Details

VLAMERTINGHE is a village and commune in West Flanders, on the main road between Poperinghe and Ypres, with a station on the railway between those towns. The Church is on the North side of the main road, and from it a side road runs North West to Hospital Farm, Elverdinghe. The Military Cemetery lies a few yards down the side road, on the right, next to a ruined chapel.

Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery was started by the French troops in Belgium in 1914, and in the French plot in the North West corner are six British graves of November, 1914. The Cemetery contains 1112 graves of British soldiers, 52 of Canadian, four of Australian, two of South African, two of soldiers of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, and the graves of a Subadar of the 57th Rifles and one unknown soldier; and in the South East corner are three German graves.

The Cemetery was used by fighting troops and Field Ambulances. It was very carefully tended by them until June 1917, when further extension was forbidden and burials practically ceased as the adjoining land was claimed for a Military railway. It is remarkable for the care with which men of the same unit were buried side by side if they fell about the same time; for the very high proportion of graves of Territorial units; and in particular for the presence of nearly 250 Lancashire Territorial graves in plots IV, V and VI. During the early months of 1917 the 55th Division, whenever it was possible, brought their dead from the front for burial here.

The Cemetery covers about 6875 square yards. It is bounded by a terrace wall on the road frontage and on the other three sides by a stone kerb and a yew hedge. The Cross is placed on the road frontage, and the War Stone at the East of the Cemetery. The wrought iron gates were presented by the family of the late Lord Redesdale, whose son, Major Mitford, is buried in the Cemetery.

Number of burials by Unit

Awards buried in this cemetery:

Capt. M. Boddington M.C. 14th Bn. Canadian Inf. Died of wounds 23/04/15. III.A.21.

C.Q.M.S. J. Chalmers. Mentioned in Despatches. 17th Bn. Royal Scots.24/02/19. V.A.1.

Capt. L.S. Farquharson. Mentioned in Despatches. 1st Bn. Royal Scots. Killed in action 12/05/15. I.G.4.

Pte A. Gallimore D.C.M. 1st Bn. North Staffordshire Regt. 29/05/17. VII.C.20.

Cpl. A.H. George M.M. 1/10th Bn. King's Liverpool Regt. 22/11/16. IV.K.10.

Capt. Francis Octavius Grenfell V.C. 9th Lancers. Died of wounds, received at Menin Road, 24/05/15. Age 35. Son of Pascoe Du Pre Grenfell and Sophia, his wife. Educated at Eton, Francis became "Master of the Beagles" in 1898. On leaving Eton in 1899 he joined the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders. He saw service in the Boer War. ,II. B. 14. II.B.14
An extract taken from the London Gazette dated 16th November 1914 records the following:
"For gallantry in action against un-broken infantry at Andregnies, Belgium, on 24th August 1914, and for gallant conduct in assisting to save the guns of the 119th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, near Doubon the same day."

Serjt. T. Hallwood D.C.M. 4th Class Order of St. George (Russian). 1/5th Bn. South Lancashire Regt. 12/04/17. VI.F.8.

Cpl. H.V.W. Haslegrave M.M 16th Bn. Middmesex Regt.. 15/09/16. NV.E.18.

Lce. Cpl. J.A. Jenkins. Mentioned in Despatches. 165th Coy. Machine Gun Corps. Killed in action 28/03/1917. VI.E.1.

Cpl. E. Kay M.M. X 55th Trench Mortar Bty. Royal Field Artillery. Killed in action 09/03/17. V.L.1.

Bmdr. C.A.R. Labdon M.M. 123rd Heavy Bty. Royal Garrison Artillery. Died of wounds 15/02/17. V.J.13.

Cpl. W. Lawton M.M. Z 55th Trench Mortar Bty. Royal Field Artillery.10/01/17. V.D.14.

Maj. J. McLaren. Mentioned in Despatches. 10th Bn. Canadian Inf. Killed in action 23/04/15. I.G.6.

Maj. The Hon. C.B.O. Mitford D.S.O. "A" Sdqn. 10th Hussars. Killed in action 13/05/15. I.E.8.

Capt. W.G.F. Renton. Mentioned in Despatches. Killed in action at Chateau Hooge 02/06/15. Age 33. Served in the South African Campaign. Decorated by the Emperor of Austria in 1906 with the Austrian Order of 1849. I.D.10.

2nd Lt. A.R.R. Rowe D.C.M. "C" Coy. 17th Bn. Sherwood Foresters. Killed in action 07/02/17. V.H.1

Serjt. S.F. Stevens M.M.2nd Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Killed in action 19/09/16. IV.F.18.

Capt. N.S. Stewart. Mentioned in Despatches. "C" Coy. 2nd Bn Royal Scots.I.G.2.

Other burials in this cemetery:

2nd Lt. A.C. Clifford 3rd Dragoon Guards. Killed in action 02/06/15. Age 26. Son of the Rev. Henry Williams and Margaret Williams. Educated at Marlbourough College and Emmanuel Cambridge. M.D. Guy's Hospital. Took the name of Clifford. I.D.3.

Pte N. Finucane 1/10th King's Liverpool Regt. 04/01/17. Age 26. One of the crew of the "Lusitania". Afterwards on the "Aquitania" until the evacuation of Gallipoli. V.C.11.

Lt. J.H.C. Herald 8th Bn. Durham Light Infantry. Died of wounds, received at Ypres, 24/01/16. Age 21. Son of Florence E. and the late Rev. W.D. Herald. B.A. of Durham University. Was taking the Holy Orders there. Appointed Intelligence Officer O.A.S..

2nd Lt. H. Parry 17th King's Royal Rifle Corps. Killed in action at Ypres 06/05/17. Age 20.Scholar, Exeter College, Oxford; Queen's Prizeman of Queen Mary's School, Walsall; Author of Letters and Poems; one of England's Soldier Poets. VI.L.12.