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Red Farm Military Cemetery, Vlamertinghe, West Flanders is described as 2 miles west of Vlamertinghe Station and North of the Poperinghe – Ypres road. Used during the April – May 1918 battles of the Lys the Register records 46 U.K. and 3 Civilian burials.
Hagle Dump Cemetery, Elverdinghe, West Flanders is a further quarter of a mile west of Vlamertinghe and again North of the Poperinghe – Ypres road. The position was behind the British front line throughout the war. It was begun in April 1918 during the battles of the Lys and the Register records 397 U.K., 26 Aust., 14 Can., and 2 German burials.
The Headstone in Red Farm Cemetery records “3 Civilian Victims of the 1914 – 1918 War.” It is relatively unusual for civilians to be buried in Commonwealth War Graves Commission World War One sites so what happened?
Hagle Farm Cemetery was apparently developed as the Cemeteries at Hospital Farm, north of Hagle Dump and the site of a Dressing Station and Ferme Olivier Cemetery, Elverdinghe, the site of successive Field Ambulances, became full and was seemingly named after a Pioneer officer operating locally whose name was given to a small salvage dump.
Further along the lane from the main road after Hagle Farm Cemetery there is a large wooded area and in and around the wood itself was Dirty Bucket Camp, one of the largest camps in the Salient consisting of a series of huts and tented areas. The camp extended beyond the area of woodland into the fields to the North and, today, to the East is visible the group of Farm Buildings the site of Hospital Farm with Vlamertinghe on the horizon.
The Cemetery at Hagle Dump was begun in April 1918 next to a camp, Hagle Farm Camp.
The 10th Battalion of the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment had been transferred from the front between Arras and Amiens to Flanders but to the North of that included in the fighting which began on the 9th April 1918, the German Lys Offensive which lasted from the 9th to the 29th April 1918. The Battalion took part in the withdrawal from the advanced positions round Broodseinde and Passchendaele to a shorter line some distance in the rear. The withdrawal was unmolested by the enemy and the rear parties whom the Battalion had left to cover the retirement came back in safety. The War Diary records the following. The 23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment on the left withdrew to Battle line and the Battalion took over the whole of the Brigade Front holding the same as outpost line. “B” and “C” Companies in the original Front Line with “A” and “D” Companies in Support and Reserve. Battalion came under the orders of G.O.C. 124 Infantry Brigade, who was appointed O.C. Corps Outpost Line. On the 13th, 14th and 15th the Battalion remained in Outpost Line. On the 16th April at 9 p.m. “A” and “D” Companies withdrew to La Brique Camp. At 2 a.m. 16th “B” and “C” Companies commenced to withdraw from the front line, leaving party of 6 per Company until 3.30 a.m. and finally reached La Brique at 8 a.m. Battalion resting and 2 Companies working on Ypres defences. Headquarters moved to Canal Bank. On the 17th April it is recorded that the Battalion was working on the Ypres defences when on the 18th April Lieutenant Percival and 100 Other Ranks joined the Battalion from Details Camp. Then from the 19 to the 26th April the Battalion was working on Ypres Defences with nearly 200 Casualties being sustained by enemy Gas Shelling. On the 26th/27th April the Battalion was relieved by the 20th Battalion Durham Light Infantry and marched to V3 on the Brielen Line. On the 27th the Battalion was working on V3 line. A serious explosion occurred behind the Detail Camp at G6 2.3 sheet 28 N.W. Belgium about 1230 p.m. caused by a H.V. enemy shell striking an Ammunition and Guncotton Dump. The camp was wrecked and numerous huts set on fire by the explosion. Rescue parties at once set to work to assist in recovering the numerous casualties from the debris and extinguish the fires, in face of great danger from recurring explosions from the dump. Casualties suffered by the Battalion totalled Killed Lieutenant D F Anderson, Other Ranks 17; Wounded Other Ranks 28. Missing Other Ranks 1.
The Regimental History records 2nd Lieutenant Shrimpton, though badly shaken, at once organized rescue parties, got soldiers and civilians out of burning buildings, saved a large number of valuable horses and all this under heavy shelling, for this work being subsequently awarded the M.C. while C.S.M. W. J. Byrne who had also been most assiduous and resourceful received the D.C.M. The Citation in he L.G. 3 Sept. 1918 records "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. This W.O., after an ammunition and guncotton dump had been blown up by enemy shell fire, although badly shaken by the explosion, immediately organised rescue parties, and showed both courage and coolness in rescuing soldiers and civilians from the burning buildings, while explosiions continued to occur and shells to fall in the destroyed area."
