The cemetery stands behind a farm-house that was called Bus House by the troops after an estaminet and then after a London Omnibus that had broken down here when taking troops to the front line during First Ypres in late October and November 1914. The cemetery was begun at the start of the Battle of Messines in June 1917 and was used until the end of Third Ypres in November 1917. One grave from January 1915, 4773 Rifleman Frank Williams, 4th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps, Grave I.3 was brought in during the war, and four more were added in April 1918.
The village of St Eloi is some 200m to the west of the cemetery, and saw some of the bitterest fighting of the war. It was a strategic position at the junction of the Ypres to Messines and Voormezeele to Warneton roads and the village is 4 miles Kemmel. The village sits at the top of a gentle rise. Dominating the battlefield was ‘The Mound’, described by Billy Congreve in his diary as: ‘..a mound of material for making bricks and is about twenty-five or thirty-five feet high. Behind it are two small stacks of bricks, into which the Germans have built a machine-gun.’ This was fought over until mined out of existence. On 7 June 1917, following the massive mine explosion at 3:10am the 4th Division attacked from Bus House to take their objective of the German front line trench and the second line at the Dammstrasse. They were supported by two tanks. https://www.theypressalient.com/post/st-eloi-mine
On 28 September 1918 during the advance to victory, Sergeant Louis McGuffie, 1/5th Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers, 103rd Brigade, 34th Division, won a VC at Piccadilly Farm when he single handedly entered several German dugouts capturing large numbers of German prisoners. He was to be killed by a shell on 4 October 1918, age 24 and is buried in Zandvoorde British Cemetery Grave I.D.12. https://www.theypressalient.com/post/zantvoorde-british-cemetery
London Omnibus
The British used 300 B-Type London buses to transport troops in France and Flanders in 1914. The bus that broke down at St Eloi was carrying troops of the 1/14th (London Scottish), a Territorial battalion, to the fighting at nearby Wijtschate. The London Scottish where the first full Territorial battalion in action during the war. The spot is mentioned by H.S. Clapham in his memoirs Mud and Khaki. On the 4 April 1915 he wrote of their march through Voormezeele and on the road to St Eloi: 'Suddenly out of the darkness in front there loomed up the spectre of a London bus, broken and derelict, but still standing at the side of the road '. His battalion used the support trench which started by the bus, known as 'Bus House’ trench, which he described as ‘..really a well-made trench'.
On 12 April 1915, Billy Congreve wrote of a visit he made to the trenches occupied by the 1/10th Liverpool Scottish at St Eloi: ‘I went up to Q1 last night with Wavell… We went up from Voormezeele to Bus House along the road. The most ‘bullety’ part of this bit is just as you come up the little rise from the stream towards the Bus House. From Bus House we cut across to Q3, which is more of a trench than a breastwork. In it were the Liverpool Scottish.’
Australian Dead
There are eleven Australian, although the Commonwealth War Graves Commission only list ten, dead buried here with eight from the 11th Field Artillery Brigade, Australian Field Artillery, one of the eight served under an alias. There is one from the 10th Field Artillery Brigade, There is one Sapper, and one served as a Lieutenant winning the MC when serving with the British Royal Field Artillery, however, he is not counted in the Australian dead as he served with the British forces.
