Spoilbank Cemetery
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Spoilbank Cemetery, CWGC, Ypres (also known as Chester Farm Lower Cemetery or Gordon Terrace Cemetery) was begun in February 1915, and was used by troops holding this sector until March 1918. It is particularly associated with the casualties of the 2nd Suffolks (Plot I, Row B) on "The Bluff" early in 1916. It was enlarged after the Armistice when 125 graves were brought in from the battlefields in the surrounding area. See some of the stories of the men buried here.
The Bluff was created from the spoil thrown up from a large cutting when the Ypres to Comines Canal was being constructed. The trench lines ran between Verbrandenmolen on the left and The Bluff and the early trenches were constructed by the French in 1914. The British then took over the line and the trenches were numbered, as opposed to being named trenches, and the fighting here went on for four years. The 1st and 4th Battalions Gordon Highlanders of 3rd Division held the trenches here for one month in July 1915 and the command post on the raised ground on the northern canal bank between the Bluff and Spoilbank was named Gordon Post. Writing in her ‘Battle Book of Ypres’, Beatrix Brice quotes Lieutenant-Colonel H, d’Arch Smith, 2nd Suffolks who describes the work in reclaiming land from the overflowing water, and consolidating their trenches: ‘We floundered in the mud, we endeavoured to stop or rather to divert the endless flow of water which the Boche, being as always in higher ground than ourselves, cleverly poured into our trenches to join streams that flowed in from our back area. In fact we became amphibious. With keenness, ingenuity, and cunning we dug where we could, erected parapets where we could not, and filled hundreds of sandbags, with a sort of porridges of mud as a foundation before anything could be built up… The arrival of timber and of ready-made duck-boards helped matters, and support and communication trenches began to look as though they might resist a puff of wind, though the front-line ones had not much more strength than what a barrier of barbed wire lent them.’
Mine Warfare at the Bluff
The Ypres-Comines canal was excavated here before the War and the spoil from the workings was thrown up on either side and this was known as the Bluff and further along the canal, Spoilbank. Trench lines were established here from 1914 first by French troops and then by the British. Mine warfare was a prominent feature with many craters are still visible today. An extraordinary incident occurred on 30 December 1915 which was recorded in his diary by Billy Congreve, Brigade-Major, 76th Brigade, 3rd Division: ‘Some excitement today. About 7am this morning, all the water in
the big Bluff crater suddenly disappeared with a rush and left exposed in the south-west corner of it the entrance to a Boche gallery. Brisco (2nd Lieutenant R B Brisco, Royal Engineers) at once went up and started off down the gallery by himself, leaving a man armed with a rifle at the entrance. After going about sixty feet, he heard somebody coming towards him, so he slowly retired. When he had got close back to the entrance again he waited and, as soon as the Boche showed his head round the corner, fired with his revolver. He missed. The man who was with him, in his excitement, let off his rifle. It flew up and hit Brisco a whack on the nose that nearly knocked him out, so the Boche got away. I went up in the afternoon to see how things were and found the crater almost dry. Many tons of water must have run down the Boche gallery…… I found three grenadiers of the RWF sitting on top of the block! These I hurriedly withdrew to a safe distance. About half an hour later the Boche blew up his gallery from the inside without doing us any damage, so now all is quiet…’ Read more about the Mine Craters of Messines Ridge
Retaking The Bluff – March 1916
Before the attack on Verdun the Germans initiated a series of diversionary attacks along the allied line. One of these attacks was against the British line at the Bluff in the Ypres Salient. They exploded a mine in front of the Bluff on 22 January and shelling half a mile of front line trenches, including the Bluff itself, on the 14th February. The front line was defended by the 17th Division’s 51st Brigade which had relieved the 76th Brigade on 7th February. The Bluff was held by a single platoon of the 10/Lancashire Fusiliers when the Germans attacked. Their positions were blasted by artillery and the men sought cover in the Bluff’s tunnels. This was a fatal mistake as the Germans exploded a small mine beneath and buried the occupants. The captured trenches were consolidated and
repeated attacks to retake them failed. It was concluded by the commander of V Corps that to retake The Bluff and the lost trenches would require a more detailed plan and the attack to be undertaken by troops who knew the ground. For this reason 76th Brigade were recalled from reserve and placed under the command of 17th Division for the attack on 2 March. Brigadier General H.C.C. Uniacke, GOC Royal Artillery, V Corps, was brought in to arrange artillery co-operation. All four of 76th Brigades Battalions would be taking part in addition to 7/Lincolns and 10/Sherwood Foresters from the 51st Brigade. The plan was for the 2/Suffolks, supported by the 10/Royal Welch Fusiliers to storm The Bluff as well as the canal bank where the German mine workings were suspected. Companies of the 1/Gordon Highlanders were to attack on the left and the 8/King’s Own to attack the centre. The difficult area was The Bluff because of its height and the ability for surveillance. It was considered impossible for the 2/Suffolks to cross No Man’s land without supporting artillery cover. To do this would forewarn the Germans. It was estimated that two minutes was all the time the Suffolks needed to cover the ground. It was Uniacke who came up with the answer. He would arrange for a battery to fire a salvo at The Bluff, followed by another salvo two minutes later and this pattern would be fired at irregular intervals day and night leading up to the day of the attack. Only at zero hour would one salvo be fired and while the Germans were taking cover expecting the second salvo the Suffolks would cross and storm the German positions. At 4.30am after the guns fired for two minutes being the usual salvo the Germans had been expecting at 4.32am as the fire ceased the assault went in. the Germans were taken by surprise and except for the loss of one of the tunnelling parties and three platoons of ‘A’ Company, Gordon Highlanders who were practically annihilated by machine-gun fire, all objectives were achieved. Two men from Falkirk District died in the action by the Gordon Highlanders Private John Anderson of Larbert and Private Charles Mason of Plean, Falkirk.
