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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Today's harvest with the diggers in Boezinghe


tammilnad

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Thats Good Frans ,hope you and Mel are well, see you soon i hope .

The last year I have sufferred with my hearing.

Mel decided to learn how to play the bagpipes.

The first six months were a nightmare. No wonder the germans were scared.

But now she is getting the hang of playing the bag with sticks it is becoming pleasant.

Otherwise I am fine.

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I have to include this picture of Frans showing the signs of Builders Bum.

John

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Patrick and his wife enjoying the view of Frans also it raised giggles from a group of school girls.

John

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This I had to include this of a lone poppy growing out of the boards tracing the outline of the 1917 trench.

John

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Frans, John and the team have done a superb job with the Yorkshire trench but Frans is so modest he won't blow his own trumpet so I shall for him. Yesterday I saw the new Tank Memorial Ypres Salient Garden of Remembrance that Frans is constructing ( with a little mulling help from John ) and with a little bossing by Mel. It looks simply magnificent! The 243 personalised poppy tributes that stand in regimented rows side by side in that garden ensures these men will be commemorated and remembered at the Memorial Inauguration Ceremony. You will make the attending tank soldiers families of today most happy indeed, as you have made me already. Thank you mate ;)

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Lovely pic John. Such beautiful flowers to compliment your superb achievement.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I returned to to Ypres to attend the Tank Dedication Ceremony at Poelkapple on 10th October,, (which I'm sure Chris Lock will furnish a full report). Today with Frans, Ronny and myself we finally laid the last two sections of Trench Boards which finally completes the refurbishment for this year at the Yorkshire Trench.

John

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Ronny removing the old Trench Board from the A Frame.

John

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  • 1 month later...

Can anyone supply me with the following information regarding the soldiers remains discovered at the Boezinghe excavation site the total figure for which I understand is in excess of 200.

1.0 A breakdown of the total number of individual remains found by nationality

2.0 The War Cemeteries where the remains were laid to rest & the numbers in each cemetery.

3.0 The total number of identified remains by nationality and name plus the War Cemeteries where they now lay (Included in 2.0 above).

Regards

Norman

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  • 3 weeks later...

Norman

I will be with Frans on Monday and I will ask him to dig out the information, If he hasn't got it Patrick will have it.

John

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  • 5 months later...

With thanks to John Reed these are the figures for the number of soldiers remains found on the site:

British: 91

German: 83

French: 33

A total of 207

Now all I need to find out is both where the British remains are buried and the grave plot refs. Looks like a mail to the CWGC is required.

Regards

Norman

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Email sent to the Ypres CWGC office requesting details of the war cemetery(ies) in which the 91 are buried and location details.

Norman

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Norman

I think that you will find a lot of the Britiah were buried at Cement House Cemetery, Near Langemark.

John

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Norman

Burial of an unknown British soldier at Cement House Cemetery - Langemark - 18/10/2002

On Thursday, October 30th2003, the burial took place of six soldiers which were found by the Diggers on the Boezinge Canal site. One soldier was member of the Somerset Light Infantry, fallen on the Boezinge Canal site battlefield, very probably on 6-9 July 1915... . No identifcation material was found on the others. Reverend Jones conducted the Ceremony, the buglars of the Last Post Committee played the Last Post and the Reveille and British Defence Attaché Geoff Bullen laid a wreath. The burial took place at Cement House Cemetery at Langemark.

On the 30/4/2004 the remains found at Bozenge were of four men, unidentified, of the Rifle Brigade (2), the Somerset Light Infantry (1), and of a non-identified regiment. The remains found near the A19 were of a non-identified regiment, and of a Northumberland Fusilier, probably fallen on 24 May 1915, near Mouse Trap Farm (in the Battle of Bellewaarde).

On Monday, November 14th, 2005, at Cement House Cemetery (Langemark), the remains were buried of three unknown soldiers found on the industrial estate near Boezinge. The short ceremony was conducted by Rev. Jones (St. George Memorial Church, Ypres).

The reburial of six unidentified British soldiers at Cement House Cemetery at Langemark on Tuesday, May, 27th, 2008.

The burial of three British soldiers at Cement House Cemetery at Langemark on Friday, September, 26th, 2008

Due to the fact that De-Diggers have been stopped by law from digging, the have been no bodies recovered to date.

John

t

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Thanks John for the extra info. At the time the interments were taking place I believe that the CWGC did not record the fact on the their website so the only information relating to the events came from this forum or third parties such as those who were involved in some way with the Diggers etc. Even the existing Diggers website is somewhat vague as regard to the actual numbers involved stating “Approx 200 until the summer of 2004”.

The number of remains identified as British (91) surely warranted a note on the CWGC cemetery description, particularly if the majority were interred at Cement House. The only notation here is “The cemetery is still used for the burial of remains that continue to be discovered in the vicinity, and a number of plots have been extended to accommodate these graves”.

I hope that the CWGC in Ypres will be able to provide the detailed information that I have requested as this must be readily available to them.

The Diggers Website

Regards

Norman

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At the time the interments were taking place I believe that the CWGC did not record the fact on the their website so the only information relating to the events came from this forum or third parties such as those who were involved in some way with the Diggers etc.

Why am I not surprised Norman.

Jim

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I have to include this picture of Frans showing the signs of Builders Bum.

John

Oh please it is like the crater at Lochnagar .

Dan

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Why am I not surprised Norman.

Jim

I agree Jim, what a way to remember those who ended their lives in the mud of Flanders only to be excavated and buried with nothing to mark their passing except a stone inscribed "Known unto God". In my opinion the lack of information made available by the CWGC both at the time of the interments and then the lack of any mention on the war cemetery database is not acceptable.

The other thing that surprises me is why this has not been discussed in any detail on this forum before, after all there was plenty of interest in the artifacts found on the industrial estate but as far as I am aware very little in respect of the dead. Mind you the thought does occur to me that not all of the remains have yet been interred; only a response from the CWGC will dispel that concern, if in fact any such response is forthcoming.

Regards

Norman

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Why am I not surprised Norman.

Jim

Likewise Jim and Norman,i too am totally unsurprised by the CWGC and their seemingly deliberate P**S Poor lack of Information and dire lack of communication skills....they really should be taken to task..Why are they being so Bloody secretive ?,just what is their major malfunction ?. :angry2:

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have today received the following information from the CWGC in Ypres for which I am very grateful:

The following British remains found at the Boezinge site were interred at Cement House War Cemetery, Langemark.

Plot 1 Row H Graves 5-16 (12)

Plot 2 Row AA Graves 1-17 (17)

Plot 2 Row BB Graves 1-17 (17)

Plot 2 Row CC Graves 2-15 (14)

Plot 3 Row AA Graves 11-16 (6)

Previously the total number quoted is 91 sets of remains and the above total is 66 therefore either multiple remains were interred in individual graves and/or further burials were made in other cemeteries. I have sent a another mail to the CWGC in Ypres in the hope that they will be able to clarify the matter.

Regards

Norman

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I have received a further reply from the CWGC in Ypres that they are unable to add to the information on the number of burials as previously notified. I have of course thanked them for their assistance in this matter. If anyone can help with the location of the “missing” 25 sets of remains please post.

Regards

Norman

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Norman

Is there any chance of you getting the dates of burials from 1992 (this is the date of the commencement of Phase 2 of the developement of the Baseinghe Site)

John

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Hi John, the mail from CWGC in Ypres does state that the figures they have supplied date from the year 1999 and I do not know whether they are able to go back any further.

Regards

Norman

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