Four of the eight were killed when a shell struck their dugout they are: 611 Gunner Arthur West Treu (see alias below for his bio). 1733 Corporal Alexander Cumberland Reid, employed as an Assistant Geological Surveyor in Brisbane before he enlisted. He was killed in action on 3 August 1917, age 21. Grave G.3. 2430 Gunner Kelsey Norman Williams, employed as a Clerk in Rockhampton, Queensland before he enlisted on 10 May 1915. He was killed in action on 3 August 1917, age 26. Grave G.2. 1223 Gunner Phillip Sidney Tatnell, employed as a labourer in Rockhampton, Queensland before he enlisted on 21 August 1915. He emigrated to Australia at some point before the war. He was killed in action on 3 August 1917, Grave G.4 His parents lived in East Ham, London. His two brothers were also killed in action. Y/1049 Rifleman Cecil Tatnell, 4th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, killed in action 8 May 1915, age 19. Listed on the Menin Gate Memorial Panel 53. S/849 L/Cpl Robert Tatnell, 12th Battalion Rifle Brigade, killed in action 20 September 1917, age 25. Buried Cement House Cemetery Grave III.E.1
Three were killed on 22 July and one on 24 July 1917 they are:
6421 Gunner John Kenworthy Ashhurst, employed as a chemist’s assistant in Bridgewater, Adelaide Hills, South Australia before he enlisted on 21 July 1915. He was wounded on 5 May 1917 and rejoined the battery on 25 June and was killed in action on 22 July 1917, age 21. Grave F.18. 1391 Bombardier Robert Edward Birt, Nerang, Gold Coast, Queensland. Killed in action 22 July 1917, age 19. Grave F.20 1727 Walter Carmody, employed as a farm labourer in Kyogle, New South Wales before he enlisted on 27 January 1915. He was killed in action on 22 July 1917, age 23. Grave F.21. 1846 Gunner Peter Carney, employed as a seaman in Brisbane before enlisting on 31 July 1915. He was killed in action on 24 July 1917. Grave F.14
16095 Gunner Ernest Francis Jeffrey, Williamstown, Hobsons Bay, Victoria. Son of Alexander and Hannah Jeffrey, 45 Twyford Street, Williamstown, Victoria. He served with the 10th Field Artillery Brigade, Australian Field Artillery. Died of wounds on 25 July 1917, age 28. Grave G.24.
1234A Sapper Norman Cheetham, employed as a farmer in Merredin, Western Australia before he sought his parents’ permission to enlist on 6 July 1915. He initially served with the 10th Light Horse before transferring to the 3rd Light Horse and then to the 11th Artillery Brigade as a driver. In May 1917 he joined the 4th Division Signal Company, Australian Engineers. He was killed in action on 31 July 1917, age 20. Grave F.10.
Lieutenant Eric Douglas Doyle M.C., ‘A’ Battery, 190th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, 41st Division. He was twice Mentioned in Despatches. He lived with his parents Dr Andrew and Mary Doyle in Toowoomba, Queensland. He left Australia to join the British Army at the outbreak of the war and joined the Royal Artillery were he obtained his commission. He initially went to France but was then transferred to Mesopotamia and was invalided to Bombay and then to England. On recovering he was posted to France and was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry in action when he rescued the wounded and extricated the dead from his battery position on 9 May 1917. He saw action at the Battle of Messines going forward with the infantry on the 7 June as Forward Observation Officer. The Brigade was near Oosthoek when he was killed in action on 29 July 1917, age 23. A shell struck his dugout and he died on the way to the dressing station. Grave G.5 The War Diary recording his death:
Others awarded the Military Cross
In addition to Lieutenant Eric Doyle there are two others buried here who were awarded the MC.
2nd Lieutenant Reginald Sebastian Page-Green MC, ‘D’ Company, 26th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) 124th Infantry Brigade, 41st Division. Son of Rosa Killard-Leavy (formerly Page-Green), Palmer House, Torrington, North Devon, and the late William Page-Green, Goyfield, Felixstowe. He emigrated to Canada and returned after the outbreak of war and was commissioned in September 1915. He led a company attack against the German line but was killed in action on 22 June 1917, age 22. Grave D.8. His MC was awarded posthumously. Also killed in the attack were 2nd Lieutenant Ernest Frederick Adams, age 41, Grave D.19, and 2nd Lieutenant William Henry Hugh Bond, age 25, Grave D.18. The War Diary recorded that they were all the company officers of ‘D’ Company.
2nd Lieutenant Charles Parker Webb MC, 3rd Battalion attached 11th Battalion Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), 122nd Infantry Brigade, 41st Division. Killed in action 23 July 1917, age 36. Grave E.8. He was the son of Elizabeth C.M. Webb, 6 Blenheim Road, South Croydon, and the late George Parker Webb. His MC was in the London Gazette of 25 August 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He set a fine example by his disregard of danger during an advance, on two occasions repulsing and bombing hostile bombing parties.’
