The Memorial to the Missing dominates the cemetery. It was unveiled on 7 June 1931 by the Duke of Brabant and was designed by H Charlton Bradshaw and sculpted by Sir Gilbert Ledward. There are 11,447 names of the missing listed on the wall panels, most are from the fighting that took place outside the Salient, the Battle of Armentieres in 1914, Aubers Ridge, Loos, and Fromelles in 1915, Estaires in 1916, and Hazebrouck, Scherpenberg and Outersteene Ridge in 1918.
The Memorial takes the form of a circular temple and is 22m in diameter and 12m high, with the names of the missing listed on panels within. There are two large stone lions at the entrance.
Son Of MP Commemorated Here
Shot at Dawn
There are three men listed on the Memorial who were executed in 1914 and 1915 under the terms of the British Army Act and whose graves were subsequently lost. Private Archibald Brown, of the 2nd Essex, 12th Brigade, 4th Division. He was the fourth soldier to be executed in the war and the last in 1914. He had deserted from his battalion in November 1914, and was found guilty of desertion, plundering, and escaping arrest. He was executed on 19 December 1914. Private A Pitts, 2nd Warwickshires, 22nd Brigade, 7th Division. He deserted his battalion near Zonnebeke on 24 October 1914 however, he was arrested in Boulogne on 12 January 1915 and was executed on 8 February 1915. Private Thomas Hope, 2nd Leinsters, 17th Brigade, 6th Division. He deserted his battalion on 23 December 1914 and was arrested disguised as a Military Policeman on 9 February 1915 and executed on 2 March 1915.
Awarded the Victoria Cross
There are four men who are commemorated on the Memorial who were awarded the Victoria Cross.
Sapper W Hackett, 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers. 22 to 23 June at Givenchy. Age 43. Son of the late John and Harriet Hackett, of Nottingham; husband of Alice Flinders (formerly Hackett), of 53, Cross Gate, Mexborough, Rotherham.
An extract from "The London Gazette," dated 4th Aug. 1916, records the following: "For most conspicuous bravery when entombed with four others in a gallery owing to the explosion of an enemy mine. After working for 20 hours, a hole was made through fallen earth and broken timber, and the outside party was met. Sapper Hackett helped three of the men through the hole and could easily have followed, but refused to leave the fourth, who had been seriously injured, saying," I am a tunneller, I must look after the others first." Meantime, the hole was getting smaller, yet he still refused to leave his injured comrade. Finally, the gallery collapsed, and though the rescue party worked desperately for four days the attempt to reach the two men failed. Sapper Hackett well knowing the nature of sliding earth, the chances against him, deliberately gave his life for his comrade".
Captain, later Major, William Henry Johnstone, 59th Field Company, Royal Engineers, 59th Division. 14 September 1914 at Missy. He was killed on 8 June 1915 and is buried at Perth Cemetery (China Wall), Grave III.C.12 Age 34 the son of Mary Johnston, of 36, Cathcart Rd., South Kensington, London, and the late Maj. William Johnston. An extract from the Supplement to "The London Gazette," No. 28985, of 25th Nov. 1914, records the following: "At Missy, on 14th Sept., under a heavy fire all day until 7 p.m., worked with his own hand two rafts bringing back wounded and returning with ammunition; thus, enabling advanced Brigade to maintain its position across the river."
Private James Mackenzie, 2nd Scots Guards, 20th Brigade, 7th Division. 19 December 1914, at Rouges Bancs. Age 27 the son of Mrs. Marion Mackenzie, of 22, Terregles St., Maxwelltown, Dumfries. An extract from "The London Gazette," dated 16th Feb. 1915, records the following: "For conspicuous bravery at Rouges Bancs on the 19th Dec., in rescuing a severely wounded man from in front of the German trenches, under a very heavy fire and after a stretcher-bearer party had been compelled to abandon the attempt. Private Mackenzie was subsequently killed on that day whilst in the performance of a similar act of gallant conduct."
Acting Captain Thomas Tannatt Pryce, 4th Grenadier Guards, Special Reserve, 4th (Guards) Brigade, 31st Division. 11 April 1918, at Vieux Berquin. Age 32 the son of Thomas and Rosalie S. Pryce, of Pentreheylin Hall Mont; husband of Margaret Sybil Pryce, of Craufurd Lodge, Maidenhead, Berks. An extract from "The London Gazette," dated 21st May 1918, records the following-"For most conspicuous bravery, devotion to duty, and self-sacrifice when in command of a flank on the left of the Grenadier Guards. Having been ordered to attack a village he personally led forward two platoons, working from house to house, killing some thirty of the enemy, seven of whom he killed himself. The next day he was occupying a position with some thirty to forty men, the remainder of his company having become casualties. As early as 8.15 a.m., his left flank was surrounded and the enemy was enfilading him. He was attacked no less than four times during the day, and each time beat off the hostile attack, killing many of the enemy. Meanwhile the enemy brought three field guns to within 300 yards of his line, and were firing over open sights and knocking his trench in. At 6.15 p.m., the enemy had worked to within sixty yards of his trench. He then called on his men, telling them to cheer and charge the enemy and fight to the last. Led by Captain Pryce, they left their trench and drove back the enemy with the bayonet some 100 yards. Half an hour later the enemy had again approached in stronger force. By this time Captain Pryce had only 17 men left, and every round of his ammunition had been fired. Determined that there should be no surrender, he once again led his men forward in a bayonet charge and was last seen engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand struggle with overwhelming numbers of the enemy. With some forty men he had held back at least one enemy battalion for over ten hours. His company undoubtedly stopped the advance through the British line, and thus had great influence on the battle."
