph and Jessie Graham McCurry, of Belfast Bank House, Shankhill Road, Belfast. He was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Queens University, Belfast were he studied medicine. He joined the Officer Training Corps when at University. He qualified as a doctor in 1912. He

was a Lieutenant in the Special Reserve and went to France on the outbreak of the war. His unit and how he died is not clear as no records exist.

Lieutenant Derwent Christopher Turnbull, 84th Field Ambulance attached 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, 15th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division. Killed in action 14 March 1915, age 24. Grave D.26. Son of William Peverill and Fanny Turnbull, Burway House, Church Stretton, Salop. He was educated at Sheffield Royal Grammar School, King Edward VII’s School, Sheffield and Giggleswick School and studied medicine at Sheffield University. He volunteered on the outbreak of war and was commissioned Lieutenant in the RAMC and was initially a medical officer at the King George Hospital, Dublin. He joined the Field Ambulance on the 19 February 1915 with the War Diary recording: ‘Lieut Baxter & Lieut Turnbull joined.’ On the 9 March 1915 he was attached to the 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment and was wounded on the 10 March the War Diary records: ‘Lt Turnbull wded’ and on the 14 March: ‘Lt Turnbull died. Battle of St Eloi.’ On the 14

March the Germans bombarded the British positions from the Canal to St Eloi and simultaneously exploded a mine at the Mound, a brick stack in St Eloi, and attacked in strength forcing the troops of 27 Division back and taking the village of St Eloi. According to a report in De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour Vol.1 Lieutenant Turnbull was at his Dressing Station when a message came that an officer was bleeding heavily from his wounds and Turnbull decided to cross the open ground to the trenches to reach the officer. He then decided that the man needed to be moved to the Dressing Station across the open ground but due to heavy rifle fire they could not move. At around 6pm they made an attempt to cross the ground and Turnbull was shot through a lung and the already wounded officer was wounded again. Turnbull was to die of his wounds four days later. A Corporal, then Private, Joseph Needham received a DCM for his part in the action. Needham volunteered to accompany Turnbull to assist the wounded officer. Turnbull was Mentioned in Despatches on 22 June 1915 for gallant and distinguished service in the field. Corporal Joseph Needham was killed on the Somme on 25 July 1916 and has no known grave and is listed on the Thiepval Memorial. On the 8 February 1917 the Stockport Express reported that Joseph’s medal was presented to his brother John and his wife by the Mayor of Stockport.

191 Private George Leonard Boyes, 2nd (London), 84th Field Ambulance, 28th Division. Killed in action 4 April 1915, age 19. Grave F.7. Son of Emily C. and the late George Boyes, of Epworth, Lincs. Epitaph; MY SON. 132 Private Cyril Edward Knight, 2nd (London), 84th Field Ambulance, 28th Division. Killed in action 4 April 1915, age 19. Grave F.6. Son of the late Thomas Crosby Knight and Mary Ann Knight, of Acton, London. On the 4 April 1915 the Field Ambulance was still located in the Cavalry Barracks with the billets in the St Elizabeth Orphanage on the Rue de Lille (now Rijselstraat). At 9.40pm three shells struck the billets coming through the roof killing two men and wounding ten others. On the 5 April the War Diary records: ‘Buried Boyes & Knight. Moved from all posts in Ypres to billets in the Asylum. Handing over to 15 FA.’

2nd Battalion Leinster Regiment, 17th Infantry Brigade, 6th Division

There are seven men buried here six of whom are from the 2nd Battalion and were all killed on 20 August 1915. The Battalion was resting in the ramparts when the town and ramparts were heavily shelled between 6am and 9am. Two heavy shells fell on the area occupied by ‘B’ and ‘C’ Companies killing five men and wounding ten.

4168 Private John Casey. Grave H.2. He was from Dublin. 8569 Sergeant Edward Duffy (served as Thomas Price), age 36. Grave H.6. Son of Pat and Catherine Duffy (nee Peyton), of Tiernany, Killasser, Swinford, Co. Mayo. He enlisted in Chatham. 3388 Private John Martin. Grave H.1. He was from Cork. 8877 Sergeant Thomas Lewis Molloy, age 27. Grave H.5. Son of Thomas and Mary Molloy, of Market Hill, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.

