In Memory of Walter George GRAY, Lance Corporal, 6055, Suffolk Regiment who died Saturday 8th May 1915.
Cemetery: WYTSCHAETE MILITARY CEMETERY, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Grave Reference/Panel Number: IV. A. 4
Region: West-Vlaanderen
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.78458, Longitude: 2.87702
LOCATION:
Wytschaete Military Cemetery is located 5Km south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg N365, which connects Ieper (formerly Ypres) to Wijtschate (Wytschaete( and on to Armentieres. From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through to Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg. The first right hand turning on reaching the village of Wijtschate leads onto the Hospicestraat, leading to the village square. The Kemmelstraat leads from the village square, 500 metres beyond which lies the cemetery on the right hand side of the road.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Wytschaete was held by the French or British forces until, after a severe bombardments, it was captured by the Germans on the 1st November, 1914. It was retaken the next day, for a short time, by the French XVIth Corps and British Cavalry; but from that date until 7th June, 1917 (the Battle of Messines) it remained in enemy hands.
From June, 1917, to April, 1918, it was in our possession; and on the 16th April 1918, it was captured by the Germans after six days’ fighting.
On the 28th September it was finally retaken by British troops.
The Battle Exploit Memorial of the 16th (Irish) Division adjoins the Military Cemetery, and that of the 19th (Western) Division is North-East of the village, on the Ypres-Warneton road.
The Military Cemetery was made after the Armistice by the concentration of isolated graves and small cemeteries from the battlefields of 1914-1918 surrounds Wytschaete. There are now over 1,000, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site.
Of these, over two-thirds are unidentified and sixteen special headstones are erected to commemorate soldiers from the United Kingdom known, or believed, to be buried among them.
There are also memorials to four soldiers from the United Kingdom buried, but not found, in the Cemetery near Rossignol Estaminet; three buried, but not found, at R.E. (Beaver) Farm; two buried, but not found, at Rest and be Thankful Farm.
The cemetery covers an areas of 3,267 square metres and is enclosed by walls and curbs.
The more important cemeteries concentrated into Wytschaete Military Cemetery were:- REST AND BE THANKFUL FARM, Kemmel, 1 .6 kilometres North of Kemmel village, containing 23 graves of soldiers from the United Kingdom, all but one of whom fell in 1915 and thirteen of whom belonged to the 2nd Suffolks, R.E. (BEAVER) FARM, KEMMEL, near the Kemmel-Millekruisse road, which contained the graves of 18 Royal Engineers and four Canadian Engineers who fell in 1915-1917.
The CEMETERY NEAR Rossignol Estaminet, KEMMEL, on the road to Vierstraat which contained 18 graves of soldiers from the United Kingdom (11 of the 1st Wiltshire Regiment), who fell January-April 1915.
SOMER FARM CEMETERY No. 2, WYTSCHAETE, which contained thirds graves of soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried by the 1Xth Corp in June, 1917.
GORDON CEMETERY, KEMMEL, on the road to Vierstraat, which contained 19 graves of soldiers from the United Kingdom. These fell in January-May, 1915, and 14 of them belonged to the 1st Gordon Highlanders.
Transcript of letter from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to Peter Cooper, 21 August 2000
ADDITIONAL HISTORY INFORMATION
Wytschaete (now Wijtschate) was taken by the Germans early in November 1914. It was recovered by Commonwealth forces during the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917, but fell into German hands once more on 16 April 1918. The village was recovered for the last time on 28 September. The cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from isolated positions surrounding Wytschaete and the following small battlefield cemeteries:- REST AND BE THANKFUL FARM, KEMMEL: 23 UK burials (13 of them 2nd Suffolks), mostly of 1915. R.E. (BEAVER) FARM, KEMMEL: 18 Royal Engineer and four Canadian Engineer burials of 1915-1917. The CEMETERY NEAR ROSSIGNOL ESTAMINET, KEMMEL: 18 UK burials (11 of the 1st Wiltshire Regiment), of January-April 1915. SOMER FARM CEMETERY No.2, WYTSCHAETE: 13 UK burials made by IXth Corps in June 1917. GORDON CEMETERY, KEMMEL: 19 UK burials (14 of them 1st Gordon Highlanders) of January-May 1915. There are now 1,002 servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 673 of the burials are unidentified, but there are special memorials to 16 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate casualties known to have been buried at the Cemetery near Rossignol Estaminet, RE (Beaver) Farm and Rest and be Thankful Farm, whose graves could not be found on concentration. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.