Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Esquelbecq Cemetery


cockney tone

Recommended Posts

Ladies & Gents,

Pal's,

I am planning to visit Esquelbecq Cemetery next week, primarily looking at the WW2 Massacre, however the Cemetery was started in the Great War so if anybody requires any photos please let me know.

Regards and best wishes,

Scottie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting place. The little chateau there was used by the cavalry as a winter billet for several years and the metal tethering points they installed are still there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ladies & Gents,

Pal's,

I am planning to visit Esquelbecq Cemetery next week, primarily looking at the WW2 Massacre, however the Cemetery was started in the Great War so if anybody requires any photos please let me know.

Regards and best wishes,

Scottie.

Scottie

Could you please get this one.

Thank you

Peter

Name: VENABLES, JOSEPH KENDRICK

Initials: J K

Nationality: New Zealand

Rank: Captain

Regiment/Service: New Zealand Medical Corps

Secondary Regiment: New Zealand Entrenching Battalion, N.Z.E.F.

Secondary Unit Text: attd.

Date of Death: 09/05/1918

Service No: 3/1272

Awards: M C

Additional information: Son of Joseph and Clara Venables. of Christchurch, New Zealand; husband of Margaret Burns Venables, of 3, Craiglockhart Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland. Also served with 2nd Bn. Otago Regt. N.Z.E.F.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: I. C. 35.

Cemetery: ESQUELBECQ MILITARY CEMETERY

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ian,

very interesting, could you pinpoint were this Chateau is please and is it on private property and visible?

Peter,

no problems will try to get a photo for you.

Regards,

Scottie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am planning to visit Esquelbecq Cemetery next week, primarily looking at the WW2 Massacre,

Scottie.

if you do meet up with Bruce on Monday night (I recall you mentioning that you might see him then?) , there's a chance that I'll be around somewhere. (He'll probably have an idea where I am so get him to seek me out if I'm not in the immediate vicinity ) - I'll have my mini-laptop with me (or within 10 minutes walk anyway!) which has quite a bit of info (war diaries, photos, maps, etc) on it as regards the events of May/June 1940 and have a section specially devoted to the Wormhoudt "incident" (including the War diaries of the 1/Warwicks, 4/Cheshires, 8/Worcestershires and 53 AT Regt RA - elements of whom were the main victims). Might be of interest to you if you're planning a visit later in the week?

Dave.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave,

thats really kind of you, i always say you can not have enough info!

I have been to the area quite a few times, it seems to draw me back? I have managed to get a copy of The Forgotten Massacre by Guy Rommelaere and it has prompted me to visit again. I am bringing a mate over who is a Battlefield Virgin and i want to show him the Barn area and off course pay my respects to the victims! i would also like to find and visit some of the other sites mentioned in the book.

Hopefully I will bump into you Monday evening at the 'Gate'!

Regards,

Scottie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Scottie,

kind offer: may I take advantage of it to request the following Anglesey men's tombstones please?

DAVIS, William Charles 114219 Gnr. RGA, 8 May 1918 aged 28 (Llanedwen): ref. I.C.24

JONES, Evan William 73506 Pte Liverpool Regt. [and 54057 Labour Corps], 18 May 1918 aged 21 (Holyhead): ref. II.D.3

OWEN, William Shadrach 70183 Pte RWF, 9 May 1918 aged 19 (Llanerchymedd): ref. II.C.2

I have an interest in any personal inscriptions, so if these are unclear or obscured could you please note them down for me?

Many thanks,

LST_164

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And if Bruce is watching, come and visit me mate! Our Ypres Branch RBL Vice President lives there and has a wealth of info ref this incident, I will try and arrange a meeting with him if you wish? He is a third Generation CWGC gardener.

Milena has also put our phone number in the Salient Tours shop window for you.

* By the way Dave, I'm sure it was the 2nd Royal Warwicks and don't forget the 5th Glosters?

See you soon.

Chris.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are going that way, why not also pop into Duriez Farm.....massacre of the Norfolks. They are buried in the churchyard just round the corner.

Wrong war, I know......

Bruce

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Or how about visiting the 3 Spitfire pilots in Ypres Ext Town Cemetery from the Circus 157 mission? 5 x Spitfires were shot down over the Kemmelberg during a single pass by 2 FW 190's. 2 x Czechs, 1 x Belgian, 1 x Canadian and a Brit. All were killed except 1 x Czech. The Belgian pilot's body was removed to his home Village after the war ( You can still see the gap today ) and the surviving Czech escaped and went on to become an ace.

