St Julien Dressing Station Cemetery
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The St Julien Dressing Station Cemetery was begun in September 1917. By March 1918, the cemetery consisted of Plots I, III and part of Plot II, and contained 203 graves, but it was severely damaged by shell fire in the summer of 1918. The cemetery was increased after the Armistice when graves were brought into Plots II and IV from the battlefields surrounding St. Julien.
St. Julien was within the Allied lines from the late autumn of 1914 until April 1915. The Germans used poison gas at Langemarck near to here for the first time on 22 April 1915 against the French positions. The French line broke and this resulted in a gap in the Allied line with the village being held by the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade until a second gas attack two days later. On the 24 April, the Germans planned a two staged operation, one on each side of the Salient with the first being a converging attack against the apex around Locality C with the object of this attack to smash the Canadians and capture St Julien and penetrate into the heart of the Salient so, forcing the British to abandon Ypres. At 4am the Germans released chlorine gas and this was accompanied by T-STOFF, tear gas, shells to thicken the gas cloud and increase the effect. At the apex men of the 15th Battalion, Canadian Infantry, noticed a number of Germans climb out of their trench and they were wearing helmets that looked like a diver’s head gear, and this was accompanied by a hissing sound and a greenish-yellow cloud which began to flow covering an area of the front of some 1200 yards. The gas cloud was moving on the dawn breeze and was aimed at the junction of the Canadian 15th and 8th Battalions and was estimated at 15 feet high and came on quickly across No Man’s Land. The 8th Battalion called for artillery support however, the 15th Battalion could not call on artillery support as the artillery of the 3rd Field Artillery, attached to 3rd Brigade, had been moved to cover a hole in the line from earlier fighting. Lieutenant Herbert Maxwell-Scott, a descendant of Sir Walter Scott, recalled ‘Captain McLaren gave an order to get handkerchiefs, soak them, and tie around our mouths and noses… Even with these precautions it was hopeless to try and stand up against the stuff.’ The Canadians hoped to hold on for as long as they could with many expecting to die and to take as many Germans with them as they could. The cloud enveloped all of 15th Battalions right company and nearly all of the centre company. Coughing and chocking and holding wet handkerchiefs or cotton bandoliers to their faces many of the men were blinded and overcome by the gas and fell to the bottom of the trenches and gasping for air they died a dreadful, agonising death. For ten minutes the right and centre companies endured the chlorine gas and heavy shelling and their task of trying to keep the choking gas out of their lungs and stop the advancing German infantry proved impossible. Learn more about Gas and Chemical Warfare. The Canadians fell back and the village was taken by the Germans. It was recaptured during the Third Battle of Ypres by the 39th Division on 3 August 1917 but passed into German hands again on 27 April 1918. St Julien was finally retaken by the Belgian Army on 28 September.
German Bunker
Located nearby is a German Troop shelter built to provide secure shelter during artillery bombardments. The accommodation bunker at St Julian is a good example of this type. It was built in 1916 for troops holding the Albrecht Stellung and it had four rooms that accommodated up to one hundred men. The interior rooms were lined with sheets of corrugated iron (elephant tin). The bunker was known to the British at Hackney Villa and was used as a troop shelter by the British after it was captured in August 1917. It took a direct hit from German artillery in the same month and flares being stored in a room ignited causing a fire and evacuation of the bunker. The bunker we see today is half the size of the original with much of it removed post WWII.
Airman
Lieutenant Cecil Dutton Darlington. 204 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Killed in action 15 August 1918, age 24. Grave I.F.1. Son of Harry Turley and Lizzie Darlington, 29 Warwick Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Lancashire. Harry died in 1895 and Lizzie remarried William Banks in 1903. She and Cecil, aged 13, emigrated to Canada in April 1907. Cecil returned to the UK and is recorded as living at 35 Hough Green, Chester. He was serving with the Merchant Navy as a Second Mate, his certificate issued on 28 August 1913. He joined the Royal Flying Corps, renamed the Royal Airforce from 1 April 1918, on 8 August 1917. On 15 August his flight took off on a combat patrol flying east of Ypres, Cecil was flying in a Sopwith Camel D-9630 when he was shot down over St Julien in a dogfight with 12 enemy scouts and was buried here by the Germans. He was one of four from 204 Squadron who were casualties that day of the other three, one aircraft was damaged and the pilot landed uninjured, the second landed with the pilot wounded in action, and the third was listed as missing in action and later confirmed as a PoW. Cecil was the final burial in the cemetery. Learn more about the Ypres Salient Airmen
The Sopwith Camel became the most successful British fighter of the First World War. The Sopwith F.1 and 2F.1 Camel first went into operations on the Western Front in 1917 and then served in virtually every theatre of Royal Flying Corps (RFC), Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and Royal Air Force (RAF) service. Several Canadian aces used the Camel as their mount. The Camel was very manoeuvrable, and it could be tricky to fly in the hands of a novice pilot. For experienced pilots, however, the aircraft proved to be a superb fighter. The Camel's machine-guns were mounted on the forward fuselage with their breeches enclosed in a faired metal cowling 'hump' that gave the Camel its name.
