Flanders … The Next Chapter

UPDATE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

 

 

The object of this tour is to continue to visit as many ‘Prestwich’ names as I can and also to learn from the experts! Although much of my own research will focus on the major sites of the Menin Gate and Tyne Cot cemetery, I do intend to reach many of the smaller and more remote locations … there’s no better way to do this than by bike!

CYCLING THE SALIENT

DAY ONE:

DAY TWO:

 

 

MENIN GATE MEMORIAL

Every night at 8.00pm (20:00 hours) a moving ceremony takes place under the Menin Gate in Ieper (Ypres). The Last Post Ceremony has become part of the daily life there and the local people are proud of this simple but moving tribute to the courage and self-sacrifice of those who fell in defence of their town.

Menin Gate Last Post

* Rifleman Stanley Mowbray DAVENPORT B/3165 – 8th Service Btn, Rifle Brigade Ref: 46-48 & 50

Private James Henry ECKERSLEY 47190 – 19th Service Btn, Manchester Regiment (4th City) Ref: 53 & 55

Sergeant Gilbert FLEMMING 17913 – 25th Company, Machine Gun Corps Ref: 56 

* Private Charles GRUNDY 51170 – Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry, Eastern Ontario Regiment Ref: 10-58

Private Hubert William Charles HAND 357136 – 1/10th Btn, King’s Liverpool Regiment Ref: 4 & 6

Private Edward HUGHES 235340 – 16th Service Btn, Royal Welsh Fusiliers Ref: 22

Rifleman William Benjamin REYNOLDS Z/19 – 1st Btn, Rifle Brigade Ref: 46-48 & 50

Corporal Herbert SHERROCKS 17094 – 7/8th Btn, King’s Own Scottish Borderers Ref: 22

Sergeant Edward A WALSH 2073 – 10th Btn, Canadian Infantry, Alberta Regiment Ref: 24-28-30

 

TYNE COT CEMETERY

The cemetery grounds were assigned to the UK in perpetuity by King Albert I in recognition of the sacrifices made by the British Empire in defence and liberation of Belgium during the war. It is the largest cemetery for Commonwealth forces in the world, for any war. It is located outside the village of Passendale (as in the Battle of Passchendaele!).The name “Tyne Cot” is said to come from the Northumberland Fusiliers seeing a resemblance between German concrete pill boxes, which still stand in the middle of the cemetery, and typical Tyneside workers’ cottages!

 

Flanders Tyne Cot Cemetery

Private George BRADBURN 23614 – 17th Service Btn (1st South East Lancashire), Lancashire Fusiliers Ref: 54-60 & 163A

Private Harold BRITTON 306542 – 1/8th Btn, Lancashire Fusiliers Ref: 54-60 & 163A

Sergeant George Arthur DAWSON 251171 – 21st Service Btn, Manchester Regiment (6th City) Ref: 120-124 & 162-162A-163A

Private Ernest Bruce HALLSWORTH 205165 – 2/5th Btn, Lancashire Fusiliers Ref: 54-60 & 163A

Private Frank HEYWOOD 35142 – 17th Service Btn 154th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) Ref: 154-159 & 163A

Private Edward Matthew HILTON 35090 – 18th Service Btn (2nd South East Lancashire), Lancashire Fusiliers Ref: 54-60 & 163A

Private Albert MATHER 242720 – 2/5th Btn, East Lancashire Regiment Ref: 77-79 & 163A

Private Sydney C PICKFORD 50750 – 85th Company, Labour Corps Ref: 160-162A-163A

 

OTHER SURROUNDING CEMETERIES

As the list below suggests, there are a lot of other Prestwich names in the Ypres area. It will be impossible for me to get through them all on this occasion, without detracting from the tour … I will be back in future to fill in the gaps!

