Ypres Reservoir Cemetery

[laughton]

The Zip Files for this cemetery are here:

 

• Ypres Reservoir Cemetery Shared MediaFile ZIP Files
  • GRRF (2 file sets)
  • COG-BR (2 file sets)

 

I will add the Trench Map Coordinates (TMC) for any concentration cemeteries or large noted burial grounds to the CWGC cemetery history. I never know if I have found all the documents, so please let me know if you believe some are missing or you have found others. I will then update the files.

 

Quote

From October 1914 to the autumn of 1918, Ypres (now Ieper) was at the centre of a salient held by Commonwealth (and for some months by French) forces. From April 1915, it was bombarded and destroyed more completely than any other town of its size on the Western Front, but even so certain buildings remained distinguishable. The ruins of the cathedral and the cloth hall stood together in the middle of the city, part of the infantry barracks stood in an angle of the south walls and the prison, reservoir and water tower were together at the western gate.

 

Three cemeteries were made near the western gate: two between the prison and the reservoir, both now removed into the third, and the third on the north side of the prison. The third was called at first the "Cemetery North of the Prison," later "Ypres Reservoir North Cemetery, and now Ypres Reservoir Cemetery. This cemetery was begun in October 1915 and used by fighting units and field ambulances until after the Armistice, when it contained 1,099 graves.

 

The cemetery was later enlarged when graves were brought in from the battlefields of the salient and the following smaller burial grounds:-

 

• YPRES RESERVOIR SOUTH CEMETERY 28.I.7.central, between the prison and the reservoir (also called "Broadley's Cemetery" and "Prison Cemetery No.1"). It was used from October 1914 to October 1915, and contained the graves of 18 soldiers from the United Kingdom.
  • starts on COG-BR 1838857 and continues on following pages
     
• YPRES RESERVOIR MIDDLE CEMETERY 28.I.7.b.0.1, immediately North of the last named (also called "Prison Cemetery No.2" and "Middle Prison Cemetery"). It was used in August and September 1915, and rarely afterwards. It contained the graves of 107 soldiers from the United Kingdom (41 of whom belonged to the 6th King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) and one Belgian soldier.
  • COG-BR 1838955 then COG-BR 1838960 and the sheets that follow, and others
     
• The CEMETERY at the INFANTRY BARRACKS (also called "the Esplanade"). It was used from April 1915 to July 1916 and contained the graves of 14 soldiers from the United Kingdom, ten of whom belonged to the 6th Siege Battery, R.G.A. In Plot V, Row AA, are the graves of 16 officers and men of the 6th Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, who were billeted in the vaults of the cathedral and killed on 12 August 1915 by shelling from the "Ypres Express" firing from Houthulst Forest. The survivors were rescued by the 11th King's Liverpools, but these bodies were not recovered until after the Armistice.
   

There are now 2,613 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 1,034 of the burials are unidentified.

 

There are burials in the cemetery from both Maps 20, 28 and 36, often mixed together on the same page, so make sure you get the correct map reference. See example COG-BR 1838875.

 

These burial grounds were named in the COG-BR documents:

• COG-BR 1838849: Caserne D'Infanterie (southwest corner) 28.I.7.d.80.00
• COG-BR 1838850: Benedictine Convent Small Cemetery 28.I.14.c.2.8
• COG-BR 1838852: presumed by GRU to be Ramparts Cemetery, Menin Gate 28.I.8.c.9.8
• COG-BR 1838864: Ypres Cloth Hall 28.I.8.c
• COG-BR 1838870: removed from Poperinghe Communal Cemetery 28.G.8.a.2.8
• COG-BR 1838976: Burgomaster or Machine Gun Farm 28.H.5.b.1.4
• COG-BR 1838980: they removed this Australian from the Tyne Cot British Cemetery 28.D.17.a.00.25 for some reason

 

I wonder who they were looking for when they exhumed the remains of a UBS from Ypres Reservoir North Cemetery in September 1921 for examination?