2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment, 76th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Division
Lieutenant Robert Douglas Locke, Killed in action 2 March 1916, Grave I.M.2. Son of Herries B and Sarah B Locke. He was serving as a Private with the service number 3137 in the Honourable Artillery Company and went to France on 18 August 1915 and was then commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Suffolk Regiment on 22 January 1916. He was killed in the action to retake The Bluff on 2 March.
Bedfordshire Regiment
7816 Private Frederick William Johnson, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 15th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division. Killed in action 7 November 1914, age 35. Grave I.S.21. Son of William and Charlotte Johnson, of Marshwell, Yorkley, Slade, Lydney, Gloucester. On the 7 November
the Battalion HQ was in Beukenhorst Chateau, forever known to the British as Stirling Castle, with the Bedford’s occupying the front line south of the Menin Road in the wood around Dumbarton Lakes and Herenthage Chateau when the Germans broke the line about 200 yards to their left. Some of the Bedford’s were also seen to be withdrawing, it was reported that an order to withdraw had been given but this could not be verified. The Battalion Adjutant rallied the men and succeeded in driving some of the German’s back, and another party led by Quarter Master Sergeant Byford charged them and cheering as they went forward and bayoneted fifteen of the enemy in their trenches. The position was restored and twenty five prisoners taken. Frederick was reburied at Spoilbank Cemetery on 13 May 1925 his body being exhumed from the battlefield near Herenthage Chateau.
Royal Scots
9225 Company Serjeant Major John Angus, Mentioned in Despatches, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots attached 8th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, Killed in action 27 March 1916, age 28. Grave I.K.7. Son of John and Mary Angus. He was married to Edith and they lived at 100A Marshall Street, Folkestone with their two children, John born in November 1908 and Edith born in December 1914. On the 27 March the Battalion was in the line to the right of St Eloi with the War Diary recording that: ‘Explosion of several large mines under the ‘Mound’. Terrific bombardment of the enemy especially about 2pm in
afternoon, & during the night. Many casualties.’ 20713 Private John William Blakemore, ‘B’ Company, 12th Battalion, 27th Infantry Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. Killed in action 9 November 1915, age 25. Grave I.D.14. He was employed as a miner when he enlisted on 15 February 1915, and was living with his parents, Josiah and Ellen, and three brothers and three sisters at 21 Wood Street, Stoke-on-Trent. He went to France and joined the Battalion, who were in billets at Canadian Huts near Reninghelst, on 4 October 1915 as part of draft of two officers and 146 Other Ranks. On the 9 November the Battalion relieved the 9th West Riding Regiment with ‘C’ and ‘D’ Companies taking over dugouts at Kruisstraat and ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies and HQ went into Maple Copse and Sanctuary Wood. There are no mention of casualties. His unburied body was found lying ‘in a lonely spot’ by the canal bank near Lock 8 by a chaplain on 20 November 1915, and he buried him in Spoilbank Cemetery.
