Wervicq Road German Cemetery

[Amor]

Hi,

I am researching the actions of the 2nd Gordon Highlanders in late October/early November 1914. I would be interested to hear from anybody who has details of where Wervicq Road German Cemetery was located? Can anybody help?

Rgds,
Alex

[Aurel Sercu]

I'm a little surprised (in an unpleasant way) that I cannot find it in my research documents.

Or could it be the same as : Wervik German Cemetery (north of the road Wervik - Comines (Komen) ) ? But all I know about that is that it contained two British men and one Canadian. (Now "Zantvoorde British Cemetery, Zandvoorde".

Aurel

[egbert]

I fear of not great help, but this cemetery might be it:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=192239&hl=%2Bwerviq+%2Bgerman+%2Bcemetery

[AOK4]

Hello,

I wrote a book in which all German cemeteries that were concentrated to Menen, are mentioned. There was a Wervicq Road Cemetery in Comines (Belgium), where 3 British soldiers were buried.

Are you looking for a British soldier buried in this cemetery? Could you give his name, that would make searching easier.

Jan

[Amor]

Gents,

Thanks for your replies.

Jan can I buy a copy of your book? I am researching all possibilities to find out if my Great Uncle (Pvt C Lockhart 2nd Battalion GH) was buried after being killed in action on the 29th October 1914 at 1st Ypres (commemorated on the Menin Gate). I have the battalion WD and several personal accounts written at the time but have been unable to find such details. I am sure that Sergeant J Dalgarno 2nd Battalion GH (Service Number 6365) was buried originally in Wervicq. Any details you can provide would be much appreciated.

Rgds,
Alex

[AOK4]

Hello,

I'll check things again when I'm at home, but I would say that the special memorials in Zandvoorde refer to the German Cemetery of Kruiseke. This cemetery was made by the Germans in 1916 to group battlefield burials (they buried the British soldiers among their own).

Unfortunately, after the war, there was quite a bit of building activity on the cemetery, leading to a lot of graves being lost (this is not the only case like this)... The owner of the land wasn't happy with a cemetery on his property and built his farm before the allied graves units could properly check the cemetery.

Jan

[Jack Sheldon]

I have been a couple of times to the German cemetery at Werwik/Wervicq just across the border in France and there are no British graves there at all. This is not a surprise really, because it dates back only to 1921 and was laid out originally (and very well too, I might add) by the French to concentrate burials from several nearby sites. This does not rule out the temporary existence of a 'Werwicq Road' cemetery elsewhere, as suggested by Jan.

Jack

[Aurel Sercu]

There was a Wervicq Road Cemetery in Comines (Belgium), where 3 British soldiers were buried.

Jan

Jan,

Is that the same as : Comines Friedhof Werwickerstrasse Nr. 70 ?

(My (only) source says 85 German graves, no mention of British graves, but my source is far from complete I guess.)

Aurel

[AOK4]

Jan,

Is that the same as : Comines Friedhof Werwickerstrasse Nr. 70 ?

(My (only) source says 85 German graves, no mention of British graves, but my source is far from complete I guess.)

Aurel

Aurel,

That's correct.

Jan

[AOK4]

Hello,

Dalgarno was indeed buried originally on the German cemetery Nr. 80 Kruiseke near Zandvoorde. There were according to some sources 197 British soldiers buried there (by the Germans in 1916).

Some were reburied in Tyne Cot Cemetery (63 in 1921), some in Zantvoorde New British Cemetery (71 in 1922, 30 special memorials) and some in Hooge Crater Cemetery (2 special memorials).

(My book is published only in Dutch and is available in the In Flanders Fields Museum or Passchendaele Memorial Museum. If you want to buy it, I can also send it to you but that's quite expensive.)

Jan

[Amor]

Hi Jan,

Thanks for the information. Does your book list the names of the British Soldiers originally buried and their regiments? Does it cover the below:

• KRUISEECKE GERMAN CEMETERY, COMINES: lag in het noorden van het gehucht Kruiseke. Hier lagen 138 militairen van het Verenigd Koninkrijk begraven, waarvan het merendeel stierf in oktober en november 1914.
• WERVICQ GERMAN CEMETERY: lag ten noorden van de weg naar Comines. Hier lagen de graven van 27 militairen uit het Verenigd Koninkrijk.
• WERVICQ ROAD GERMAN CEMETERY, COMINES: hier lagen de graven van 2 militairen van het Verenigd Koninkrijk en 1 van Canada.

My reading of Dutch is pretty OK so as I am heading down to Ypres in a few weeks to pay my respects at the new Black Watch Memorial I will certainly pop in to the IFF Museum and buy a copy (please let me know the title of your book).

Rgds,
Alex

[AOK4]

Alex,

It does cover the 3 cemeteries you mention. I give for all of the German cemeteries that ended up in Menen a short description and also whether there were other nationalities were buried there. I don't give all the names of the British soldiers buried (nor all of the Germans either), only the names and details of the British soldiers originally buried in Menen Wald are given. There's plenty of information and pictures in the book though.

You can find more details (and a few extracts here: http://vcjan.wordpress.com/2013/08/24/menen-wald-een-voorsmaakje/ )

Jan

[Amor]

Jan,

Thanks again, your book looks very thorough, will pick up a copy in a few weeks in Ypres.

Rgds,
Alex