 

There were no indications that it was an Officer, or anything of significance, other than that it came initially from 36.I.31.d.00.60, which is about 1,900 yards southeast of Bois Grenier [Lille] 36 map. The examination was by a Medical Officer, so not just a GRU checking on the identification. There had to be some reason? All that came of it was that the man was about 5'9" and only a small piece of khaki was found. The medical report indicated that his upper jaw had been blown away.

 

The first thing that came to me was that it sounded like a description of the Kipling wound, but this is in the wrong area of France. Was there someone else of importance that was missing that they were looking for at the time? It is the second entry on the COG-BR where it reads "exhumed for Ident".

 

 

Edited 7 February , 2020 by laughton
updating details in stages

[laughton]

Some of interest:

• COG-BR 1838887: to be at 28.D.10.d.9.4 heading into Passchendaele, this Unknown Canadian Corporal, with two (2) others had to be with the 10th Infantry Brigade in late October 1917. There are not that many on the list, so it may be possible to narrow it down. See Nicholson Map 9.
• COG-BR 1838893: There are only two UBS with those initials missing in Belgium, coincidentally both Royal Engineers 28.I.30.a.48.34
  • Tyne Cot Memorial - William Ashmore 17 April 1918 456th Field Coy
  • Ypres (Mein gate) Memorial - William Allen 6 May 1915 27th Division
  • there is a Lance Corporal H. Fleming of the Royal Engineers on the same document and the same area 28.I.30.a.5.4 - nope he turned out to be London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) - was he perhaps attached to the Royal Engineers in some capacity??
  • also a Royal Engineer at the top of the page #20302 on brace, which did not lead anywhere
  • must have still had the search set for Royal Engineers as there are hundreds with initials W.A. missing in Belgium (CWGC Link)
• COG-BR 1838895: another example where they identified a man from the number on a piece of boot - I wonder if Basely was there in 1914?
  • on that same sheet, Stubbs of the 3/Dragoon Guards sets the date of November 1914 for the 3rd DG on the previous page COG-BR 1838894
  • of thirty-two (32) candidates, Hopkins is the only one with a number that is close (578 on boot, he is 5987)

... to be continued from 1838895

Edited 9 February , 2020 by laughton
strike out - information was incorrect

[dickaren]

The Australian C G Gavin 7B 1A on COG1838990 was moved from Tyne Cot to be buried near his brother J T Gavin 7B 3. I am sure somewhere deep in my memory bank I remember another similar case of a brother being moved to this same cemetery.

Richard

[laughton]

Thanks Richard, another loop secure. I did not know that they made such changes.

 

Continuing on down the list:

• COG-BR 1838897: We have an Unknown Sergeant of the Highland Light Infantry
  • Beside him is Private Kelly #3579 of the 11th Battalion, both found at 28.I.30.a.5.4 on 11 November 1915
  • Serjeant John Milroy #19907 is the candidate, KIA 18 12 1915 at more or less the same location

... to be continued from 1838897

[julia jeffries]

Thank you very much for this post.

 

I will try to get my meagre head round it. 

 

Major Fred Davenport is buried there.  He was my grandfather-in-law's(Walter Jeffries - 296 RFA) commanding officer.  Grandad always told us that Davenport, along with 3 other officers, was killed by a direct hit on their tent, at the end of September 1917 somewhere near Cambridge Road.  He told us his men in the battalion (rather than medics/stretcher bearers) took him back to Ypres.

 

We had always assumed that he was taken straight to this cemetery but perhaps this was not the case.

 

We will be in Ypres in March so it would be interesting to know more detail.

 

Hopefully I can work out the technology.

 

Thanks again.

 

Julia

 

 

[dickaren]

17 hours ago, dickaren said:

The Australian C G Gavin 7B 1A on COG1838990 was moved from Tyne Cot to be buried near his brother J T Gavin 7B 3. I am sure somewhere deep in my memory bank I remember another similar case of a brother being moved to this same cemetery.

