robbie Posted 18 March , 2005 Share Posted 18 March , 2005 I am having great difficulty reading the text on this WW1 Belgian's gravestone I found in Canterbury. His name is Wattier, that's about all I can read.. Would be grateful for any help, thanks all. Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CGI Posted 18 March , 2005 Share Posted 18 March , 2005 Robbie, Not everything, but hope this helps : WATTIER Gaston - ... (?) sous lieutenant 1er regiment de chasseurs a pied né à ................ (?) le 18 decembre 1877 mort pour la Belgique le 2(?) novembre 1914 Cheers, CGI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted 18 March , 2005 Author Share Posted 18 March , 2005 Thanks for this..my eyes are terrible.. Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted 18 March , 2005 Author Share Posted 18 March , 2005 Can anyone else add to this? Many thanks. Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 21 March , 2005 Share Posted 21 March , 2005 Can anyone else add to this? Many thanks. Robbie <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Robbie, I wish I could help, or even try. But with the new upgraded Forum it appears that all photos have disappeared... The ones in attachment, the avatars, ... Sad. Is it just me ? Does anyone else have this problem ? It seems that others have seen the Belgian gravestone.... Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 22 March , 2005 Share Posted 22 March , 2005 Disregard my 'problem' in my posting. I was too impatient. I've just been informed that my problem is 'normal' , that some others have it too, and that it soon gradually will be solved. Looking forward to seeing the Belgian gravestone, and hoping that I will be able to help decipher ! Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted 17 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 April , 2005 Here is the photo of this man's grave found in Canterbury cemetery. Thanks to Aurel for alerting me to this and to CDT (Bob) for offering information on this man. RObbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyDick Posted 17 April , 2005 Share Posted 17 April , 2005 FYI: There are some Belgian wargraves like this in the cemetery in the grounds of the long-since-demolished military hospital in Netley, Southampton. (The cemetery is now adjacent to the Hampshire Constabulary Training Centre.) I assume these were an official design provided by the Belgian Govt. Ricardo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted 17 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 April , 2005 thanks ricardo...I had quite forgotten about this thread, until Bob emailed this morning to say he has some information about this man. Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 17 April , 2005 Share Posted 17 April , 2005 The only information CWGC hold on this Belgian is... Gaston Charles WATTIER Belgian Army Died 21.11.14 Grave N.27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted 17 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 April , 2005 Interesting thanks Terry. I wonder how he got to be buried in Canterbury. If he died in a ferry accident you'd think he would be in Shorncliffe or Cheriton in Folkestone. I wonder if he was another flu epidemic victim. Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 17 April , 2005 Share Posted 17 April , 2005 Robbie There are a number of Belgians buried in the south-east - many from 1914. There are some in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings in Sussex alone. They were wounded in the early days of the war and brought to UK hospitals as were British troops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted 17 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 April , 2005 Robbie There are a number of Belgians buried in the south-east - many from 1914. There are some in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings in Sussex alone. They were wounded in the early days of the war and brought to UK hospitals as were British troops. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Great thanks Terry. Would it have been Canterbury hospital? R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 17 April , 2005 Share Posted 17 April , 2005 Robbie, What your read on the headstone was correct. Except that he was born at Baudour (name you could not decipher) Baudour is a village in the Province of Henegouwen / Hainaut, 10 km west of Mons. And I think he died on 21 Nov 1914, not 2 Nov. (21 makes more sense, since this was in the First Battle of Ypres). Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted 17 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 April , 2005 Excellent, thanks Aurel, and thanks Terry, and thanks Bob. Can't complain about the service, can I? Fabulous place this Forum. Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 17 April , 2005 Share Posted 17 April , 2005 Robbie There are a number of Belgians buried in the south-east - many from 1914. There are some in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings in Sussex alone. They were wounded in the early days of the war and brought to UK hospitals as were British troops. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> There are a number of 1914 Belgian casualties buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery at Kensal Green in London. They have their own plot and, IIRC, they also have some sort of memorial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 17 April , 2005 Share Posted 17 April , 2005 Robbie, What your read on the headstone was correct. Except that he was born at Baudour (name you could not decipher) Baudour is a village in the Province of Henegouwen / Hainaut, 10 km west of Mons. And I think he died on 21 Nov 1914, not 2 Nov. (21 makes more sense, since this was in the First Battle of Ypres). Aurel <{POST_SNAPBACK}> A little extra... his army number was 125/ and his regiment was the 1st Jagers te Voet. His cause of death was "Died of Wounds" and he was born on 18th December 1877 (making him 37 years of age at death). He's listed as having died on 23rd November 1914. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted 17 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 April , 2005 fabulous thanks Dave, and Beppo. Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 17 April , 2005 Share Posted 17 April , 2005 Great thanks Terry. Would it have been Canterbury hospital? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> As Canterbury is so near the coast I am sure that several hospitals would have been set up for casualties although probably not so early in the war. He may well have been treated at what is now the Kent & Canterbury - A hospital where I have spent much time in the past two months after my 19 year old son was the victim of an unprovoked daylight attack in the quiet streets of fair Canterbury! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted 17 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 April , 2005 How unfortunate for your son. Is he OK now? Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 17 April , 2005 Share Posted 17 April , 2005 Yes he is and thank you for asking. A triple fracture of the cheek plus dented confidence and pride. The former now healed and the other two well on the way back to normal! Tough place that Canterbury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted 17 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 April , 2005 Oh no. I've just sold my house in Dover and bought another just out of canterbury. Robbie (always the last to know) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted 17 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 April , 2005 Oh no. I've just sold my house in Dover and bought another just out of canterbury. Robbie (always the last to know) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Bob has just sent me this newspaper cutting of the man in question. Many thanks Bob. Also a website which some may find useful. Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 18 April , 2005 Share Posted 18 April , 2005 Patrick deWolf would like a copy of thisphoto, I think as he is/was doing an inventory of Belgians who died. Unfortunately, he seems to have gone into purdah. He doesn't reply to anything I send him on his PANDORA mail address or via his website. Anyone know what has happened to him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soilsister Posted 7 July , 2006 Share Posted 7 July , 2006 Robbie, Not everything, but hope this helps : WATTIER Gaston - ... (?) sous lieutenant 1er regiment de chasseurs a pied né à ................ (?) le 18 decembre 1877 mort pour la Belgique le 2(?) novembre 1914 Cheers, CGI it s french and it says wattier gaston ...second lieutenant of first division foot hunters which is just the exact translation no idea what the equivalent is in english ...born at .... the 18th of december 1877 dead for his country belgium november 1914---he died of deadly wounds in the head by a bomb shell ??? sorry i m belgian but my english not allways accurate enough to give the right translation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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