Memorial Location
The Memorial is located on the Armentieres Road 1km north of the village of Ploegsteert and at the foot of Hill 63, which is 13km south of Ieper. It is opposite what the British named Hyde Park Corner
(Linesman Map)
FALKIRK DISTRICT MEN COMMEMORATED HERE
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Panel 9 & 10
Falkirk
3/5361 Pte James Horn
2nd Battalion
Age 40
21.10.14
178 Pte Neil McCulloch
2nd Battalion
Age 23
10.11.14
3.6880 Pte William McKenzie
2nd Battalion
Age 28
10.11.14
Bainsford
3/6875 Pte Robert Rae
2nd Battalion
Age 19
21.10.14
Bonnybridge
9080 Pte John Reilly
2nd Battalion
10.11.14
Grangemouth
936 Pte Alexander Hendrie
2nd Battalion
Age 20
21.10.14
Laurieston
306 Sgt James Brand
'D' Coy, 2nd Battalion
Age 24 2
10/11/14
Black Watch
Panel 7
Muiravonside
291973 Pte John Turner
7th (Fife) Bttn Territorial
Age 18
DoW 16/10/16
Royal Scots
Panel 1
Falkirk, Bainsford & Camelon
41201 Pte Andrew Bissett
16th Battalion
Age 38
16.4.18
19424 Sgt John Mandie Boyd
16th Battalion
Age 28
10.4.18
352616 Pte James McLellan
16th Battalion
16.4.18
Polmont
48799 Pte John Caldwell
16th Battalion
10.4.18
Bo’ness
40428 William Robb Wallace
'B' Coy, 2nd Battalion
Age 20
12.4.18
Laurieston
19424 Sgt John Boyd (M.M.)
16th Battalion
10/4/1918
Scots Guards
Panel 1
Falkirk, Bainsford & Camelon
6293 Guardsman John Youngson
2nd Battalion
18.12.14
Grangemouth
9440 Guardsman Peter Campbell
2nd Battalion
16.11.14
Royal Scots Fusiliers
Panel 4
Falkirk, Bainsford & Camelon
29931 Pte George McIntyre
1st Battalion
12.4.18
Seaforth Highlanders
Panel 9
Falkirk, Bainsford & Camelon
6899 Pte James Thomas
2nd Battalion
26.10.14
Kings Own Scottish Borders
Panel 5
Falkirk, Bainsford & Camelon
15262 Pts William Waugh
1st Battalion
11.4.18
Grangemouth
41548 Pte William Lapere
1st Battalion
Age 19
11.4.18
Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Panel 5
Carron, Stenhousemuir & Larbert
12532 L/Serg James Young
1st Battalion
Age 21
13.4.18
Gordon Highlanders
Panel 9
Denny & Dunipace
S/22643 Pte James Miller
4th Battalion
Age 18
14.4.18
Highland Light Infantry
Panel 9
Stenhousemuir
37609 Private James Gardiner
10th/11th Battalion
Age 28
9.4.18
Bonnybridge
53597 Pte Alexander Pettigrew
14th Battalion
9.4.18
Lancashire Fusiliers
Panel 6 & 7
Falkirk, Bainsford & Camelon
203467 Pte Andrew Hutchison
2nd Battalion
Age 36
10.4.18
East Yorkshire Regiment
Panel 4
Larbert
29446 Pte John Taylor
1/4th Battalion
Age 22
10.4.18
Son of James and Isabella Taylor, Dobbie’s Buildings, Muirhall Road, Larbert
East Lancashire Regiment
Panel 5 & 6
Falkirk, Bainsford & Camelon
12201 Pte John James Sargent
2nd Battalion
9.5.15
Queens Own (Royal West Kent)
Panel 8
Larbert
G/31171 Pte William Baird
1st Battalion
Age 18
28.6.18
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Panel 5
Bonnybridge
6445 Pte William Gentles
2nd Battalion
7.11.14
Leinster Regiment
Panel 10
Bonnybridge
9820 Pte Joseph Gorry
2nd Battalion
20.10.14
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
Panel 11
Muiravonside
25731 Pte William Younger
40th Coy
13.4.18
Links to the area
7173 Pte Patrick Longworth
2nd Prince of Wales Leinster Reg (Royal Canadians)
20.10.14
Panel 10
332372 Pte William Morrison
9th (Glasgow Highlanders), Highland Light Infantry
Age 21
15.4.18
Panel 9
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