Richard

Have dug deep into the memory and the case I was thinking of was of Major J L Knott Northumberland Fusiliers attached to 10th West Yorks kia on first day of the battle of the Somme but buried in Ypres Reservoir cemetery next to his brother Captain H B Knott Northumberland Fusiliers 7.9.15. There are no COG details for him on CWGC. So was he brought from the Somme to be buried here many miles away at the time of his death during a major battle???

Richard 

[ianjonesncl]

20 minutes ago, dickaren said:

Have dug deep into the memory and the case I was thinking of was of Major J L Knott Northumberland Fusiliers attached to 10th West Yorks kia on first day of the battle of the Somme but buried in Ypres Reservoir cemetery next to his brother Captain H B Knott Northumberland Fusiliers 7.9.15. There are no COG details for him on CWGC. So was he brought from the Somme to be buried here many miles away at the time of his death during a major battle???

Richard 

Some information on the Knott Brothers.

 

http://northumbriangunner.blogspot.com/2016/07/ex-somme-reflect-knott-brothers.html

[laughton]

There might be a slight glitch here:

Quote

He used his considerable influence to have the bodies of both his sons brought together, and they were buried alongside each other in Ypres Extension Cemetery.

 

That should read Ypres Reservoir Cemetery as there is a separate cemetery called the Ypres Town Cemetery Extension.

 

One I looked as the GRRF attached to their files. something appeared mixed up related to Richard's previous comment, as I remembered seeing the listing for UNKNOWN BRITISH MAJOR (STAFF):

Quote

There are no COG details for him on CWGC.

 

If you follow that path, checking on the others on the same COG-BR, you will find that Privates Bolton and Queen were originally buried in graves 6.D.8 and 6.D.10, separated by an UNKNOWN BRITISH OFFICER H.L.I 2/Lt. in greave 6.D.9. There are shown on COG-BR 1838856. After that, the list on the GRRF continues with the others, starting with the Major on COG-BR 1838868. It took some hunting to find the H.L.I. 2nd Lt., but he does show up in grave 5.B.10 on GRRF 214806, along with Elliott and Wallace, who are on the same GRRF. Then I noticed the vertical writing on COG-BR 1838856 that they had been renumbered to 5.B.6-14. Lance Corporal Amos was moved to grave 11.C.13 on GRRF 1838771. Head spinning!

 

I think there is some meaning to the numbers in the upper left corner of the COG-BR documents, as many of these are marked "46". Some then have other numbers such as COG-BR 1838863, which shows 46 then YPRES 1.21/E then 176/7 and with a date of 19.2.19. The "46" sheet for the MAJOR shows 46 then YPRES 1.26/E then B/15 with a date of 13.8.20, so quite a lapse in time. Someday an understanding of all these codes may lead us to the missing documents?

 

Were all these changes made just to accommodate the two brothers? Perhaps it was just a general realignment of the cemetery after the armistice, which did happen at many locations.

 

One good thing about the hunt is that it made me realize there must be a set of missing documents - there was, so now there is a new ZIP File for GRRF 1838803-1838818, which has entries for the MIDDLE PRISON CEMETERY and the YPRES RESERVOIR MIDDLE CEMETERY. The first page for the PRISON has the list GRRF 1838803 of the men of 6/D.C.L.I. that were exhumed from the ruins of the Cathedral.

 

Back in a second to look more at Julia's comment.

[laughton]

5 hours ago, julia jeffries said:

Major Fred Davenport is buried there.  He was my grandfather-in-law's(Walter Jeffries - 296 RFA) commanding officer. 

 

If you look up Fred on the CWGC he only has the HD-SCHD 1866648 without any COG-BR or even GRRF details. A quick check reveals there is a GRRF 2148005 with the details, so the CWGC should be advised of the missing page on his record. He is in Plot 1 Row F Grave 39. If I recall correctly, it is very easy for the CWGC to alter the text on any page but they do not have the same ability to insert missing documents - another department I expect.