From the 28th to the end of the month the Battalion continued working on V3 Line.
Other Regiments sustained casualties, particularly the 10th Battalion of the Queen’s Royal (West Surrey) Regiment. This Battalion came to Poperinghe in early April 1918 and on the 7th April relieved a battalion of the 29th Division in the Passchendaele sector holding posts to the south of the village remaining in these positions until the 14th April but that night owing to German successes south-west of Ypres it was decided to hold the line lightly and draw one battalion back into reserve, and the Queen’s then took over the front hitherto occupied by the withdrawn battalion as well as that they were themselves holding, being responsible for 2,200 yards of front. By the 16th April the loss of Kemmel necessitated the retirement of the line nearer Ypres and during the early morning of the 16th, the Battalion fell back quietly and unnoticed by the enemy to the defences in front of Ypres where all were employed on the Intermediate Zone defences from Sally Port to St. Jean road, a distance of 1200 yards the line running through the cemetery which later became the main line of resistance. Conditions here were tolerably quiet except for mustard gas shelling two or three times a week which caused most of the casualties incurred. The Battalion remained about the Ypres defences until early May.
Fred Dixon served with the 10th Battalion of the Queen’s, survived the war and wrote an article which appeared in the December 1982 Edition of Stand Two. He described the position standing on the main Ypres – Poperinghe road when facing east towards Ypres there was the road on the left leading to Dirty Bucket Camp. On the corners of this side road was a solid farm house and a Casualty Clearing Station with behind the CCS an ammunition dump. Further along the Dirty Bucket Camp road on the right-hand side was a lineof houses occupied by civilians whilst on the left and beyond the farm house a wooden shack from which two Belgian girls dispensed fried eggs and chips.
Fred Dixon and his colleagues occupied a Nissen hut behind the farm house the roof of which, because of the nightly gunning from the air, was protected by a double row of sandbags with a three foot bank of earth round the outside.
“One day as we were sitting on our respective kits, eating our stew from our mess tins, the top of the Nissen hut including the sandbags collapsed on the top of us. The entrance was blocked so we scrambled out over the top only to find the air filled with exploding .303 ammunition. It was obvious that the dump had gone up. Later in the day we were able to visit the ruined hut to salvage our equipment. We found the farm house had taken some of the shock from us and the sandbagged roof the rest. The CCS did not exist the civilian houses were shattered and a crater the side and depth of a small lake had appeared where the dump had stood. The wooden shack had disappeared along with the two girls. All the houses in the area which had not been wrecked had lost their roofs. Half-way down the far side of the crater was a baby’s pram.”
On enquiry of the CWGC the original hand-drawn plan of Red Farm Cemetery was traced and this had a note “Fourth grave along; three Belgian civilians – 2 adults, 1 child.”
He surmised almost certainly correctly that the burials were of the two girls who served the troops with egg and chips and the child was the one-time occupant of the pram he had seen half way down the side of the crater.
It is understood some 20 servicemen probably casualties from the CCS awaiting transport back to Poperinghe were killed and buried in Red Farm Cemetery.
The following lists refer to place of burial and casualties of the 10th Battalion Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) killed on the 27th April in this explosion..
BRANDHOEK NEW MILITARY CEMETERY No.3, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
ALDERTON, Serjeant, G, 8008, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. I. O. 25.
DAY, Company Quartermaster Serjeant, BURCOMBE JOHN, 11628, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). , Died of wounds 27 April 1918. Age 29. Son of John and Rebecca Day, of Kennington, London. Formerly Sqdn. Q.M.S. 21st Lancers. 7th Reserve Regt. of Cavalry. Grave Ref. I. O. 31.
HAGLE DUMP CEMETERY, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
ANDERSON, Lieutenant, DONALD FRASER, 4th Bn. attd. 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). , Killed in action 27 April 1918. Age 27. Son of Alexander and Jane Anderson, of North Shields. Grave Ref. I. D. 7.
BARTON, Company Quartermaster Serjeant, G T, 205808, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 27 April 1918. Age 31. Son of Mrs. Olive Frances Barton; husband of Naomi Barton, of 29, Canterbury Rd., Whitstable, Kent. Grave Ref. I. C. 4.
BLACKMORE, Private, F C, 4886, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 27 April 1918. Age 38. Son of William Richard and Mary Ann Blackmore; husband of Kate Blackmore, of 8, Great Queen St., Dartford, Kent. Grave Ref. I. C. 2.
