Ferme Olivier Cemetery

The cemetery was used from 9 June 1915 to 5 August 1917 for burials from the nearby Dressing Stations located at Elverdinghe (now Elverdinge) Chateau. The 62nd, 16th, 9th, 11th, 129th and 130th Field Ambulances had dressing stations close by. Throughout this period, the village, not the cemetery at Ferme Olivier, was just within range of the German artillery.

Ferme Olivier Cemetery. Authors image

Two collective graves in Plot 2, Row E, contain the remains of 41 men of the 3rd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment, 49th West Riding Division Pioneers, killed on parade on 29 December 1915 by a single shell fired from a naval gun in Houthulst Forest. The graves in Plot 3 run in order of date of death and show the successive occupations of Elverdinghe Chateau by the 38th (Welsh) Division, the Guards Division, and by units of the Royal Artillery.

Plot 2, 41 men of the 3rd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment, 49th West Riding Division Pioneers Authors image

British Airmen Buried Here

German Airmen Buried Here

Son of an MP Buried Here

Direct hit on their dugout

Major Brinley Richard Lewis, Commanding Officer, ‘B’ Battery, 122nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Killed 2 April 1917, age 26. Grave III.C.1. Son of David and Margaret Lewis, Tanyrallt, Pontardawe, South Wales. His parents owned the Glantawe iron works in Pontardawe. He played rugby for Wales, Newport and Cambridge University teams. He was working as an article clerk in Swansea in 1914 when he joined the Glamorgan Yeomanry in October 1914. He then joined the 38th Welsh Division and went with the division to France on Christmas Day 1915. He fought on the Somme and at Ypres. He was appointed Commanding Officer of ‘B’ Battery. While eating breakfast with 2nd Lieutenant David Alexander Carnegie, they were both killed instantaneously when a shell landed on the dugout. 2nd Lieutenant David Alexander Carnegie, ‘B’ Battery, 122nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.  Killed 2 April 1917, age 20. Grave III.C.II. He was the son of MP Colonel the Hon. Douglas Carnegie.

Shot at Dawn

There are two men buried here

8139 Private George Watkins, Plot 3, Row C, Grave 12. 13th (2nd Rhondda Pals) Welsh Regiment, 114th Brigade, 38th Welsh Division. He was a reservist, originally enlisted in 1904, who was recalled to the colours at the outbreak of war. He was twice wounded in 1915. He deserted in the Salient in December 1916 and was caught in March 1917. At his court martial he pleaded family troubles had caused him to absent himself. Despite his length of service and unblemished record he was executed in May 1917.

23726 Private Robert Hope, Age 23, Plot 3, Row G, Grave 12. Husband of Mrs. Hope, of 9 Moehans Row, Waterside, Londonderry. He enlisted as Hepple, which is the name on his headstone, ‘D’ Company, 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 87th Brigade, 29th Division. He had seen service at Gallipoli only a few weeks before the battalion was evacuated in December 1915 during the Allied withdrawal. He deserted near Arras in 1917 and was court martialled when his battalion moved to the Salient. He was executed on 5 July 1917.

Epitaph - OF WATERSIDE, DERRY

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

Cemetery Location

Ferme-Olivier Cemetery is located 7 kilometres northwest of Ieper town centre on the Steentjesmolenstraat, N333, a road leading from the N8 Veurnseweg connecting Ieper to Elverdinge and on to Veurne. From Ieper town centre the Veurnseweg (N8) is reached via Elverdingsestraat, then turning right onto Haiglaan. Veurnseweg is a continuation of Haiglaan. On reaching the village of Elverdinge the Steentjesmolenstraat, N333, is the second left hand turning. The cemetery lies 1.3 kilometres along the Steentjesmolenstraat on the left-hand side of the road.

Burials

The cemetery contains

UK – 408

German – 3