Men of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division
The 63rd (Ryal Naval) Division was originally formed as the Royal Naval Division from Royal Navy and Royal Marine Reservists as well as volunteers who were not needed for service at sea. It was formed of eight battalions named after naval commanders, Drake, Benbow, Hawke, Collingwood, Nelson, Howe, Hood and Anson, later being numbered from 1st to 8th. The division fought at Antwerp in 1914 and at Gallipoli in 1915. In 1916 the division was transferred to the British Army as the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division, re-using the number from the disbanded second-line 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division Territorial Force. During the Second Battle of Passchendaele (26 October – 10 November 1917), the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division involvement is defined by two primary actions:
26 October: Supporting the Canadian Corps, the 188th Brigade initially captured Varlet Farm and Banff House. However, heavy resistance near Wallemolen forced troops to dig in, and by nightfall, they had to withdraw slightly to reform their line at Berks House.
30 October: The division suffered significantly after being caught by German artillery before the attack even began. Struggling through deep mud and machine-gun fire, they failed to link up with Canadian forces. While some troops eventually captured Source Trench, they were primarily limited to reinforcing outposts and holding defensive positions at Source and Vapour Farms.
The 63rd Division had 3,126 casualties from 26–31 October. The division was able to close up to the Paddebeek by attacking at night from 1/2–4/5 November, a method which took more ground than its attacks in October, for a loss of 14 killed and 148 wounded
There are thirteen men from the Royal Naval Division buried here. I have selected the following:
Nelson Battalion, 189th Infantry Brigade
Three killed on 30 October 1917 - On the 30 October ‘B’ Company were being employed as stretcher bearers for 190th Brigade, and ‘A’ and ‘D’ Company had moved up into support in front of Albatross Farm. ‘C’ Company was in Moosetrap Trench. The War Diary records Battalion casualties as ‘16 ORs wounded.’
Z/96 Leading Seaman Thomas William Dixon, age 22. Grave III.B.26. Son of Mary Jane Dixon, 4 Forth Terrace, Forth Banks, Newcastle. He was employed as a machine man before he enlisted in the Royal Navy on 11 September 1914 and joined the Nelson Battalion on 2 November 1914. He served in the Gallipoli campaign being hospitalised with enteric fever on 4 November 1915 and was transferred to hospital in Haslar, Portsmouth on 8 December 1915 and was discharged from there on 18 January 1916. He spent time with various reserve Battalions before eventually being transferred from the 4th Reserve Battalion to Nelson Battalion as part of a draft on 27 February 1917. When at Etaples Base he reported sick and was diagnosed with ‘ICT of the right hand’, inflammation of connective tissue, and transferred to England on 13 April 1917, and rejoined the Battalion on 14 July 1917.
