Brandhoek Military Cemetery
- Admin
- Mar 14, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 24
This is one of three cemeteries in the hamlet of Brandhoek. This cemetery was begun in May 1915 and used until July 1917 when it became full. The hamlet of Brandhoek was considered to be in a safe area behind the lines and out of range of German artillery. It was a centre for supply camps, hospitals and the three cemeteries located in the hamlet.
Cemetery Location
All three cemeteries at Brandhoek lie to the west of Vlamertinghe and are on the new road between Poperinge and Ieper. They are visible from the road.
Commander 3rd Guards Brigade
Brigadier General Frederick James Heyworth, Scots Guards, Commanding 3rd Guards Brigade, Age 53, Killed by a sniper on 9 May 1916 at Mud Lane, Bellewaarde Ridge, when he had gone to inspect a mine crater blown by the Germans during the night. The War Diary records:
The epitaph on his headstone is something of a mystery ‘DJENAN’ is an Arabic name for both a person and a place. It was chosen by his wife, Violet, the widow of James Hatfield-Harter, who he had married in 1913. Frederick Heyworth served in the Sudan in the 1880s, at the start of his military career, perhaps the name became associated with him then. Djenan was also a character in French author Pierre Loti's popular 1906 novel, 'Les Desenchantees', the disenchanted or disillusioned. The word means 'well-beloved'. Perhaps it was that.
Airmen buried here
There a number of British and Commonwealth airmen buried here. At Grave II.F.3 is 7367 Air Mechanic 2nd Class Frederick Henry Edward Brand, age 18, died of wounds on 13 June 1916 when serving with 16 Squadron. There are two 'Balloonatics' Grave I.L.1 Lieutenant Thomas Farquhar Lucas and Grave I.L.2 Captain Edward Artur Wickson.
A pilot, Lieutenant Duncan Mathieson Goodyear, 57 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Killed in action 29 June 1917, age 24. Grave I.D.14. One of three sons of Arthur James Goodyear (bank clerk) and his wife Lizzie Mabel née Harding of Gravesend, Kent. On leaving school in 1910, Duncan went to work with the London City and Westminster Bank in their Lombard Street branch before later transferring to Chatham. He volunteered in May 1915, serving first with the Royal Naval Division. He later transferred to the RFC and trained as a pilot. He joined 57 Squadron and in May 1917 the squadron were equipped with Airco DH4s and had their role changed from a fighter squadron to long-range bomber reconnaissance. They commenced their new role on 12 June and moved on the 27th to Boisdinghem. Two days later, Duncan and his observer, 2nd Lieutenant Fairlie Russell Martin age 19, attached 1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, flying in a DH4 registration number A7488, were shot down in the afternoon of 29 June by enemy anti-aircraft fire whilst on photographic reconnaissance. The plane crashed 1,000 yards from the front line and burst into flames. Both Duncan and Fairlie Martin were killed. Martin is buried in New Irish Cemetery, Grave III.H.16. Goodyear's brother Raymond, 6th Battalion attached 13th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, was killed in action on the 24 April 1917, age 22. He is buried in Gouzeaucourt New British Cemetery.
Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Frederick Sargeaunt, Royal Engineers, Died 31 July 1915, age 44. Grave I.D.20. Son of Colonel Richard Arthur Sargeaunt (Royal Engineers, Retired) and Emily Alberta Sargeaunt, Westridge, Aspley Guise, Beds. He joined the Royal Engineers in 1901 and he married Claire Marguerite Sargeaunt in Edinburgh on 9 May 1906 while he was stationed there and they lived with their two children at, "The Elms," Headley, Bordon, Hants. He took command as Commander Royal Engineers, 14th Division on 12 July 1915. The War Diary of 31 July records that: '1pm Lt Col A F Sargeaunt killed by shell near ZILLEBEKE. Major J P Machesy RE assumed duties of CRE'
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Conyers, 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers, attached 1st Battalion Leinster Regiment, Died 12 May 1915, age 46. Grave I.C.21. He was the third son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Conyers. He was married to Minnie Dorothea Conyers, Nantinan, Ballingrane, County Limerick. She was a novelist, the author of 54 romantic novels that mostly featured horses and hunting. He had served in the South African war. He was a Major serving with the Royal Irish Fusiliers on the outbreak of the war and he took command of the 1st Battalion Leinster Regiment on 29 April 1915 succeeding Colonel Charles Bertie Prowse who was to be killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. His son, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Graham Arthur John Conyers, Royal Artillery, won a Military Cross in 1917.
The 1st Battalion Leinsters were in the line at Sanctuary Wood on 10 May with the War Diary recording that the Germans had mounted an attack on the Camerons positions to the left of the Battalion and broken into the trench as far as the support trench. The Camerons and Royal Scots counterattacked and retook the support trench however they had lost the fire trench and the Leinsters were ordered to counter attack at 11pm. ‘C’ Company regained the lost trench however, they had to withdraw due to enfilade machine gun fire and it was during this attack that Charles Conyers was mortally wounded. The Battalion went on to mount a further attack and regained the lost trench but had to withdraw due to enemy shelling and lack of cover. His epitaph ‘IN PROUD MEMORY KILLED WHILE LEADING A CHARGE OF THE 2ND LEINSTERS GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN’ is misleading. He was killed in the melee and confusion of attack and counter attack and Charles was amongst the heavy casualties suffered by the Leinsters that day.
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 underage 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 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 I recommend Richard Van Emden’s excellent book Boy Soldiers of the Great War.
There are two Boy soldiers buried here
78467 Gunner Charles William Jenkins, 6th Battery, 40th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, 3rd Division. Died 7 June 1916, age 15. Grave I.J.4A. Son of Hannah and James Worthy (step-father), Strides Cottages, Mill Lane, Nursling, Southampton. On the 3 June 1916, the Brigade moved into action to cover the GHQ line and firing in the area of Sanctuary Wood/Armagh Wood. The War Diary records on 3 June that the 6th Battery had been shelled out of their position once that day and on the 6 June records that ‘one man killed and one wounded’ in the 6th Battery. 22693 Gunner Edward Herbert William Brown, ‘B’ Battery, 76th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 6 April 1916, age 17. Grave II.A.11. Son of Herbert and Clara Brown, of Wood Green, Middlesex. The War Diary does not list any casualties however, it does mention that on 5 April the Germans fired on the British lines in retaliation for British fire on the German lines.
FALKIRK MEN BURIED HERE
Bainsford
24925 Pte Robert Cousland
10th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Age 19
24.6.17
I.K.39
Denny & Dunipace
4/5th Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Age 31 4/5th
9.7.17
I.M.6
Husband of Mary Ann Fergus, 140 Stirling Street, Denny
Grangemouth
8th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders
8.7.17
II.M.17
Burials at Brandhoek Military Cemetery
UK – 601
Australian – 4
Canadian – 63
Bermuda – 2
German - 2
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