 

5 hours ago, julia jeffries said:

Grandad always told us that Davenport, along with 3 other officers

 

From the above GRRF, it then appears the three (3) other officers were probably two (2) other officers and the Serjeant Major:

• Captain A. A. Parker
• Lieutenant H. P. Jackson
• Battery Serjeant Major F. R. Heath

They were all buried in what was at the start called the YPRES RESERVOIR NORTH BRITISH CEMETERY, which was the final cemetery to be started in the area in October 1915. Even though these burials are in Plot 1 they did not start this row until September 1917. The final two (2) graves went into Plot 1 Row C in the same month, adding to the previous burial in that row in June of 1916. This would appear to be the trend in the cemetery, as it grew and grew. It does appear that he was a direct burial at that location.

 

It would appear that the first concentrations were with Plot 2 Row A with Private Sweeney of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry COG-BR 1838843. The only concentration into Plot 1 appears to be Lieutenant Williamson 12.11.1914 who was moved there from the Poperinghe Communal Cemetery. He is the only Williamson buried in the cemetery, so this was not another case of brothers. He must have been the first burial in Poperinghe as he was removed from Plot 1 Row A Grave 1. A check of that cemetery shows us that he was the ONLY ONE buried in that plot and row in that cemetery as per GRRF 1829931. There is no cemetery plan on the CWGC for the Communal Cemetery. Note that there is also a Poperinghe Old Military Cemetery and a Poperinghe New Military Cemetery. Not sure why he was not moved to one of those cemeteries, so there must be a link to the Ypres Reservoir Cemetery. He is the only one of the battalion buried there in November 1914 yet there are three (3) in the Poperinghe Old Military Cemetery (CWGC Link).

 

Major Fred Davenport was "A" Bty. 295th Bde. Royal Field Artillery. If we check the LLT for the 295th (CCXCV) we can find them under Royal Field Artillery Brigades (I do not see them on the new page). Note that the CWGC has Fred in the 295th not the 296th (CCXCVI) so it appears that is a transcription error at the CWGC as the GRRF does say 296th. It appears both were in the 59th Division. It does not say the unit in De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour (page 73 of 296).

 

The war diary has them mentioned by name (page 163 of 471), which also confirms it was the 296th Brigade. It places them at MERSEY CAMP 28.H.1.a.central, which is about 1,750 yards west of Vlamertinghe and 5,500 yards east of Poperinghe. He is named with Captain Parker and Lieutenant Jackson. There is no mention of BSM Heath.

 

If you wanted to go to where Mersey Camp was located, set your GPS to 50.860774,2.796107 (50°51'38.79"N   2°47'45.99"E). That is a field on the east side of what currently appears to be a large equestrian facility, as Google Earth shows the jumps set up in the sand rings and a number of lunging rings. On Google Maps it is shown as Ruitershof Cavallo, a horse boarding stable (Facebook). You could contact them before your visit to see if they would let you go out to the field where the tent would have been.

 

The best part is that I can now convince my wife to go to Belgium, as that is what our family does.

[laughton]

21 hours ago, laughton said:

... to be continued from 1838897

• COG-BR 1838907: UBS of the British West Indies Regiment
  • there are only eight (8) on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial and that is now seven (7) as we found Corporal Sully
  • may be a problem if the unit did not move during the period of August-October 1917 - he was found at 28.I.18.c.2.9
• COG-BR 1838914: that is one for Trevor @fetubi as he keeps a list
  • This one has a plate with a number 3.275.41 but it does not say what kind of plate?
  • He had an M.C. - no plate on an MC that I know of?
  • I put that in the GWF search engine but it is just "spinning" - then it crashed (error report)
• COG-BR 1839915: A Sergeant of the 13th Battalion Royal Highlanders
  • that is Canadian, I may have looked at this before but will need to search the Canadian site
  • for 28.I.24.d.8.3 that would be mid-June 1916, which could easily narrow the list
• COG-BR 1838921: would the location at 20.U.6.b.7.7 trigger a thought to a student of the Lancashire Fusiliers? Just southeast of the Houthulst Forest (CWGC List)
• COG-BR 1838927: two (2) Lieutenants of the Rifle Brigade on Menin Gate for the same RIfle Brigade unit and time as the others on this page (Ridout) - see also next sheet