Bombardier James ACKERLEY 36729 – C Battery, 88th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery – MENIN ROAD SOUTH CEMETERYRef: I S 28

Master Staff Sergeant Marsden ATKINSON M/2/021751 – 593rd Mechanical Transport Company, Army Service Corps M.S.M. – YPRES RESERVOIR CEMETERYRef: III E 24

Gunner Leonard Francis BANNISTER 60085 – 131st Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery – VLAMERTINGHE NEW MILITARY CEMETERYRef: V B 1

Rifleman Edgar BENT S/719 – 12th Service Btn, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own) – PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIALRef: 10

Private Norman BRITTON 2731 – 10th Btn, Australian Infantry, Australian Imperial Force – HOOGECRATER CEMETERYRef: V A 12

Private Percy BUCKLEY 18811 – 21st Service Btn, Manchester Regiment (6th City) – GODEWAERSVELDE BRITISH CEMETERYRef: I L 26

Private William BURGESS 85202 – 57th Company, Machine Gun Corps – WESTOUTER CHURCHYARD & EXTENSION – Ref: II D 6

Captain Horace COOMBER – 45th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, Secondary Regiment, 8th (Territorial) Btn, Manchester Regiment – DADIZEELE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY – Ref: VI E 21

Artillery Wood CemeterySergeant Harry COOPE 

R/1128 – 12th Btn, King’s Royal Rifle Corps – 10th September 1917 Age 30

ARTILLERY WOOD CEMETERY – This cemetery was started in 1917 for front line burials and used after the Armistice for reburials from the battlefield 

Ref: III E 20

Private Frederick CROMPTON 302909 – 16th Service Btn, Manchester Regiment (1st City) – PERTH CEMETERY (China Wall)Ref:I J 7

Private John HARRISON 3513 – 2nd Btn, South Lancashire Regiment – BEDFORD HOUSE CEMETERY – Ref: 4X-F 27

Gunner William MALLINSON 61763 – Y 24th Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery – LONDON RIFLE BRIGADE CEMETERYRef: II B 19

Rifleman Albert PORTER A/3021- 3rd Btn, King’s Royal Rifle Corps – DICKEBUSH OLD MILITARY CEMETERYRef: C 11

Private Sydney RICHARDSON 46626 – 12th Service Btn, Manchester Regiment – DOZINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERYRef: XI D 24

Gunner Alan ROLES 136482 – 34th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery – DOZINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERYRef: III F 15

Corporal Richard THWAITE M2/053506 – 41st Division Supply Column, Army Service Corps – MENDINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERYRef: II D 37

 

 

 

 

 

THE PRESTWICH CONNECTION …

George BRADBURN – son William Henry & Martha Bradburn of 25 Milton Road, Prestwich

Harold BRITTON – born in Rainsough, son of William & Elizabeth Britton

Harry COOPE – son of Lot & Mary Coope of 70 Bury Old Road, Kirkhams

Stanley DAVENPORT – son of William & Mary Davenport of Hawthorn Villa, Bury New Road, Prestwich

George DAWSON – son of Thomas William & Emma Dawson

James ECKERSLEY – son of William Henry & Sarah Eckersley of 2 Naseby Place, Prestwich

Gilbert FLEMING – son of Elizabeth & Nicol Burden Fleming. The Crescent, Deyne Avenue, Prestwich

Charles GRUNDY – son of Albert Walker & Mark Grundy of Oak Lodge, Prestwich

Ernest HALLSWORTH – born in Salford, son of Edward & Martha Hallsworth

Hubert HAND – born in Liverpool and enlisted in Manchester

Frank HEYWOOD – son of George Heywood of the Crown Inn, Heaton Park

Matthew HILTON – son of Arthur & Selina Hilton of 1 Barrow Street, Prestwich

Edward HUGHES – son of Henry & Annie Hughes of 87 Albert Avenue, Prestwich

Albert MATHER – son of Arthur & Mary Ellen Mather of Heaton Park

Sydney PICKFORD – husband of Isabelle Pickford of 34 Hilton Crescent , Prestwich

William REYNOLDS – married to Hannah Reynolds of 30 Scholes Walk, Prestwich

Herbert SHERROCKS – son of Samuel & Maria Sherrocks of 34 Longfield

Edward WALSH – son William & Margaret Walsh of Grasmoor, Sheepfoot Lane, Prestwich

 

 

Inspiration for “In Flanders Fields”

During the early days of the Second Battle of Ypres a young Canadian artillery officer, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, was killed on 2nd May, 1915 in the gun positions near Ypres. An exploding German artillery shell landed near him. He was serving in the same Canadian artillery unit as a friend of his, the Canadian military doctor and artillery commander Major John McCrae.

As the brigade doctor, John McCrae was asked to conduct the burial service for Alexis because the chaplain had been called away somewhere else on duty that evening. It is believed that later that evening, after the burial, John began the draft for his now famous poem “In Flanders Fields”.

 

* Not visited / photographed (I intend to return to Ypres to complete)