Two Brothers killed on the same day- 2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiment, 84th Infantry Brigade, 28th Division. Second Lieutenant George Keating, Killed in action 17 February 1915. Grave I.H.3. Lieutenant John Keating, Grave I.H.4. They were the sons of the late John Keating and Anne Keating, of Wrexham. George was married to Frances Mary Keating, 8 Southwood Court, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Golders Green, London. Both brothers were regular army with a considerable length of service when they were commissioned from the ranks in 1914. On the 16 February 1915, the Battalion supplied two Companies, numbers 2 and 3, for an attack on the German trenches and they marched to the HQ of the Suffolk Regiment and continued with one Company of the Suffolk’s to attack the German trench. The attack was in the area known to the British as ‘Bean’ with the War Diary recording: ‘The attack of Nos 2 & 3 Companies was checked by hostile machine guns which opened up at short range. Amongst the casualties were 2 Lt G Keating & 2 Lt J Keating killed & Lt Ward wounded.’
10th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers, 76th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Division
On the 3 March 1916, the Battalion HQ was located at Gordon Post on the canal bank the War Diary recording that: ‘A shell of large calibre made a direct hit on Battalion Headquarters in Gordon Post…’ The Commanding Officer, Second in Command, and the Adjutant were killed. Lieutenant-Colonel Steuart Scott Binney DSO and twice Mentioned in Despatches, age 44. Grave I.M.4. He was married to Marjorie in January 1911 and they had two children John born in December 1911, and Susan born on 15 June 1914. He was gazetted to the 19th Hussars on 2 June 1894 and served in the Boer War were he won his DSO. He was promoted to Major on 6 July 1910, and was adjutant of the Regiment from 1901 to 1904, then adjutant of the East Kent Yeomanry from 1905 to 1908. He served on the Staff at Sandhurst from 1910 to March 1914 when he retired from the Army. On the outbreak of the war he was appointed Railway Transport Officer, and later promoted to Deputy Director of Railway Transport and twice Mentioned in Despatches. He was appointed commanding Officer 10th Battalion RWF in February 1916. He had been listed on the Menin Gate under, his former Regiment. Major Edward Freeman, age 41. Grave I.M.5. Son of Harold and Alice Freeman, of Malvern Wells. He was married to Katherine M. Ffoulkes (formerly Freeman), of Gallt-Y-Beran, Pwllheli, Caernarvonshire. During the Boer War he raised the Pwllheli company of volunteers, of which he was Captain. He was Captain 6th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers and promoted Major and Second in Command of the 10th Battalion in September 1915. He also had three sons serving in the Royal Welch Fusiliers Edward Rolly served with the 3rd Battalion, Harold was awarded the Military Cross. Captain & Adjutant William Thomas Lyons Mentioned in Despatches, age 35. Grave I.M.3. The eldest son of Martha Lyons, 21 Kerrsland Drive, Strandtown, Belfast, and the late William Lyons. He was working as an accountant and office manager of the Jaffe Spinning Company in Belfast in 1912. He joined the Queen’s University Officer Training Corps in May 1913 and became a first class linguist, he spoke four languages, and a signaller in November 1914. He obtained his commission in December 1914 and joined the Battalion and was promoted to Lieutenant in June 1915 and took command of a company in July 1915, and then promoted to Captain and Adjutant from September 1915.
Artillery Burials - There are seventeen men from various Brigades buried here.
There is an officer and five gunners from ‘C’ Battery, 298th Army Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, 5th Army, buried here. They were killed on 19 July 1917 by a shell when they were working on constructing a new battery position near Lock 8 just south of Lankhof Farm. The War Diary recording that at 10am: ‘2/Lt HC Rowe ‘C’ Battery killed while directing work on new battery position.’ The remnants of a British shelter can be found were the road N365 crosses the canal. Learn more Dugouts and Bunkers in the Ypres Salient
Second Lieutenant Harold Charles Rowe, age 21. Grave Special Memorial B.6. Son of George and Elizabeth Rowe, of Ael-Y-bryn, Morriston, Swansea. 622274 Gunner Joseph James Chandler, age 28. Grave Special Memorial B.4. He was married to Florence and they had three children, two boys and a girl, and they lived at 11 Shakespeare Road, Romford, Essex. Joseph was employed as a butcher when he enlisted. 711353 Gunner Joe Farrer, age 27. Grave Special Memorial B.3. Son of Joseph and Alice Farrer. He was married to Elizabeth and they lived at 70 Railway Street, Heywood. The 1911 census lists him as working as a Warehouseman at a local mill. 711695 Gunner Albert Higham, age 38. Grave Special Memorial B.2. He was married to Elizabeth and they lived at 8 Earl Street, Warrington with their six children Anne Marie age 17, Albert age 10, the twins May and Elsie age 5, and one year old Thomas. There was another child Lily who was age 3 on the 1911 census but is not mentioned in the Pension records. A pension was paid for four of the children. 711771 Corporal James Alfred Houghton, age 35. Grave Special Memorial B.5. Son of John and Elizabeth Houghton. He was married to Henrietta and they lived with their nine year old son Alfred at Moss Croft, Croft, Warrington. James was working as a builder when he enlisted. 106916 Gunner Thomas Riley, Grave Special Memorial A.1. Son of Emma Riley, 2 Burgess Terrace, Storer Street, Carlton Road, Nottingham. He had a brother, John Alfred, who was serving with the 17th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) and was killed in action on 3 September 1916. He is buried in Knightsbridge Cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsart. Grave D.17.
