The cemetery was named after the farm opposite and the cemetery is a very good example of a regimental cemetery, many similar cemeteries were made during 1914 and 1915. See the nearby Calvaire (Essex) Military Cemetery, Tancrez Farm Military Cemetery, Le Touquet (Railway) Crossing Cemetery, and Motor Car Corner Cemetery. The order of the burials gives you a good insight into the dates each regiment was in the line in the area. The cemetery was begun in July 1915 by the 9th Essex and 7th Suffolk Regiments (Rows A to C), carried on by the 9th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and the 11th Lancashire Fusiliers (Rows D to J), and the 9th (Scottish) Division (Rows J to Q). Apart from a small number of later burials, the cemetery was completed by service battalions of the Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) and The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) in May and June 1916. It was in German hands from 10 April to 29 September 1918.
I have taken a small sample from the various regiments, of the men who are buried here. They are listed in day/month/year of death.
Captain William John Hurstwaite Leete, 11th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, 74th Infantry Brigade, 25th Division. Killed in action 21 January 1916, age 29. Grave J.1. The only son of William Chambers Leete (Town Clerk of the Royal Borough of Kensington), of La Haye, Cholsey, Wallingford, Berks. He was educated at Berkhamsted School and Cambridge University. He was employed by the Asiatic Petroleum Company in China, in China he joined the Freemasons, Doric Lodge in Chinkiang. He returned to England in June 1914 and on the outbreak of the war joined the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and joined the Battalion and was promoted to Captain in December 1915. The Battalion was in the line in front of Le Bizet between Le Touquet and the River Warnave occupying trenches 95 to 102 and Monmouth House Fort. William was leading his company as a working party repairing the parapet to the left of Monmouth House. The War Diary records that a bullet went through the top layer of sandbags and hit William in the lung. He died of his wound at 5am.
2nd Lieutenant Arthur Aitken Easton, Mentioned in Despatches, 10th Battalion Highland Light Infantry, 28th Infantry Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. Killed in action 2 March 1916, age 22. Grave K.1. He was the youngest son of Thomas Joseph Easton and Helen Aitken Easton, 38 Albert Drive, Pollokshields, Glasgow. The Battalion were in the trenches east of Le Bizet between Le Touquet and the River Warnave. On the night of the 1/2 March they sent out patrols from trenches 101-99-95 to inspect the German wire. The Germans discovered two of the patrols and fired on them. Arthur and three Other Ranks were killed.
9588 Private Thomas Cook, 9th Northumberland Fusiliers attached 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company, Canadian Engineers. Killed in action 24 April 1916, although the War Diary records his death as 26 April. Grave P.1. Husband of A. McNeal (formerly Cook), 28 Third Street, South Moor, Stanley, County Durham. The Canadian Engineers were engaged in mine activity at Trench 88 located between Le Touquet and the River Warnave. The Germans heavily shelled trench 88 entombing the tunnelling party the party being liberated on 27 April after 18 hours underground with no casualties. The War Diary records that Thomas was killed by a sniper on 26 April at Trench 88.
2nd Lieutenant George Fraser Leitch, 9th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles),
Killed in action 26 April 1916, age 23. Grave P.7. Son of John and Agnes A. Leitch, of ‘Keirbank,’ 53 Corrour Road., Newlands, Glasgow. Native of Inverness. The War Diary records that the enemy shelled Le Touquet at 5.30pm for one hour and again at 7.30pm to 8.30pm however, they do not record any casualties. It may be that George was killed during this shelling.
5941 Private Peter Gardiner, 10th Battalion Highland Light Infantry, 28th Infantry Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. Killed in action 3 May 1916, age 20. Grave Q.7. Son of Thomas and Catherine Gardiner, 18 Kennet Village, Alloa. On the 13 May 1916 the 10th and 1tth Battalions amalgamated to form the 10/11th Battalion and joined the 15th (Scottish) Division. Alloa. The 10th Battalion was in the line in front of Le Bizet in April 1916. The War Diary records that the Battalion had three men wounded on 28 April while in the trenches. Peter died of his wounds.
Communal Grave
There is a communal grave containing twelve men from the 9th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, 74th Infantry Brigade, 25th Division. They were killed in action on 2 December 1915, Grave H5. They were in trench 99 between Le Touquet and the River Warnave and at 6.20pm the Germans blew a mine underneath the trench resulting in 14 men being buried beneath the debris, 16 wounded, 10 of whom were treated for slight wounds and shock. Also buried in this plot is 14459 Private William Duty. He was working as a warehouse man in a cotton factory when he enlisted, aged 19, on 10 September 1914. He lived at home with this mother, a widow, and his two younger brothers at 38 Argo Street, Bolton. He went to France on 25 September 1915. The War Diary records that on 25 December 1915 two men were killed and seven wounded, two accidentally. His death is recorded in his army records as dying from accidental wounds on 29 December 1915.
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 uncelebrated. 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.
9191 Private Christopher Mantel Wren, 7th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, 35th Infantry Brigade, 12th Division. Killed in action 2 August 1915, age 17. Grave A.5. Son of Walter and Maude Mary Wren, 139 Clapham Road, Lowestoft. On the night of the 1 December a bombing (grenade) party went out to attack the German trench in front of trench 111 located just north of Le Touquet Railway Crossing. A bomb being carried by one of the party accidentally exploded killing one and wounding two with the officer in charge, Lieutenant Sorley, narrowly escaping. 21041 Private Stephen William Thompson, 10th Battalion Highland Light Infantry, 28th Infantry Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. Killed in action 30 April 1916, age 17. Grave Q.10. Son of Mrs. Ethel Windmill, 11 Arundel Road, Newbold, Chesterfield. The Battalion was in the line in front of Le Bizet and on the night of the 29/30 April they were subjected to heavy enemy shell fire with one man killed.
The cemetery was designed by G H Goldsmith.
Cemetery Location
Gunners Farm Military Cemetery is located 16 km from Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the N365, connecting Ieper to Wijtschate, Ploegsteert and on to Armentieres. From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat 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. 2 km after passing through the village of Ploegsteert lies the left hand turning onto Witteweg (Chemin de la Blanche). The cemetery lies 1km along the Witteweg on the left-hand side of the road
Burials
There are now 175 British & Commonwealth and 4 German First World War burials in the cemetery.
UK – 163
Australian – 2
New Zealand – 1
South African – 9
German - 4
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