R/3276 Able Seaman John Greenhalgh, age 20. Grave III.B.3. Son of Jane Greenhalgh, 3 Broad Oak Terrace, Jericho, Bury, Lancashire. He had enlisted in the 2/7th Welsh Cyclist Battalion on 30 August 1916 before he was discharged for reenlistment in the Royal Naval Division on 15 June 1917 and joined the 4th Reserve Battalion and was then taken on the strength of the Nelson Battalion from the Base Training Depot at Calais on 28 August 1917. He was transferred to a field ambulance with a wound to his left buttock on 8 September and rejoined the Battalion on 4 October. Z/1977 Able Seaman Andrew McFarlane, age 21. Grave III.B.25. Son of John McFarlane, 16 Crawford Street, Glasgow. He was an apprentice boiler maker when he enlisted in the Royal Navy on 4 November 1914. He saw service with the Collingwood
Battalion in the Gallipoli campaign and was reported missing on 16 July 1915 later corrected to wounded in action with a shrapnel wound to the left shoulder. On being discharged from hospital he was transferred to the Nelson Battalion on 13 October. He was transferred to hospital in Cairo on 24 January 1916 with ‘Nervous disability and bronchitis’ and was then discharged to a rest camp in Cairo on 10 February 1916. He then rejoined the Battalion on 17 February. Now in France with the Battalion he was admitted to the 26th Base Hospital at Etaples with a ‘Gun Shot Wound to the shoulder’ on 11 September 1916 and was discharged on 12 December where after some home leave he rejoined the Battalion on 23 December 1916. He went into hospital again on 20 January and rejoined the Battalion on 8 February 1917.
Drake Battalion, 189th Brigade
On the 31 October 1917, the Battalion moved forward to Cheddar Villa and Irish Farm in support of Hawke and Nelson Battalions. The War Diary recording the casualties during the move of ‘Killed 3 ORs, wounded 8 OR, Missing 1 OR.’
Z/269 Able Seaman Gwynfor Jones, Killed in action 31 October 1917, age 19. Grave III.B.30. Son of Isaac and Mary Jones, Victoria Road, Waunarlwydd, Swansea. He was employed as a Collier when he enlisted on 2 February 1915. He joined the Drake Battalion as a part of a draft on 3 June 1915. He saw service in the Gallipoli campaign and was admitted to hospital in Malta on 24 October 1915 with Nephritis, kidney disease, and was discharged and rejoined the Battalion on 2 December 1915. He landed in France, at Marseilles, on 20 May 1916. His correct date of birth was established as 30 April 1898 and he was taken from the Battalion and retained at the Base Depot in Etaples for training and then transferred to Blandford Camp in England on 17 October 1916 and was kept here until he reached 19 years of age. He was drafted to Drake Battalion on 18 May 1917. He was originally posted as missing and this was later amended to died of wounds. Also killed in this action was Able Seaman James Kerr from Camelon, Falkirk District. He is listed on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Howe Battalion, 188th Infantry Brigade – two killed in action on 30 November 1917
The Battalion was in a tented camp at Reigersburg and were providing working parties for the Royal Engineers of 32nd Division, 206th and 219th Field Company’s. They were carrying duckboards. On the 30 November, a shell burst in the camp killing one man and wounding another.
R/2315 Able Seaman Matthew Connolly, age 20. Grave II.K.29. His sister Nell Connolly, 77 Gray Street, Bootle, Liverpool, was his next of kin. She was unmarried. He had enlisted and spent nine months in the 2/1 Lancashire Hussars before he was transferred to the RND and joined the 2nd Reserve Battalion on 16 June 1917 and was drafted to the Howe Battalion on 4 July 1917. R/2361 Able Seaman John Reginald Brown, age 28. Grave II.K.30. He was married to Evelyn and they lived at 152 Chamberlain Street, St Helens. He served for eight years, joining on 12 March 1909, in the 2/1 Lancashire Hussars Territorial Battalion and was mobilised with them on 5 August 1914. He was discharged from the Lancashire Hussars on 18 March 1916 under Paragraph 392 (XXI) King’s Regulations, and he then reenlisted in the 2/1 Lancashire Hussars on 1 August 1916 serving with them before being taken on the strength of the 2nd Reserve Battalion and drafted to the Howe Battalion on 16 June 1917.
Royal Scots
There are twelve men from various Battalions buried here. Three selected from the 17th Battalion, 106th Infantry Brigade, 35th Division. This was a Bantam Battalion.
Recruitment - Bantam Battalions
The War Office attempted to assert some form of control over the recruiting process by implementing new height requirements for those enlisting. The limit had previously been 5ft 3in on 8 August and this was raised to 5ft 6in. The age limit was also raised from nineteen to thirty years to a new upper limit of thirty five years. This change resulted in 10,000 men being rejected on arrival at their units and it is clear this had an effect on recruitment. In October, the War Office lowered the height limit to 5ft 4in and further extended the age limit to thirty-eight years, and for former soldiers to forty-five years. In November, they dropped the height again this time to 5ft 3in and in July 1915 to 5ft 2in and extended the age limit to forty years. The first Bantam battalions began to appear in November 1914, one of which was the 17th Battalion, Royal Scots which was also one of the seven ’Pals’ Battalions recruited in Scotland.