BRETT, Private, VICTOR ALFRED, 19936, "D" Coy. 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). , Killed in action 27 April 1918. Age 20. Son of Frederick Richard and Bridget Brett, of 16 E.C. Cottages, Bean, Stone, Dartford. Grave Ref. I. D. 14.
CLARK, Serjeant, PERCY JOHN, 8004, "A" Coy. 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). , Killed in action 27 April 1918. Age 31. Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Henry Clark, of 13, Alfred Rd., Dover; husband of Emily Dode (formerly Clark), of Elmstone Court Lodge, Elmstone, Canterbury. Grave Ref. I. D. 4.
COE, Company Quartermaster Serjeant, CHARLES ALBERT, 9208, "C" Coy. 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 27 April 1918. Age 37. Husband of Agnes E. Coe, of 3, Lynton Villas, Southwall Rd., Deal. Grave Ref. I. C. 9.
CRAMP, Private, S W, 7860, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. I. D. 3.
DAMANT, Private, P A, 19157, D S M, M S M, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 27 April 1918. Age 30. Son of Allan John and Mary Ann Damant, of Woodbine Cottage, Stoke Lyne, Bicester, Oxon. Grave Ref. I. D. 11.
EDWARDS, Private, FREDERICK WILLIAM, 17354, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). , Killed in action 27 April 1918. Age 20. Son of Frederick John and Ellen Mary Edwards, of The Lodge, Scriventon, Speldhurst, Tunbridge Wells. Grave Ref. I. D. 12.
MARCHANT, Lance Corporal, RICHARD FREDERICK JOHN, 9309, "C" Coy. 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). , Killed in action 27 April 1918. Age 25. Son of Mrs. Marchant, of Maidstone, Kent; husband of Edith Maude Marchant, of 3, Married Quarters, R.A. Barracks, Ipswich. Grave Ref. I. C. 7.
MILES, Lance Serjeant, HERBERT, 23569, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). , Killed in action 27 April 1918. Age 24. Son of John and Elizabeth A. Miles, of 91, Green St., Eastbourne. Grave Ref. I. D. 6.
MORGAN, Private, E, 10466, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. I. D. 10.
SMITH, Serjeant, CALEB, 205837, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 27 April 1918. Age 29. Son of Caleb and Sarah Smith, of 1, Riga Villas, Albany Rd., Sittingbourne, Kent. Born at Godalming, Surrey. Grave Ref. I. C. 5.
TAYLOR, Lance Serjeant, RICHARD TIMOTHY, 24251, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 27 April 1918. Age 32. Son of John and Lydia Taylor, of 5, Warndon St., Rotherhithe, London. Grave Ref. I. D. 2.
THORPE, Private, L, 205566, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. I. D. 13.
TURNBULL, Lance Corporal, MONTAGU DALSTON, 11647, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). , Killed in action 27 April 1918. Age 31. Son of Ellen Turnbull, of 13, Woodland Way, Mill Hill, London, and the late C. S. Turnbull. Born at Blackheath, London. Grave Ref. I. D. 5.
The missing casualty is probably the following.
TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
JONES, Serjeant, GEORGE, G/10684, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 27 April 1918. Panel 106 to 108.
Of the 28 wounded the following almost certain died from their wounds the following day, Boulogne being the site for a number of Stationary and General Hospitals
BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France
PEARCE, Corporal, ALBERT EDWARD, 21204, 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). 28 April 1918. Age 34. Son of Walter and Elizabeth Pearce; husband of L. C. Pearce, of Heathfield Rd., Riverhead, Sevenoaks. Grave Ref. IX. A. 55.
Other casualties from the explosion from other Regiments were the following.
HAGLE DUMP CEMETERY, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
GREGSON, Gunner, F, 51074, "V" VIII Corps Heavy T.M. Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. I. D. 9.
MAUNSELL, Second Lieutenant, REGINALD HARCOURT PROCTOR, Royal Garrison Artillery. , Killed in action 27 April 1918. Age 37. Son of the late Edward Marriott Maunsell and Ellen Margaret Maunsell. Grave Ref. I. D. 16.
SMEATON, Sapper, M, 178375, 5th Army Tramway Coy., Royal Engineers. 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. I. C. 6.
STEVENSON, Second Lieutenant, ARTHUR, 152nd Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. , Killed in action 27 April 1918. Age 24. Son of James and Elsie Stevenson, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Grave Ref. I. D. 15.
