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Yorkshire
Regiment War Graves, - Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery (Belgium, West Vlaanderen) |
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Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery (1)
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>).
The village of Kemmel and the adjoining hill, Mont Kemmel, were the scene of fierce fighting in the latter half of April 1918, in which both Commonwealth and French forces were engaged.
The cemetery was begun in January 1917 and Plots I to III were made by field ambulances and fighting units before the middle of January 1918. Plot IV was begun in April 1918. After the Armistice, graves were brought into Plot I, Row H, and Plots IV to VII, from two smaller cemeteries (FERME HENRI PATTYN-VANLAERES, Poperinghe and MONT-VIDAIGNE MILITARY CEMETERY, Westoutre) and from the battlefields of Dikkebus, Loker and Kemmel.
Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery now contains 805 First World War burials, 109 of them unidentified.
Amongst the graves are those for 14 soldiers who served with the Yorkshire Regiment.
We are extremely grateful to Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) who has generously provided the photographs on this page. Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>) has also kindly provided photos of the headstones of soldiers who served with the Yorkshire Regiment.
Click on the thumbnail image of a headstone for a larger version of the photo which opens in a new window.
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Private George
Edward Bailey, 38710. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 8 May 1918. Born Darlington, Enlisted Darlington. Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Serjeant Harry Brockbanks. 4281.
30th Battalion Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), formerly 16143 Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 31 August 1918. Born Sunderland, Enlisted Sunderland. Photo by Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>) |
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Corporal W Frederick Chicken.
16416. 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 8 May 1918. Born Framwellgate (Durham), Enlisted Durham, Resided Broom Park. Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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2nd Lieutenant Hubert James Dawes.
MM. 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Robert and Emily Dawes, of 115, Steade Rd., Sheffield. Native of Leeds. Killed 8 May 1918. Aged 24. Originally was a Serjeant (No 20234) in the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Commissioned on 27 November 1917. According to SDGW was in the 3rd Battalion Suffolk Regiment when attached to the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Private Robert Langstaff. 45355.
2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Died 29 April 1918. Born Grangetown, Enlisted Middlesbrough. Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Private Walter Christopher Latheron.
2092. 9th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Died 25 May 1915. Born Middlesbrough, Enlisted Middlesbrough. Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Private Owen Timothy Leach.
48104. 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 5/276266 7th T R Battn. Son of Timothy Owen and Lucy Leach. Killed 8 May 1918. Aged 20. Born Sheffield, Enlisted Sheffield, Resided Rowell Bridge (Loxley). Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Private William Naylor, MM.
20423. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of Ena Naylor, 2 Hallgarth Street, Sherburn. Killed 8 May 1918. Aged 25. Born Durham, Enlisted Durham, Resided Sherburn Colliery. Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Private William Porter. 35516.
2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 3/27141 69th T R Battn. Son of Henry and Elizabeth Porter, of Running Pump Cottage, Catforth, Preston, Lancs. Killed 8 May 1918. Aged 18. Born Catforth (Lancs), Enlisted Lancaster, Resided Garstang. Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Captain George Bell Purvis. 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, attached to 56th Coy Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Mentioned in Despatches. Son of John Bowlt Purvis, and Charlotte Annie Purvis, of 6, Princess Terrace, Bridlington, Yorks. Killed 8 June 1917. Aged 24. "PER VIAS RECTAS"
Robert Coulson in his "Biographies
of Yorkshire Regiment Officers Killed in the First World War",
notes that;-"George Purvis was born in Bridlington on September 1st 1892 and was educated at the town’s grammar school where he was a member of the Officer Training Corps. He was commissioned in June 1914 and promoted to Lieutenant in April of 1915 when on the 17th of the month he sailed from Southampton to Le Havre. The 5th Battalion were rushed up to the Ypres Salient and Lt Purvis fought at St Julien and during the great German gas attack on Whit Monday of 1915. The 5th Battalion remained in the Ypres Salient throughout the year and took part in the “Operations at the Bluff” in early 1916. In September of that year George Purvis was promoted to Captain just as the battalion entered the Somme offensive and he was then attached to the 56th company of the Machine Gun Corps. In the summer of 1917 he was due to return to England as an instructor at a machine gun school but during the Battle of Messines Captain George Bell Purvis was killed in action on June 8th 1917 aged 24 as he was reconnoitring for new gun positions. He is remembered on Bridlington War Memorial and his original grave marker cross can be seen in Bridlington’s Priory Church. " Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Private Fred Hartley Riley.
35525. 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 3/26775 69th T R Battn. Son of Thomas and Susannah Riley, of 141, Netherfield Rd., Nelson, Lancs. Killed 8 May 1918. Aged 18. Born Nelson (Lancs), Enlisted Nelson. "DEARLY LOVED" Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Private Harry Rolleston. 203406.
2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 2726 Northern Cyclists Battn. Killed 6 May 1918. Born Leicester, Enlisted Leicester. Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Private John Schlank. 235256.
18th Battalion The King's (Liverpool Regiment), formerly 203589 the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Julius and Hannah Schlank, of Liverpool; husband of Mary Ellen Schlank, of 2, Herbert St., Congleton, Cheshire. Killed 2 May 1918. Aged 36. Born Liverpool, Enlisted Congleton (Cheshire), Resided Congleton. Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Private Joseph Ward. 34708.
9th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, formerly 4231 Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 20 April 1918. Enlisted Middlesbrough. Photo by Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>) |
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Lu Yun Chieh. 61962. 85th Company Chinese Labour Corps. Died 3 March 1919. "THOUGH DEAD HE STILL LIVETH" Photo by Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery (2)
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>).
Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery (3)
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>).