MAW Posted 12 November , 2013 Share Posted 12 November , 2013 I am researching a British soldier who was killed in action in 1918 and buried by the Germans at Laventie North German Cemetery, but his grave was not found after the war and he is now commemorated by memorial stone at Pont-du-Hem Military Cemetery, La Gorgue. Where was / is Laventie North German Cemetery? I cannot find any reference to it outside a mention on the CWGC database. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 13 November , 2013 Share Posted 13 November , 2013 More info at the German Volksbund website (in German, I'm afraid). Built by the Germans in april 1918 during the battle of Armentieres. Extended by the French after the war. The cemetery has 1.978 graves, of which 17 are unidentified. No mention of any British graves. Roel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 13 November , 2013 Share Posted 13 November , 2013 It's near Fromelles, a couple of kilometres ESE of Estaires. It has a huge Summer 1918 plot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 13 November , 2013 Share Posted 13 November , 2013 Hedley, you mean Pont du Hem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 13 November , 2013 Share Posted 13 November , 2013 Here you go. It's in the Laventie-Neuve-Chapelle-Aubers triangle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 13 November , 2013 Share Posted 13 November , 2013 We're talking about the same cemetery, Hedley. I'm having trouble with the "Laventie North German cemetery" Mark (and CWGC) are talking about. The cemetery you and I have in mind certainly is not north of Laventie. The Laventie North German Cemetery the CWGC writes about is (was) near "a railway station". I don't think there is a railway station near the present day cemetery... Roel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 13 November , 2013 Share Posted 13 November , 2013 In that case I don't have a clue. But I am sure that the cemetery I have marked and that indicated on the Volksbund site are one and the same. The photos show some very distinctive trees which I well remember from my visit. There is certainly no railway station in the vicinity. There a railway line to the north of Laventie, but there is no sign of any German cemetery near to it. Perhaps there was one and it was cleared into the cemetery marked on my Google Earth map Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 13 November , 2013 Share Posted 13 November , 2013 Mark, You are probably going to need a German trench map to locate it. I've scoured the British one's I can find on line, but none have it marked, (Sheet 36 G34/M4). Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAW Posted 13 November , 2013 Author Share Posted 13 November , 2013 Thank you all for your thoughtful comments - a useful start. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 13 November , 2013 Share Posted 13 November , 2013 The CWGC 'Cemetery Details' for Rue-du-Bois cemetery say that '... graves were brought in from the surrounding battlefields and from certain small cemeteries, including: Laventie German Cemetery, which was on the road going North from Laventie village. The graves of 19 soldiers from the United Kingdom were found in this cemetery. The German graves were moved to Sailly-sur-la-Lys German Cemetery.' So that would appear to be the elusive 'Laventie North' German cemetery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAW Posted 14 November , 2013 Author Share Posted 14 November , 2013 I understand there was (is) also a Laventie South German Cemetery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 14 November , 2013 Share Posted 14 November , 2013 Mark, The South cemetery was on the road out to La Flinque. From Mick's directions, the nearest to a road bearing North out of Laventie, is Rue des Clinques. The communal cemetery is on this road, very close to the station, but I would have thought the descriptions would have been more specific if it was here. The alternative is the road to Nouveau Monde, where there were two hospitals. There were a number of German graves behind L'Hospice Toulouse, but I can't see where this building was located. Organised German cemeteries are usually quite east to spot on a decent map, even when they aren't labelled - it's trying to find one. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrcke Posted 14 November , 2013 Share Posted 14 November , 2013 you mean this one? with the trees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 14 November , 2013 Share Posted 14 November , 2013 That's the one on the Rue Masselot, Frederik, and the plate on the wall beside the gate says simply "Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof 1914-1918, Laventie, Cimetière Militaire Allemande". I stand to be corrected, but I think that it is now the only German cemetery in existence that has 'Laventie' in its name .... and, as the crow flies, it's actually nearer to Fauquissart than it is to Laventie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 14 November , 2013 Share Posted 14 November , 2013 This is the one marked in post #5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 14 November , 2013 Share Posted 14 November , 2013 Indeed it is, Hedley. Sorry, I should have acknowledged that and also said that it is likewise the cemetery that Roel's link to the VdK website in post #2 shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 22 July , 2014 Share Posted 22 July , 2014 Mark, With the CWGC records going online, did you manage to locate the North cemetery? I spent ages trying to pin it down at the time and although I am pretty certain where the South cemetery was, couldn't get anywhere with the North one. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 31 July , 2014 Share Posted 31 July , 2014 I've finally located the North Cemetery from the CWGC Burial Returns. Map reference 36.M.4.b.4.7. It is on the opposite side of the Rue des Cinques to the communal cemetery on the patch of land adjacent (South side) to the Patronage du Sacre-Coeur. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 31 July , 2014 Share Posted 31 July , 2014 Good work, Phil. Did you know that last night? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 1 August , 2014 Share Posted 1 August , 2014 No Mick, I had just been going through the Burial Returns for Pont-du-Hem, before I posted. Satellite view of square 36.M.4.b.4.7 Street view of the South elevation of the Patronage du Sacre-Coeur. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now