Niederzwehren Cemetery.

[Bob Coulson]

Looking into a POW who was wounded and captured April 9th 1918 and died April 29th 1918 and is buried in this cemetery.

Would appreciate any cemetery info/location details.

Bob.

[Ralph J. Whitehead]

Bob, I did a bit of checking and found the following details:

The cemetery is located 10 kilometres south of Kassel and 2 kilometres from the main road from Kassel to Marburg. Approach Kassel on the A49 motorway leaving at junction Kassel Niederzwehren, which forms the Frankfurter Strasse. The first right hand turning leads into the Dittershauser Strasse. Continue on this road which becomes a narrow road at the bend. Follow the bend to the right, where the cemetery is clearly signposted, which leads to a small crossroads. Turn left at the crossroads where Niederzwehren Cemetery becomes visible from the roadside. The British plots now form a separate cemetery lying beside the Russian cemetery.

Historical Information: On the South-West side are the villages of Niederzwehren and Oberzwehren, and on a hill near to them is the cemetery made by the Germans for the burial of Prisoners of War who died at the local camp, called Niederzwehren. The cemetery was in use from March, 1915, onwards, and during the War almost 3,000 Allied soldiers or civilians (including 1,280 French, 1068 Russian, and 272 British) were buried in it. In 1922 the cemetery was chosen as one of the four permanent cemeteries to which the British dead in Germany should be gathered, and in the following four years 1,535 graves were brought in from 190 cemeteries in Baden, Bavaria, Hanover, Hesse, Saxony, and Westphalia.

The attached photo gives some idea of the cemetery grounds.

[Bob Coulson]

Ralph,

Thats tremendous thanks so very much for taking the trouble to look this up it helps enormously.

Bob.

[Bob Coulson]

As an aside to the above posting the CWGC details for the man in question 2nd Lt Harold D'arcy Champney of the Yorkshire Regt gives under the family info section,

"from Ingolstadt 1924"

Anyone know what this refers to?

Bob.

[Terry Denham]

Ingoldstadt Cemetery in Bavaria contained the graves of 23 British soldiers which were moved to Niederzwehren - presumably in 1924.

This man was obviously one of them and the n-o-k wanted this fact recorded and so they included the information on their Final Verification Form. The same information appears in the original CWGC register published in 1928.

[Bob Coulson]

Terry,

Many thanks for clearing that up, the picture builds.

Bob.

[roger]

Bob,

Here are the details of a Green Howard from Bedale you may find of interest

GEORGE CORPS

Private 201990

4/Yorkshire Regiment

Died Thursday 16 May 1918 DOW

Born, Bedale. Enlisted, Bedale. Resided, Bradford.

NIEDERZWEHREN CEMETERY Kassel, Hessen, German

Roger.

[Bob Coulson]

Roger,

Thanks for that, very possible he was wounded and captured in the same incident as Lt Champney.

The Lt and some of his men kept a Lewis Gun going until overpowered.

Bob.

[roger]

Bob,

If you turn up anything to confirm Private Corps was with Lt. Champney would you please let me know?

Just out of interest have you come across this chap in your Yorks Regt. research?

HAROLD MORRIS THOMAS

Second Lieutenant

1/4 Yorkshire Regiment

who died on Friday 10 November 1916. KIA

Husband of the late Elizabeth Thomas.

WARLENCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY Pas de Calais, France

I believe he would have been killed during the attack on Butte d’ Warlencourt

Regards,

Roger.

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Bob

Ingoldstadt Cemetery was used to bury Jewish-Bavarian Troops killed in WW1.

Perhaps this is the reason for the re-interrment of the British troops buried there?

http://www.historiker.de/projekte/hdbg/kri.../ingolstadt.htm

Dave

[Bob Coulson]

Dave,

Thanks for that info, very interesting and looks quite likely that this was the reason for the moves.

Bob.

[Bob Coulson]

Roger,

I've had a look again at Lt Champney who was with the 12th bn Teesside Pioneers and George Corps 4th battalion were indeed on the right of the 12th when the Lt was wounded and captured. So again it is possible they were captured together but I fear very hard to prove exactly.

Re 2nd Lt H M Thomas, the 4th battalion were in reserve for the attack on the Butte and by the time of him being KIA were moving out of the line after relief.

So I think he must have been killed as they moved away from the area.

If you come up with anything else please let me know.

Bob.

[roger]

Bob,

Thanks for that. I'm sorry I missed your last post and it's taken me so long to thank you.

Because I work away from home I must have missed this one while trying to catch up.

Thanks again,

Roger.

[Eddie Morton]

Hello Bob

I visited this cemetery in 2002 to find two men from Oakenshaw (Bradford West Yorks). Found them both, they died two years apart and they were buried next to each other.

Its a long drive but the location is as Ralph described, you actually turn off the main road and up the hills as you enter the town of Kassel.

Had a long talk with the gardener who filled me in on a lot of the local history. The Russion cemetery is next door and also buried in there is a number of German doctors and staff from the prison camp. Regards, Eddie

[Eddie Morton]

Hello Bob

I visited this cemetery in 2002 to find two men from Oakenshaw (Bradford West Yorks). Found them both, they died two years apart and they were buried next to each other.

Its a long drive but the location is as Ralph described, you actually turn off the main road and up the hills as you enter the town of Kassel.

Had a long talk with the gardener who filled me in on a lot of the local history. The Russion cemetery is next door and also buried in there is a number of German doctors and staff from the prison camp. Regards, Eddie

[Bob Coulson]

Eddie,

Thanks for that, very interesting and nice to find your two men from the same place buried side by side.

Bob.