3503 Private Patrick Reynolds, age 30. Grave H.4. Son of James and Mary Reynolds, of Feighs Cottage, Banagher, King's Co. 3043 Private James Rutledge. Grave H.3.

New Zealand

There are fourteen men from New Zealand buried here. Six men, serving with ‘C’ Company the Maori (Pioneer) Battalion, are buried together and were killed in action on 31 December 1917. They were part of a working party at Saville Road killed by a German shell. Today, Saville Road is the Jan Ypermanstraat.

38513 Private Bennie Edmonds, age 22. Grave B.5. Son of Salmond and Millie Edmonds, of Whitianga, Mercury Bay, New Zealand. 20811 Private Heremia Tawhero Haenga, age 21. Grave B.2. 20846 Lance Corporal Raika Whakarongotai Murray, age 19. Grave B.3. Son of Wikitoria Te Ngahue and S. Murray. 19740 Private Nehe Patara, age 24. Grave B.6. Son of Pukemaire Patara, of Rangitukia. 19753 Private Waata Taukamo, age 26. Grave B.4. Son of Wi and Iritana Taukamo, of Kahukura, Waiapu, Gisborne, New Zealand. 16/954 Lance Corporal Rameka Taupaki, age 27. Grave B.1. Son of Hoani Natiu Taupaki and Raika Tirikowhai, of Paeroa, New Zealand.

Canadian Engineers

There are ten Canadians buried here nine of which are Tunnellers from the 2nd and 3rd Tunnelling Companies. Seven were killed in the fighting during September and October and two in June 1917.

2nd Tunnelling Company, 1st Canadian Division

506786 Sapper Michael Patrick Giff, 2nd Tunnelling Company, Killed in action 3 June 1917, age 28. Grave J.12. Son of James Giff, of Harber Street, Ballynacargy, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. He was a widow with his son James was being looked after by his parents. He gave his trade as a Miner and living at the YMCA in Vancouver when he enlisted on 8 July 1916. He joined the unit in the field on 24 February 1917. On the 3 June the Company were in the dugouts at Zillebeke Bund with the War Diary recording: ‘One OR killed. 7 OR wounded, one OR gassed.’ 187615 Sapper Erick Kunnos, 2nd Tunnelling Company, Killed in action 29 June 1917, age 28. Grave J.13. Erick had emigrated to Canada from Finland and he gave his trade as Farmer and that he was living at Suite 8, Vermont Court, Winnipeg, when he enlisted on 13 November 1915. His married sister was living at Suite 2 and she received his medals. His mother remained in Finland. He was at the Canadian camp at Shorncliffe before going to France on 13 February 1917 and joining the Company. The Company were in Ypres and the casualties recorded were ‘One OR killed. One OR wounded.’

3rd Tunnelling Company, 1st Canadian Division.

The Company was working under severe conditions. On 15 October while working at Glencorse Way Road they were delayed due to a shortage of slabs as a result of the enemy shelling them with mustard and phosgene gas. On the 16 October while working near Yeomanry Post three men were killed, when putting down bore holes to find suitable ground for dugouts, when they were caught by a shell. The War Diary recording that they were buried at Ypres Ramparts. 80213 Sapper Alec Borthwick, 3rd Tunnelling Company, 1st Canadian Division. Killed in action 16 October 1917, age 21. Grave J.21. Alec was born in Mossend, Lanarkshire and emigrated to Canada. He gave his trade as Teamster when he enlisted in the 31st (Alberta) Battalion on 1 April 1915 in Calgary. He arrived at the Canadian camp at Shorncliffe on 29 May 1915 and arrived in France on 19 September 1915 and transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company on the 20 September 1916 and joined them in the field. 79412 Corporal Gilbert Frank Lock, 3rd Tunnelling Company, Killed in action 16 October 1917, age 23. Grave J.20. Son of George and Lucy Lock, of Highbridge Common, Bishopsworth, Bristol. He gave his trade as Miner when he enlisted in the 31st (Alberta) Battalion on 18 November 1914. He arrived in England on 7 May 1915 and went to France on 19 September 1915 and transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company on 10 October 1916. His records show that he died of multiple shrapnel wounds at 69 Field Ambulance. 71285 Sapper Alfred Wright Martin, 3rd Tunnelling Company, Killed in action 16 October 1917, age 22. Grave J.22. Alfred was born in Dundee and emigrated to Canada with his parents and was living with his mother Jessie at St Francis Xavier, Manitoba. He gave his trade as Farm Hand when he enlisted on 25 October 1914 and joined the 27th Battalion and landed in France on 19 September 1915. He then transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company on 24 December 1915 and joined them in the field.