... to be continued at 1838929, there are a lot of potential cases in this cemetery

[laughton]

15 hours ago, laughton said:

... to be continued at 1838929

• COG.BR 1838931: Fun with Canadian Numbers - UCS 9th Canadians, which did not serve but they had 5 digit numbers in the range 18001 to 19500
  • to be at 28.J.19.c.0.3 the man was there in June 1916 at Green Jacket Ridge, Hill 62 Tor Top west of Clonmel Copse
  • the primary units in that location were the 3rd and 16th Canadian Infantry Battalions
  • I doubt it was an Officer as there was no mention of that on the COG-BR and they would be wearing the correct insignia, but I checked them anyway
  • the most likely candidates are those of the 3rd Battalion on 13 June 1916 (4 men) or Lieutenant Adams of the 16th Battalion
  • unfortunately there was no man listed as being at the precise spot where the remains were located
  • the identified men there with with the Canadian Mounted Rifles but there were no CMR men on the Menin Gate Memorial with a 9th Battalion number

  • surname initials death rank unit # TMC DONOVAN F H 9/6/1916 Sergeant 3rd Bn. '18033' 28.I.34.b.0.6 LITTRELL L 13/06/1916 Private 3rd Bn. '18058' NRB Mount Sorrel I.30 GRIFFIN W B 9/6/1916 Sergeant 3rd Bn. '18111' 28.I.34.b.0.6 THOMAS W A 13/06/1916 Sergeant 3rd Bn. '18162' NRB CAMPBELL T 12/6/1916 Corporal 4th Bn. '18179' NRB"The Bluffs" COOPER J A 13/06/1916 Sergeant 1st Bn. '18181' NRB HOY R J 13/06/1916 Corporal 3rd Bn. '18203' NRB Sanctuary Wood WILSON G H 13/06/1916 Private 4th Bn. '18404' NRB BEWSHER F 13/06/1916 Private 1st Bn. '18472' NRB Maple Copse LAUCHLAN W J 12/6/1916 Private 2nd Bn. '18524' NRB east of Zillebeke WOOD C P 14/06/1916 Private 10th Bn. '18721' NRB STEVENSON O 4/6/1916 Private 2nd Bn. '18998' 28.D.4 Bellevue P.B. DUNGATE A E 13/06/1916 Corporal 3rd Bn. '19209' NRB Mount Sorrel I.30 YASKEVICH P 14/06/1916 Private 8th Bn. '19465' NRB ADAMS C C O M 13/06/1916 Lieutenant 16th Bn.   28.I.30 Mount Sorrel GORDON H R 13/06/1916 Lieutenant 3rd Bn.   Hill 60 28.I.29.c.8.2 GRASETT H M 13/06/1916 Lieutenant "B" Coy. 3rd Bn.   NRB VAN DER SMISSEN W H V 13/06/1916 Captain "C" Coy. 3rd Bn.   28.I.30.a.8.2

     

[laughton]

• COG-BR 1838938: Captain of the King's Royal Rifle Corps, no specific battalion or date, would take some work
  • 15 on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial and 5 on the Tyne Cot Memorial (CWGC Link)
• COG-BR 1838941: UCS of the 1st Royal Canadian Dragoons, but there are none missing in Belgium (CWGC Link) - 10 total

THE END

[fetubi]

@laughton

Richard, I'm on the Case, with our man - can't be too many MCs just in around there. Thank you, as ever.

 

Well done.

 

Trevor

Edited 10 February , 2020 by fetubi