THOMPSON, Corporal, J, 459521, 5th Foreway Coy., Royal Engineers. 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. I. D. 1.
RED FARM MILITARY CEMETERY, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
ATTFIELD, Rifleman, WILLIAM HENRY, 43561, 11th/13th Bn., Royal Irish Rifles. , formerly 6th Bn., London Regiment (City of London Rifles) 27 April 1918. Age 35. Son of Alfred and Susan Attfield, of Southsea, Portsmouth; husband of Annie Attfield, of 14, Paxton Rd., Chiswick, London. Grave Ref. A. 2.
BARTROP, Gunner, OLIVER GEORGE, 175415, 191st Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Age 30. Son of William and Mary Ann Bartrop, of Worksop; husband of Elizabeth Annie Bartrop, of 171, Carlton Rd., Worksop, Notts. Grave Ref. C. 4.
COWEN, Gunner, J E, 49657, 30th Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. C. 16.
DUERN, Gunner, CHARLES ARTHUR, 284580, 21st Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. B. 12.
DYAS, Gunner, JOHN JOSEPH, 44325, "V" 8th Heavy T.M. Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. , Killed in action 27 April 1918. Age 28. Son of John Joseph and Sarah Dyas, of Mountain Ash, Glam.; husband of Blodwen Dyas, of 20, Avondale St., Ynysboeth, Abercynon, Glam. Enlisted Oct., 1914. Grave Ref. C. 12.
EDWARDS, Gunner, GEORGE ALFRED, 46580, 375th Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Age 29. Husband of Catherine Beatrice (Kitty) Edwards, of 42, Parkfield St., Islington, London. Grave Ref. C. 15.
HORSFALL, Gunner, JOHN PERCY, 312682, "V" 8th Heavy T.M. Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Age 23. Husband of Lavina Ellen Horsfall, of 57, New Bolsover, Chesterfield. Grave Ref. B. 14.
INGRAM, Rifleman, ALFRED WILLIAM, R/20937, 18th Bn., King's Royal Rifle Corps. 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. C. 6.
KIMBLEY, Gunner, PHILLIP, 77671, 375th Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. B. 1.
LUDOVICI, Bombardier, FREDERICK, 58824, 63rd Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. , Killed in an explosion at Hagle Dump Brandhoek 27 April 1918. Age 23. Son of Frederick and Grace Ludovici, of "West Holme", Kinross Avenue, Bambalapitiya, Colombo, Ceylon. Grave Ref. C. 8.
DMcNAIR, Gunner, ANDREW, 326280, 375th Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Age 21. Son of James McNair, of Helensburgh; husband of Sarah McNair, of 16 Kempock Place, Gourock, Renfrewshire. Grave Ref. A. 3.
PRICE-CANNING, Gunner, FRANK, 150880, 434th Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Age 33. Husband of Nellie Price-Canning, of 16, Farnworth St., Kensington, Liverpool. Grave Ref. C. 14.
REGAN, Gunner, W, 70960, "V" 8th Heavy T.M. Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. C. 11.
ROWSWELL, Gunner, ALFRED, 276741, 63rd Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Age 46. Son of William and Margaret Rowswell, of Gravesend, Kent. Grave Ref. B. 2.
SAMPSON, Private, GEORGE HAROLD, M2/227554, 406th M.T. Coy., Army Service Corps. 27 April 1918. Age 27. Son of George and Kate Sampson, of Dalston, London; husband of Rose Sampson, of 30A, St. John's Rd., Stamford Hill, London. Grave Ref. B. 15.
SAMPSON, Rifleman, LESLIE, A/203830, 18th Bn., King's Royal Rifle Corps. 27 April 1918. Age 21. Son of William and Minnie M. Sampson, of 13, North Parade, Penzance. Grave Ref. B. 3.
THOMAS, Private, ROBERT HENRY, 68146, 11th Bn., The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment). 27 April 1918. Age 18. Son of Mrs. A. E. Thomas. Grave Ref. C. 3.
TOMS, Gunner, S R, 65198, "V" 8th Heavy T.M. Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. B. 10.
WATTS, Gunner, JOHN HENRY, 75611, 112th Heavy Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery. 27 April 1918. Age 41. Son of John and Grace Watts, of North Molton, Devon; husband of Emily Watts, of Atherington, Umberleigh, Devon. Grave Ref. C. 13.
WILSON, Rifleman, W S, 40154, M M and Bar, 14th Bn., Royal Irish Rifles attd. II Corps Temp. Works. 27 April 1918. Grave Ref. C. 7.
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