* A very nice Memorial has recently just been inaugurated at the crash site of Karel Pavlik's Spitfire! Visit his crash site and Memorial, then visit him in Ypres Ext CWGC if you so wish. I have a wonderful photo of Karel sat in his cockpit before he took off that day! He is a long way from home and my Czech wife visits him most weeks. NAZDAR!

Sorry, I know it's a different war but hey, if you ever fancy a different slant..... ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry Mods but!

Bruce,

where is Duriez Farm and what Churchyard is it please?

Chris,

Where is Karel Pavlik's crash site please?

Regards and best wishes,

Scottie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry Mods but!

Bruce,

where is Duriez Farm and what Churchyard is it please?

Chris,

Where is Karel Pavlik's crash site please?

Regards and best wishes,

Scottie.

Hi Scottie.

Drive or walk through the Kemmel village itself, continue past the Cold War Nuclear Command bunker complex at the foot of the hill and follow the contours around the Kemmelberg itself. Keep an eye out for the Memorial on the right hand side of the lane taking you to Dranouter. The crash site is 50 yards to the rear of his Memorial.

His fighter drove so deep into the field that his body could not be recovered until after the war. They have also just recently removed the Merlin engine from the ground.

The book CIRCUS 157 by Andre Vandenmeele and Dirk Decuypere have some fantastic photo's and reveal all. Great book!

Sorry Mods!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chris,

you really know how to tempt somebody! @A cold war bunker' toot toot!

Thanks for the info, had not planned to visit Kemmel but might now have to take a detour!

Regards,

Scottie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

* By the way Dave, I'm sure it was the 2nd Royal Warwicks and don't forget the 5th Glosters?

yes it was...that's indeed the war diary I have, not what I wrote (i can be a real illiterate bustard when I'm not thinking!!! :lol: ). However...I can't offer the use of the 5th Glosters diary (nor that of any other unit in the area) if I don't have it! :D It's all academic really as (as to be expected) theres nothing really written in the diaries about the massacre anyway....

Scottie...list of war diaries available on my laptop for your perusal if you are interested in the 1940 areas is as follows...

1/ELR

2/Coldstream Guards

2/N.Staffs

4/ELR

4/Gordon Highlanders

52/LAA Regt.RA

155 Bty, 52/LAA Regt RA

7/Worcestershires

4/7th Dg gds

2/Warwicks

4/Cheshires

8/Worcesters

53 AT Reg RA

2/DCLI

2/Beds & Herts

6/East Surreys

2/Cameronians

2/Inniskillings

2/Wiltshires

2/Northamptonshires

2/RSF

5/Seaforth

17 Bde AT Coy

7/ Warwicks

8 /Warwicks

1/OBLI

4/R.Northumberland Fus.

65 AT regt RA

4/E.Yorks

4/Green Howards

5/Green Howards

6/S.Staffs

6/DLI

8/DLI

9/DLI

9/Manchesters

3/Gren Guards

10 Bde

13 Bde

17 Bde

143 Bde

150 Bde

Some are specific for certain places/dates, but the most are just general May/June 1940. (Many having been written up to several weeks after the event, it can be quite amusing to see how one diary contradicts another! (The Menin Gate bridge, for example, having been blown on 3 different dates according to them!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Scottie,

Thank you for your kind offer. Could you please let me have photos of two headstones plus a general one:

LIDSTER, Clifford, Royal Engineers, date of Death June 4, 1918 - II.E.19

PATRICK, Fred Walton, RoyalField Artillery, July 7, 1918, III.C.9

Both names are on the War Memorial I am researching.

Best wishes,

Grant

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave,

what a fantastic offer, thank you very much. I may well be picking your brains on a couple of things at a later date!.

Grant,

no problems, i will see what i can do.

Regards and best wishes,

Scottie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Peter, LST_164 & Grant,

managed to get the shots required, drop me a PM with your e-mail address and I will forward.

regards,

Scottie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Grant,

no problems, its nice to put something back into the Forum after taking so much out!

Regards and best wishes,

Scottie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A grateful public thanks to Scottie for sending the clear and interesting photos I requested.

Hope the trip went well, Scottie.

LST_164

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LST_164,

no problems, I had a great trip thanks, cannot wait to go again!

Regards,

Scottie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Peter, LST_164 & Grant,

managed to get the shots required, drop me a PM with your e-mail address and I will forward.

regards,

Scottie.

A public thank you to Scottie for for this photo

Peter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Scottie.

Drive or walk through the Kemmel village itself

As you come into Kemmel Village from the direction of Ypres the small road which leads into the Village opposite the Band Stand is called Polan laan in Honour of the Polish Tank Force who liberated the Village in 1944,there is also a Memorial Plaque commemorating this event.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...