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 six Boy Soldiers buried at Spoilbank Cemetery. One of the six was 15 years of age when killed. 65709 Private James Arthur Maple, 13th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), 111th Infantry Brigade, 37th Division. Killed in action 9 September 1917, age 17. Grave Special Memorial A.3. One of two sons and five daughters of Stephen and Rose Maple, 10 King Street, Herne Bay, Kent. The War Diary records that the Battalion was in the line near Hollebeke and on the night of 8/9 September the enemy shelled their trenches with Trench Mortars resulting in two men killed and eight wounded. 7667 Private Alfred Austrin, 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, 9th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Division. Killed in action 23 May 1915, age 17. Grave I.C.6. Son of John and Alice Ann Austrin, 78 Mill Road, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. On the 23 May the Battalion was in the line in The Bluff when the Germans shelled their fire and support trenches during the morning and early afternoon resulting in a number of casualties.
15304 Private William ‘Willie’ Armstrong, 8th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), 76th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Division. Killed in action 28 November 1915, age 17. Grave I.D.26. Son of Letitia Long, 32 St. James Street, Milnrow, Rochdale, Lancashire. The Battalion were in the line at the Bluff occupying trenches 32 to 35 with the nearest German trench being 35 yards from the British front line. They recorded casualties for the 28 November of ‘1 killed, 2 wounded (2 shrapnel, 1 grenade).’ 19544 Private Robert H Reeves, 6th Battalion D.C.L.I., 43rd Infantry Brigade, 14th Division. Killed in action 8 October 1915, age 15. Grave I.H.19. One of eight sons and a daughter of Edward and Mary Ann Reeves, 36 Moneyer Street, Hoxton, Shoreditch. Robert was 14 years of age when he enlisted. The Battalion were in the line west of St Eloi and in front of the German trenches the British named as Oar Trench and Oak Trench. The War Diary recording that for most of the time it was quiet and that they working on strengthening the parapet in many places. On the 8 October they reported that the enemy had shelled their trenches but without much damage. No casualties are recorded. 5027 Private Archibald Laird Gardiner, ‘C’ Company 8th Battalion The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), 72nd Infantry Brigade, 24th Division. Killed in action 5 November 1915, age 17. Grave I.J.17. Only son of John and Katie E. F. Gardiner, 177 Greenvale Road, Eltham, London. The Battalion were in trenches 24,25, and 26 and the War Diary records no casualties for the three days that they are in the line noting that: ‘Quiet days – our snipers gained the upper hand easily.’ 1579 Drummer Sydney Mervin Reginald Green, ‘C’ Company 7th Battalion attached 5th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, 14th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division. Killed in action 11 June 1915, age 17. Grave I.G.13. Son of John and Mary Jane Green, 49 Lowerhouse, Bollington, Macclesfield. His brother L/Cpl Charles Harold serving with the Grenadier Guards was killed in action on 14 September 1916. The Battalion were in the line at trenches 27, 27R, 27S, 28, 28R and 28S on the Bluff. On the 11 June 1915, the War Diary simply records: ‘1 man killed, 1 died of wounds received in action & 10 men wounded in trenches near Ypres.’
Location
Spoilbank Cemetery is located 5 Kms south of Ieper town centre, on the Vaartstraat, a road leading from the Rijselseweg (N365) connecting Ieper to Armentieres. From Ieper town centre the Rijselseweg is located via the Rijselsestraat, through the Rijselpoort (Lille Gate) and by crossing the Ieper ring road, towards Armentieres and Lille. The road name then changes to Rijselseweg. 3 Kms along the Rijselseweg lies the left hand turning onto Vaartstraat. The cemetery is located 1.6 Kms along the Vaartstraat on the left hand side of the road.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Burials
The cemetery contains 520 burials and commemorations of the First World War of which 125 of the burials are unidentified and Special Memorials are erected to 10 British and one Australian casualties known or believed to be buried among them.
UK – 426
Australian – 67
Canadian – 16
Special Memorials - 11
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