RE Farm Cemetery
Location
R.E. Farm Cemetery is located 9.5 Kms south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate, Mesen and on to Armentières.
From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg, (N365). On reaching the village of Mesen the first right hand turning leads onto Mesenstraat, towards Wulvergem.
On reaching the village of Wulvergem the first right hand turning at the church leads onto Wulvergemstraat. 500 metres along this road lies the junction with Vrooilandstraat. The cemetery itself lies 500 metres beyond this junction on the left hand side of the Wulvergemstraat.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.766933 | 2.860731 | Map |
Historical Information
Wytschaete (now Wijtschate) was in Allied hands until 1 November 1914, from June 1917 to April 1918, and from 28th September 1918 onwards.
It was the scene of exceptionally severe fighting in November 1914 and April 1918. R.E. Farm was the military name given to the Ferme des douze Bonniers. This building remained in Allied hands until April 1918.
In December 1914 the 1st Dorsets began a cemetery (No.1) on the east side of the farm, which was used by fighting units and field ambulances until April 1916, and occasionally in 1917.
In January 1915, the same battalion began another cemetery (No.2) on the west side of the farm. This cemetery was little used and after the Armistice, the 23 graves it contained were moved into No.1, which was then renamed.
R.E. Farm Cemetery contains 179 First World War burials, 11 of them unidentified.
The cemetery was designed by W C Von Berg.
WW2 Veteran Colin Brown with a group of serving members, at the grave of Private George Durrand
On the 20th September 2017 a group from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada visited the cemetery to mark the 102nd Anniversary of the 19th Battalion Canadian Infantry’s first tour in the trenches on the Western Front at RE Farm.
The Regimental history recounts that a number of casualties were caused by carelessness and the failure of some soldiers to take the situation seriously : looking over the top of the parapet…
These incidents served as a clear warning to officers that they needed to get a firm grip on their men in order to minimise the occurrence of such injuries, especially those due to carelessness and disobedience. Evidently some personnel still viewed the war as the great game depicted in contemporary propaganda.
On the night of the 3rd October 1915 Private George Durrand became their first fatal casualty when he was shot in the head.
Some of the original burials
Son-in-law of Mr A Davies
of 5, Foundry Row, Cwmbran
Newport, Mon
Son of George and Emily Parsons
of Pine Cottages, Alcester
Shaftesbury, Dorset
Brother of Mr E Drake
of 45, Grove Rd
Mile End, London
Private George Durrand 55831
19th Bn Canadian Infantry
Died on 3rd October 1915 aged 21
Grave: III A 7
George Durrand was the first fatal casualty of the 19th Battalion, now perpetuated by the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada
Private Alfred Broad 6270
9th Bn East Surrey Regiment
Died on 1st April 1916 aged 49
Son of Richard and Ann Broad
of Bristol
Husband of Esther Broad
of 177, Clarence Rd., New Cut, Redcliffe, Bristol
Grave: III C 3
Ii is only those
Who loved him best
Who think of him today