Hedge Row Trench Cemetery, Zillebeke, West Flanders. Sometimes called Ravine Wood. SW of Woods Cemetery on W edge of wood, 2 miles from Zillebeke. Begun March 1915 used until August 1917. Cemetery suffered very severely from shell fire and after Armistice positions of individual graves not found so headstones arranged symmetrically round the Cross of Sacrifice. Records 94 UK., 2 Can., and 2 unknown burials..

Grave in Hedge Row Trench Cemetery of Captain Harold Walter Joel London Regiment 21st (County of London) Battalion (First Surrey Rifles) killed in action 7th June 1917., aged 20. The Ypres salient was dominated by German-held high ground, in particular the long Messines Ridge, south of Ypres. In 1915 tunnelling companies had begun long shafts dug towards the ridge around the village of Wytschaete, the work continued during 1916 and 1917 until 22 mines were being worked in an enormous ten mile crescent running from Hill 60 2 miles SE of Ypres to Ploegsteert pointing at the heart of the German positions on the ridge. One of the mines was discovered and destroyed by the Germans but work continued on the rest. It was decided to use 19 of the remaining 21 which were wired and tamped ready to be blasted simultaneously at zero hour on June 7th 1917 prior to the infantry rushing the ridge. At 0310 the mines were exploded and an artillery barrage was also opened on the ridge. An unknown number of Gemans had been entombed or blown to pieces, 7300 prisoners were taken but beyond the ridge itself the most bitter fighting was going on the left flank of the offensive with the 23rd Division suffering considerable casualties in its efforts to clear Battle Wood. The 47th (2nd London) Division was to take the 40 yard bank of earth built from local canal and rail excavations and known as the Spoil Bank. This was on the northern edge of the Ypres-Comines canal. The 1st Surrey Rifles made several attempts to capture this objective all of them unsuccessful in attempting to gain a foothold on the western edge of the Spoil Bank. A number of machine-gun emplacements had been built within it and after several efforts costing heavy casualties the 1st Surrey Rifles had done no more than gain a footing on the western end. In this action Captain lost his life. Headstone bears inscription “He lies content with that high hour in which he lived and died.” Son of Walter C and Amy Joel of 21 King Street Richmond Surrey.

Grave in Hedge Row Trench Cemetery of No 9075 Private William Drury 2nd Battalion Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment) killed in action 24th March 1915 aged 23 years. Headstone bears inscription “There glory shall not be blotted out.” Born Gaisnborough, enlisted Bradford Yorks residence Dublin.

Grave in Hedge Row Trench Cemetery of NoS/9892 Rifleman Walter Alfred Stokes 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade killed in action 29th October 1915 aged 17 years. Headstone bears inscription “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.” Born Walworth, enlisted Camberwell Surrey, residence Walworth Surrey. Son of Walter and Milly Stokes 18 Thurlow Street Walworth London.

Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery, Ploegsteert, West Flanders. On road from Messines to Armentieres 1 mile N of the village, begun by the 1/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment in April 1915. Records 81 U.K., 1 Can., 1 Aust., and 4 German burials.

Grave in Hyde Park Corner Cemetery of No C/7259 Rifleman Albert Edward French 18th Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps killed in action 15th June 1916 aged 16 years born Wolverton Bucks, enlisted St Pancras Middlesex whilst residing at Wolverton.

Grave in Hyde Park Corner Cemetery of Lieutenant Ronald William Poulton-Palmer 1st/4th Battalion Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment) killed in action 4th May 1915. Headstone bears inscription “His was the joy That made people smile When they met him. Lt S L Reiss.”

Grave in Hyde Park Corner Cemetery of No 3053 Private Frederick William Giles 1st/4th Battalion Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment) killed in action 28th April 1915 aged 17 years and one of the first burials in this cemetery.

Grave in Hyde Park Corner Cemetery of No 5009 Rifleman Samuel McBride 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles executed for desertion at Hope Farm on the northern edge of Ploegsteert Wood on the 7th December 1916. Rifleman McBride had been sentenced to 2 years imprisonment with hard labour on the 25th January 1915 on a charge of desertion (having served with the B.E.F. since 6th December 1914) but was released on suspension on 3rd January 1916. Whilst the Battalion was in the Vimy Ridge sector in May 1916 Rifleman McBride went absent when his platoon were resting in a reserve position about 800 yards behind the front line. The men had been subjected to heavy fire especially from German trench mortars. On the 17th September 1916 an N.C.O. of No 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital apprehended the Rifleman at Outreau near Boulogne the Court Martial taking place on the 25th November 1916.

Hagle Dump Cemetery, Elverdinghe, West Flanders.  3 miles West of Vlamertinghe, North of Poperinghe-Ypres road.  Behind British front line throughout the war.  Begun April 1918 during battles of the Lys.  Records 397 UK, 26 Aust., 14 Can. and 2 German burials.  Enlarged after the Armistice and 16 British and 4 Canadian soldiers were concentrated here from Brielen Military Cemetery, on the south side of Brielen village, and used from April 1915 to September 1917. 

