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Remembered Today:

Haubourdin Com Cem


Perth Digger

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At one time there were 56 British soldiers buried in Haubourdin Com Cem. After the war all but one were removed, 44 to Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery at Sonchez and 11 (all 1914 burials) to Laventie Military Cemetery. One was left: that of Lt Athol Benedict Trewman, 1st Middlesex Regiment, killed on 22 October 1914. Why was he left? It's possible that, as his grave abuts a large French memorial, it was too dangerous to remove it. But the CWGC sheets  do not explain. 

 

Mike

Edited by Perth Digger
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Could it be similar to the grave of Burns in Slypskapelle? That the family had bought the concession?

 

Jan

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I am aware of a US Army officer (107th Infantry, I believe), whose body was not removed from a British military cemetery to the south of Le Cateau when the US Graves there were concentrated into one of the large American cemeteries after the war.  He was left because his family declined to have his grave disturbed.

 

I wonder whether the case you mention might be similar.  The question is  -  did the IWGC consult the families of the fallen before concentrating their graves after the war, or did they just inform them?  If 'informing' was the practice, that would not have prevented families who held strong views on the matter making a fuss, and perhaps forcing an exception to be made.

 

There are other possibilities, but they reach too far into conjecture to be considered without further research.

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It's possible, Jan. I believe that some families did so, even though the IWGC frowned on it. Trewman's father, a Lt-Col RAMC, died in 1915, but his mother lived until 1935. Even though the Germans informed the FO via the American Embassy that Trewman was dead, it is likely that his mother refused to accept this, as his financial affairs (in the Effects files) were not begun to be finalised until May 1920 and his probate was not until June 1919 (both signs that the family only accepted death after all the POWs has returned).

 

Rex, I've seen dozens of letters from the WO to relatives regarding concentration in officers' service files. They just inform them, say it was done reverently, but did not give an option to reject. Nor have I seen any letter of objection.

 

Thanks for your replies.

 

Mike

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We visited Haubourdin Comm cem on the 15th July 2012 as part of our Pilgrimage, but only completed my research a couple of weeks ago!

Trewman's grave (CWGC headstone) is directly in front of the French war memorial, in the centre of the cemetery, and therefore not the original burial place, made by the enemy. Also the single French grave (Soldat Guillaume Salat), on the opposite side of the memorial, has a date of death just one day later than Trewman.

The graves exhumed to Laventie were moved in 1924 and likely that the French had already built their memorial prior to this and moved both graves as an act of dual commemoration. There is a word "DEVOUEMENT" which I wrote on my visit sheet; not sure why i didn't photograph it, but I believe it translates as "DEVOTION".

 

"Poor Trewman was hit in the sword arm and changed his sword in to his other hand, however he was soon hit in the leg and grazed in the head" (officer account).

 

Srgt. account (P.O.W)

".....that was the last time I saw him until the night of the 21st (Oct). I saw him lying on a stretcher in the enemy's Field Ambulance.

 

I'll post a picture once I resize

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Image showing French war memorial and both headstone and cross and the central location of memorial.

 

There is another communal cemetery around Lille (name escapes me), where two British graves lay beneath the French war memorial. Spent the best part of an hour looking for headstones! In this instance the names are on the French memorial.

 

Steve

haubourdinresize.jpg

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HI Stephen

Many thanks for the posts and for the photo. You're probably right that he was left there as part of a dual commemoration. I wrote to the CWGC about this a few days ago and will let you know the outcome.

 

Trewman doesn't have a Service Record, so any details you have of him that you can share would be gratefully received.

 

Mike

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His details are on "Bond of Sacrifice" including a photograph of him. 

Other casualties from the 1/Middlesex were concentrated in to Le Trou after the Armistice

 

Steve

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have now had an answer to my query from the CWGC. This is it:

 


Lieutenant Trewman was left in Haubourdin Communal Cemetery as his remains are buried below or close to the French Memorial in the centre of the main path. 

As we did not wish to disturb or damage this memorial his body was not exhumed when the rest of the cemetery was concentrated into Cabaret-Rouge and Laventie.

 

Mike

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