41067 Private William Turner. Killed in action 27 January 1918, age 25. Grave II.H.1. One of three sons and five daughters of William and Lucy Turner, 8 Wellington Street, Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent. He was married to Ada and they lived at 26 Taylor Street, Hanley. They did not have any children. The 1911 census shows William, then aged 18, employed as an assistant grocer. He enlisted in his home town. The Battalion was in the line near Poelcappelle with two companies in the front line, one in support at Burns House, and one in reserve at Winchester Farm with Battalion HQ in Hubner Farm. On the 27 January Battalion casualties were one Other Rank gassed and one was killed. 27352 L/Cpl Andrew Walker. Killed in action 5 February 1918, age 22. Grave II.G.2. Son of Andrew and Ellen Walker, 98 Princes Street, Dundee. They also had two other sons and a daughter. He was employed as a Labourer when he enlisted in Dundee on 23 October 1915 and joined the Battalion. On 17 March 1917 he was attached to the IV Corps Railway works and then rejoined his Battalion for duty on 19 May. He was then attached to the III Corps Railway Company on 25 June and then went on leave from 29 June to 9 July before rejoining his Battalion. On the 5 February 1918, the Battalion was in the line and occupied the same positions as 27 January. Battalion casualties were One Other Rank killed and One wounded. 30698 Private Thomas Allan Hall. Killed in action 6 February 1918, age 23. Grave II.G.1. Son of Catherine and the late William Hall, 10 High Street, Edinburgh. The Battalion was in the line and occupied the same positions. The casualties for 6 February were one Other Rank killed and five wounded.
Northumberland Fusiliers
Three men from the 17th Battalion (N.E.R. Pioneers), 52nd Division, were killed in action on 25 October 1917. The 17th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, known as the North Eastern Railway (N.E.R.) Pioneers, was formed in Hull in September 1914 by the railway company. As a Pals Battalion, it was the only Pals Battalion to be raised by a single company, it became a specialized pioneer unit in January 1915, serving on the Western Front with the 32nd Division and later the 52nd (Lowland) Division. During the Third Battle of Ypres the battalion was placed with the 18th Corps Light Railway Advance where they undertook light railway construction following units over the front line. During the battle, the battalion casualties were seven men killed and sixty-two wounded.
17/1057 Private Matthew John Frankland, age 31 Grave I.D.3. He was married to Mary and they lived with their three children at 36 Hudson Street, North Shields. Matthew was employed by the North Eastern Railway as a platelayer before he enlisted. He went to France on 20 November 1915. 46827 Private James Galt, age 26, Grave I.D.4. Son of Charles Galt, Beith, Ayrshire. He was married to Marion McLeish (formerly Galt, nee Dobie), 6 Janefield Place, Beith, Ayrshire. James was aged 17 and employed as a chairmaker when he enlisted in the 4th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers Territorial Battalion on 1 April 1908. He signed on for one year service at the end of each current term until 31 March 1912. 57533 Private G W Goldsbrough, age 19, Grave I.D.6. Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Goldsbrough, 76 Kildare Street, Middlesbrough.
Location
St. Julien Dressing Station Cemetery is located 6 Kms from Ieper town centre on the Felix Nadarstraat, a road leading from the Brugseweg (N313), connecting Ieper to Brugge.
Two streets connect Ieper town centre onto the Brugseweg; Torhoutstraat leads from the market square onto the Kalfvaartstraat. At the end of Kalfvaartstraat is a large junction on which Brugseweg is the first right hand turning. 5 Kms along the Brugseweg, just before the village of St. Juliaan, lies the right hand turning onto Felix Nadarstraat. The cemetery itself lies immediately after this right hand turning on the left hand side of the road. The Canadian Memorial at Vancouver Crossroads is about 1.2 Kms north of the village, on the road to Poelcappelle.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.
Burials
There are 420 First World War servicemen buried or commemorated in this cemetery of which 180 of the burials are unidentified, but there are special memorials to 11 casualties known or believed to be buried among them.
UK – 290
Australian – 10
New Zealand – 3
Canadian – 15
New Foundland – 1
South African – 3
Unidentified – 87
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