Boy Soldiers

In the Ypres Salient, we are drawn to the graves of 6322 Private John Condon, 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, killed in action in May 1915, age 14 and the youngest known battle casualty of the war, although this is now questioned, and the grave of 5750 Valentine Strudwick, 8th Rifle Brigade, killed in action in January 1916, age 15. Strudwicks grave attracts a great deal of attention because of its location at Essex Farm and that locations association with Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae and the poem ‘In Flanders Fields.’ There are many more ‘Boy Soldiers’ buried across the Salient and who are not remembered in the same way and these include three from Falkirk District Private William Jamieson, age 17,Private James Duchart, age 16, and Private Herbert Richmond, age 17. There were many reasons why under age boys enlisted in 1914 and 1915 boredom with their jobs, looking for adventure, and escaping family pressures. The

checks on age and qualification to enlist were more relaxed than later in the war. The army preferred younger recruits, there was a history of boy soldiers in the army going back over one hundred years. At Waterloo the army had a number of boy soldiers in their ranks. The army preferred younger recruits as they would follow orders and accept discipline more readily than older men. The boys had a belief in their own indestructibility and were prepared to take more risks. We tend to also forget the number of boys who served in the Royal Navy and we do not seem to have the same passionate response to their service as we do those who fought on the Western Front. With regards to the army, the difference was the sheer number who served on the Western Front and there were more boy soldiers in 1915 than served in Wellington’s army at Waterloo. For further reading on this subject see Richard Van Emden’s excellent book Boy Soldiers of the Great War. There

are three Boy Soldiers buried here 464 Sapper William John Scholz, 1st/1st (North Midland) Field Company, Royal Engineers, 46th (North Midland) Division. Their designation was changed to 465th Field Company Royal Engineers. The Company was attached to the 28th Division from 26 December 1914 to 6 April 1915 when it returned to its parent formation. Killed in action 15 March 1915, age 17. Grave F.17. Son of Charles Robert and Sarah Ellen Scholz, 11 St. Mathew's Road, Smethwick, Staffs. The company was working in The Bluff sector. 1624 Private Charles Williams, 5th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, 14th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division. Killed in action 9 April 1915, age 17. Grave E.23. Son of Thomas Stanley and Eliza Anne Williams, 65 Hilbre Street, Birkenhead. The Battalion was in the line occupying trenches 27 and 27R between St Eloi and the Ypres-Comines Canal. The War Diary records: ‘1 man killed and 3 wounded in trenches near Ypres.’ 9817 Private Cecil William Wright, 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, 9th

Infantry Brigade, 3rd Division. Killed in action 30 March 1915, age 17. Grave F.8. Son of Frederick and Sarah Elizabeth Wright, Hants Yard, High Street, Grantham, Lincs. The Battalion was in the vicinity of Bedford House in a support capacity on 29 March when the area was shelled resulting in one other rank being wounded. Cecil died of his wounds on 30 March.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

Location

Ramparts Cemetery lies within the town of Ieper itself, 1 km south of Ieper Market Square. From the Market Square follow the Rijselstraat and just before passing through the Rijselpoort (Lille Gate) there is a slope leading up to the Ramparts of the town. Walk up this path and the cemetery entrance is about 50m to the left.