Military Medal holders
C/8064 Sergeant Wilfred Hammond, 18th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 122nd Infantry Brigade, 41st Division. Killed in action 7 June 1917, age 19. Grave A.9. son of George and Sarah Hammond, 8 Newnham Street, Bedford. The battalion was in support during the attack on Messines Ridge on 7 June 1917, the British blowing nineteen mines at 3:10am in a prelude to their attack. The largest man-made explosion at that time was the mine blown at St Eloi. The battalion advancing in support from St Eloi to Dammstrasse and the German second line at Oar Reserve Trench. 42538 Private A. Hill, ‘D’ Company, 26th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) 124th Infantry Brigade, 41st Division. Killed in the attack against the German line on 22 June 1917. Grave D.17. 2302 Private Francis Edgar Gibbs, 23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, 123rd Infantry Brigade, 41st Division. Killed in action 25 June 1917, age 20. Grave C.14. The War Diary recording that they had been subjected to heavy enemy shelling with 7 OR killed.
Aliases
24268 L/Cpl Hiseman Tyler served under the alias A.W. Hiseman, 10th Battalion Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), 123rd Infantry Brigade, 41st Division. Killed in action 7 June 1917, age 27. Grave C.18. The battalion took part in the advance following the mine explosions on 7 June capturing the Dammstrasse and consolidating their line on the German Oar Reserve Trench.
611 Gunner Arthur West Treu was employed as a painter when he enlisted underage on 4 December 1914, in the 11th Field Artillery Brigade, Australian Field Artillery and served under the alias Arthur William Black. He was killed in action on 3 August 1917, age 23. Grave G.1 He was the son of Frank and Catherine Treu, Lochinvar, New South Wales. His epitaph reads: FAREWELL DEAR SON SWEET THOUGHTS OF YOU WE KEEP. His older brother 2880 Sergeant Alexander Treu, employed as a wool presser, before he enlisted on 24 June 1915 in the 2nd Australian Infantry Battalion. He was wounded on 4 October 1917, shrapnel to the abdomen, and died of his wounds at No.53 General Hospital, Boulogne, on 10 November 1917. He is buried in Wimereux Communal Cemetery, Plot VI, Grave G.19A.
Two Drummers
There are two drummers from the 7th Battalion London Regiment, 140th Infantry Brigade, 47th Division, who were killed in action on 9 July 1917. 354345 Drummer William James Victor Barnes, HQ Company, age 21. Grave F.7. Son of Victor James and Alice Louise Barnes, 56 Third Avenue, Queens Park, London. 351092 Drummer William Henry James Jiggins, age 19. Grave F.8. Son of William and Harriet Martha Jiggins, 38 Findhorn Street, Brunswick Road, Poplar, London. The German artillery hit a shelter were eight drummers were sheltering in the trench. The War Diary recording that two subsequently died of their wounds.
Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects
DM2/206865 Driver Edward Leslie Wright, 594th Mechanical Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps attached to X Corps Heavy Artillery. Died of wounds on 3 July 1917, age 35. Grave G.14. Son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Wright, Nottingham. Husband of Ethel May Wright, The Cedars, Tillington, Stafford.
The cemetery was designed by W H Cowlishaw.
Cemetery location
Bus House Cemetery is located 4 km south of Ieper town centre, on the Sint-Elooisweg, a road leading from the Rijselseweg (The road to Armentieres N365). From Ieper town centre the Rijselstraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg. 4 km along the Rijselseweg, the road forks and branching immediately from the right hand fork is the Sint-Elooisweg (In effect two immediate right hand turnings). The cemetery lies 500 metres along the Sint-Elooisweg on the left hand side of the road towards Voormezele.
Burials:
UK – 190
Australian - 10
Canadian – 2
New Zealand - 1
British West Indies – 1
Known Unto God - 12
There are 79 burials here from WWII, nine of them unidentified. There are also two French war graves within the cemetery. The British dead from WWII are from the battle on the Ypres – Comines canal that covered the retreat to Dunkirk in May 1940, and they were originally buried in plots were they had died. They were brought to Bus House Cemetery in 1941. One of the 1940 dead is Stanley Miller , a gunner in the Royal Scots Fusiliers, who was 17 years old when he was killed on 10 May 1940.
Comments