The farm opposite the cemetery was named Solferino by the French who occupied this area in early 1915, and this was the name given to the cemetery. The French originally had a dressing station located here and the cemetery was begun by British forces in October 1917 and used until August 1918. There are 100 men from Artillery units, twenty-one from Royal Engineer units, and twenty-four are from Royal Army Service Corps Labour Battalions.
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The French influence on the name of the farm comes from the Battle of Solferino which was a decisive battle fought on 24 June 1859 in the Second Italian War of Independence. The battle included 96,000 French troops in alliance with 37,000 Piedmontese troops against the forces of Austria. Other farms in the area of the cemetery also have names of battles fought by French troops such as Austerlitz, Jena, and Leipzig.
Although this area was located behind the lines for the duration of the war, there were many gun sites, supply dumps, and camps. Nearby, on the crossroads of what is today the N8 and N38, is the Reigersburg Chateau which was used by the Royal Field Artillery and other units as an HQ. The village of Brielen was completely destroyed during the war, however, the Chateau des Trois Tours was untouched by German shelling. This chateau was the HQ of the 1st Canadian Division in 1915. After the war it was the HQ of the Ypres League and the Anglo-Belgian Union. Today, the chateau is hidden in private woodland with the entrance marked by two white pillars and a large gate. It is not open to the public.
Approximately 300m along the road from Solferino Farm, past the opening on your right into Vroedenhofstraat, was Malakoff Farm Cemetery. This cemetery was destroyed by shell fire and there is a Special Memorial in Duhallow ADS cemetery which commemorates the lost graves. This farm was also used by various battalions as an HQ. At the junction with the main road to Elverdinghe was Dawson’s Corner camp.
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Royal Field Artillery Graves
Of the 100 men from the RFA buried here.
Lieutenant Derek Edward Lewis Venn Baumer, 86th Battery, 32nd Brigade, 4th Division. Killed in action 21 October 1917, the War Diary records his death as 20 October, age 20. Grave I.A.43. Son of Lewis and Edith Baumer, 5 Greville Place, Kilburn, London. His epitaph reads DEATH OPENS UNKNOWN DOORS IT IS MOST GRAND TO DIE. His father was an artist on the staff of Punch, and who also produced illustrations for Jerome K Jerome's magazine, The Idler. Derek was educated at Winchester College from 1910 and left in 1915 and was going to study for a Classical Scholarship at New College, Oxford, in August 1915 however, he was gazetted direct to the R.F.A. As he was only 17 he could not serve abroad and had to wait until he was 19 before going to France at the beginning of January 1916 to join the 86th Battery. He died on 21 October 1917, near Langemarck, of wounds while running to the assistance of some of his men who had been buried by the burst of a shell. The War Diary simply recorded his death on 20 October as:
His commanding officer wrote to his parents that: 'His death in an effort to save others was in full accord with the sterling manner in which he always fulfilled his duties. Your son was one of my best subalterns and an officer of the best type. Under fire he was always cool and proved of the greatest assistance to me during the recent battles...... we shall miss him terribly'.
There are a number of men from the 17th Divisional Artillery with eleven men from the 78th Brigade, with seven from ‘D’ Battery, one from ‘A’ Battery, and three officers killed, including ‘B’ Battery commander. They were all killed during the period 14 October to 6 November 1917.
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Killed in their trench shelter
On the 26 October 1917, 78th Brigade had advance positions on the Langemark to Poelcappelle Road the war diary noting that they had been heavily shelled and several guns damaged and two destroyed. The deaths of the three officers also being recorded:
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Major Linwood Field DSO, MC, commanding ‘B’ Battery, killed 26 October 1917, age 30, Grave I.D.22. Son of G.M.R. and Katherine Field, 203 Coleherne Court, Earls Court, London. His DSO was gazetted in the London Gazette on 1 January 1918. His MC appeared in the London Gazette on 16 August 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When his battery was under heavy shell-fire he ran out into the open with utter disregard for his own life, to dig out a man who had been buried by a shell. He also removed three wounded men to a place of safety.’
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Captain Paul Studholme Barker MC, Battery Captain ‘B’ Battery, killed 26 October 1917, age unknown, Grave I.D.21. His MC appeared in the London Gazette of 17 December 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in running a wire to his battery observation post, maintaining communications all day and calibrating his battery under heavy hostile fire.’
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Lieutenant Reginald Percy Chantril, ‘B’ Battery, killed 26 October 1917, age 36, Grave I.D.20. Son of the late James Bevan and Mrs K Chantril, 17 Princes Square, Bayswater, London.
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Gunners killed in action
14 October 1917 – There were five men from ‘D’ Battery killed on this day. The War Diary recording that they had been subjected to attacks by enemy Gothas which had bombed the positions. They had also been subjected to counter battery fire.Â
The casualties were five men killed and three wounded. The dead are 90810 Gunner W Holdsworth, ‘D’ Battery, Grave I.A.24 7162 Driver N McAlpine, ‘D’ Battery, Age 29, Grave I.A.23. Son of Neil and Euphemia McAlpine, Rose Cottage, Iona. 164392 Gunner J T Field, ‘D’ Battery, Grave I.A.25 98478 Gunner Edwin Foster, ‘D’ Battery, Age 20, Grave I.A.26. Son of William and Lily Foster, 1 MacFarlane Place, Shepherds Bush, London. His epitaph reads: ‘BRAVELY ANSWERED THE CALL SEP. 1ST 1914 NOT FORGOTTEN DEAR EDDY’ 161971 Gunner C S Williams, ‘D’ Battery, Grave I.A.27
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6 November 1917 – There were three men from 78th Brigade killed on this day. The War Diary recording that enemy aircraft had been active in bombing and also heavy counter battery fire.
The casualties were three men killed, 3 wounded , and five gassed. The dead are 113729 Gunner W Moran, ‘D’ Battery, Grave II.A.18 79453 Gunner F Pollitt, ‘D’ Battery, Grave II.A.19 141217 Gunner A Bentley, ‘A’ Battery, Grave II.A.20
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Cemetery location
The cemetery is located to the north-west of the town of Ieper near Brielen. 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 traffic lights. Straight over the lights and follow the N8 direction Veurne. Through the village of Brielen and for approximately another 1 Km to the first turning on the right past the farm. This is a street called Kapellestraat, into this street and the cemetery is approximately 500 metres on the right.
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Burials:
UK – 293
Canadian – 1
New Foundland – 1
British West Indies – 1
German – 3
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There are 5 graves from World War II these are from the time of the British retreat to Dunkirk in May 1940.
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