 Grave in Hagle Dump Cemetery, Elverdinghe of No 201605 Private Frederick Charles Healy 4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment killed in action 26th September 1917.  Headstone bears an inscription “In restful keeping.  A gamekeeper.” The Battle of Polygon Wood was fought between the 26th September and the 3rd October 1917.  As part of 98th Brigade, the Battalion attacked.  Zero hour was at 0515 but the Battalion was caught in a German barrage and the attack was put back until 0530 but this time the shelling had become intense, the British barrage was lost and the troops were only able to join up with the troops at Black Watch corner some 1000 yards short of the objective.  The CO Colonel Copeman had arranged for the troops to advance linked hand in hand so as not to lose touch in the darkness.  Some platoons did make progress  but the following day 98 Brigade attacked again with fierce and confused fighting continuing until 1550 when the Brigade was in touch with the Australians at Cameron Covert.  In this action Private Healy was killed.

Grave in Hagle Dump Cemetery of No 45980 Private Walter Dossett 1/4th Yorks and Lancaster executed 25th June 1918 for desertion.  Headstone bears inscription “Until we meet again.”  Served from 1916 in three different Machine Gun Companies, 143rd (part of 48 Division), 118th (part of 39 Division) and 63rd (part of 21 Division) until being transferred to 1/4th Battalion Yorks and Lancaster.  Private Dossett went absent from his Battalion during the German Offensive in April 1918, the Courts Martial appears to have been on the 8th June 1918.  On the 25th June the death sentence having been confirmed, Private Dossett was brought by ambulance to a rifle range near Vlamertinghe,  he was bound in a chair, a blindfold applied and a piece of white paper pinned over his heart.  The firing squad had been selected from machine gunners in 21 Division.

Grave in Hagle Dump Cemetery of No 202893 Private George Ainley 1/4th KOYLI executed 30th July 1918 for desertion.  Private Ainley had been tried on 28th January 1918 for a self inflicted wound but before the end of the Summer of 1918 he had deserted three times.  The Courts Martial was apparently on the 13th July and was for the three offences of desertion.  The Commanding Officer of the Battalion submitted a report for the Court;  “Private Ainley appears to be lacking a sense of responsibility, and his military character in consequence is not good.”  He was executed on the 30th July 1918 when he was 20 years of age and almost certainly a conscript originally from Sheffield.

 Hop Store Cemetery, Vlamertinghe, West Flanders.  3 miles West of Ypres and West of the village, for a time used as Headquarters by Heavy Artillery and Field Ambulances records 247 U.K., 1 Can., and 1 French burial.

Cross of Sacrifice by entrence to Hop Store Cemetery Vlamertinghe and the Hop Store in the background.  Medical units established an Advanced Dressing Station in the Hop Store in early 1915 and burials in the cemetery began in May 1915.

Grave in Hop Store Cemetery of Captain William Henry Jepson St Leger Atkinson 1st (Royal) Dragoons killed in action 12th May 1915 aged 33 years.  Headstone bears inscription “I thank my god upon every remembrance of thee.” The Battle of Frezenberg Ridge which lasted from the 8th to the 13th May 1915 was the penultimate phase of the Second Battle of Ypres.  The 1st (Royal) Dragoons were in 6 Cavalry Brigade and part of 3rd Cavalry Division which wasbrought forward to hold the font line and relieve the 28th Division during the night of 12th and 13th May when Captain Atkinson was killed.  Son of J J and I Atkinson of Cosgrove Priory Stony Stratford.

Hospital Farm Cemetery, Elverdinghe, West Flanders.  4 miles NW of Ypres, 2 miles from Vlamertinghe and near the road to Elverdinghe.  Hospital Farm was used as a dressing station and the Cemetery is behind the farm.  Records 115 UK and 1 French civilian burials.

Grave in Hospital Farm Cemetery of Lieutenant Lambert Playfair Royal Flying Corps (formerly Royal Scots) killed in action 6th July 1915.  Headstone bears inscription “Not unto us oh Lord not unto us but to thee give glory.”  Lambert Playfair was born in India, his parents lived in Upper Assam, and he was educated at Sandhurst being commissioned in the 1st Battalion Royal Scots in January 1913.  He later joined the Royal Flying Corps and on the 6th July 1915 his Avro 504 was on artillery observation duties over St Julien.  At 1104 a.m. the aircraft was attacked by two German Aviatiks, a burst of machine gun fire hit the Avro’s engine, and Lieutenant Playfair was found to be dead when the aircraft made a forced landing near Hospital Farm.

Graves in Hospital Farm Cemetery of Captain Robert William Christian Meyer Rodgers Royal Garrison Artillery killed in action 29th July 1917, Captain Andrew Duncan MacNeill Royal Garrison Artillery 21st Heavy Battery killed in action 29th July 1917 and 2nd Lieutenant Alfred Ebenezer Voysey Royal Garrison Artillery 21st Heavy Battery killed in action 29th July 1917.  There were many gun sites in the Hospital Farm area and these three officers were killed on the 29th July 1917 in the lead up to the third Battle of Ypres which began on the 31st July.