Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing

Ypres (Ieper) West-Vlaanderen

Ypres (now Ieper) is a town in the Province of West Flanders. The Memorial is situated at the eastern side of the town on the road to Menin (Menen) and Courtrai (Kortrijk). Each night at 8 pm the traffic is stopped at the Menin Gate while members of the local Fire Brigade sound the Last Post in the roadway under the Memorial's arches.

The Menin Gate is one of four memorials to the missing in Belgian Flanders which cover the area known as the Ypres Salient. Broadly speaking, the Salient stretched from Langemarck in the north to the northern edge in Ploegsteert Wood in the south, but it varied in area and shape throughout the war. The Salient was formed during the First Battle of Ypres in October and November 1914, when a small British Expeditionary Force succeeded in securing the town before the onset of winter, pushing the German forces back to the Passchendaele Ridge. The Second Battle of Ypres began in April 1915 when the Germans released poison gas into the Allied lines north of Ypres. This was the first time gas had been used by either side and the violence of the attack forced an Allied withdrawal and a shortening of the line of defence. There was little more significant activity on this front until 1917, when in the Third Battle of Ypres an offensive was mounted by Commonwealth forces to divert German attention from a weakened French front further south. The initial attempt in June to dislodge the Germans from the Messines Ridge was a complete success, but the main assault north-eastward, which began at the end of July, quickly became a dogged struggle against determined opposition and the rapidly deteriorating weather. The campaign finally came to a close in November with the capture of Passchendaele.

The German offensive of March 1918 met with some initial success, but was eventually checked and repulsed in a combined effort by the Allies in September. The battles of the Ypres Salient claimed many lives on both sides and it quickly became clear that the commemoration of members of the Commonwealth forces with no known grave would have to be divided between several different sites. The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates those of all Commonwealth nations (except New Zealand) who died in the Salient, in the case of United Kingdom casualties before 16 August 1917. Those United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. Other New Zealand casualties are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery. The Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer in July 1927.

Number of Identified Casualties: 54338

Picture Courtesy of Ralph Davidson of Milnrow, Rochdale

S/2605 Rifleman

John Marriott

12th Bn. Rifle Brigade

06/06/1916, aged 23.

Son of J. W. and Naomi Marriott, of 13, Belfield Lane, Firgrove, Rochdale.

Panels 46 - 48 and 50.

First son of John William and Naomi Marriott, 13 Belfield Lane Firgrove, Milnrow, Rochdale killed in action 6th June 1916, he was buried by a German mine his pals dug for two days but were unable to find him.

He worked as a weft carrier at Lowfield Spinning Co. John enlisted in Rochdale on 18th November 1914 aged 23. He is commemorated at St. Ann's Church Belfield, Milnrow and on the Menin Gate. Two of his brothers were also killed during the war.

Harry Marriott

William Barnes Marriott


Private 8098 Samuel Henderson Stallard 2nd Bn. Cameron Highlanders Died of exposure 11/01/1915 Panel 38 and 40 Picture Courtesy of Joe O'Raw and William Kilgour	Private 2962 Daniel Hunter 1st Bn. Royal Scots Died of wounds 17/04/1915 Panel 11 Picture Courtesy of Joe O'Raw and William Kilgour	305704 Serjeant Charles Naylor 1st/8th Bn. The King's (Liverpool) Regiment. Killed in action 31/07/1917. Aged 24. Son of James Louis and Sarah Agnes Naylor, of 221, Station Rd., Bamber Bridge, Preston. Panels 4 and 6 Picture courtesy of John Garlington	L/10105 Private Basil Thomas Treffry 1st Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment). 31/10/1914, aged 21. Son of Thomas Alfred and Helen Treffry, of 16, Bensham Manor Rd., Thornton Heath, Surrey. Panel 11-13 and 14 Brother of Richard H. Treffry (next picture)

553186 Rifleman Richard H. Treffry 1st/16th Bn. London Regiment (Queen's Westminster Rifles) killed in action at Langemarck, 16/08/1917, aged 19. Son of Thomas Alfred and Helen Treffry, of 16, Bensham Manor Rd., Thornton Heath, Surrey. Panel 11-13 and 14 *Brother of Basil Thomas Treffry, (previous picture)*	323297 Rifleman William T. Doddrell 1st/6th Bn. London Regiment (City of London Rifles). 23/07/1917, aged 20. Son of William Charles and Alice Maud Doddrell, of 6, Mead Place, West Croydon. Panel 54	5775 Lance Corporal Frank Arthur Wortley 15th Bn. Australian Infantry, AIF. Killed in action on the Menin Road, 27/09/1917, aged 36. Son of George and Amelia Wortley; husband of May Gertrude Wortley (nee Norris), of Bourbomgo St., Bundaberg, Queensland. Native of Norbury, London, England. Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31.	G/40078 Trooper Albert Joseph Wheatland 11th Bn. Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment and Surrey Yeomanry. 07/06/1917. Aged 24 Son of the late Mary Ann Wheatland, of 11, Rolleston Rd., South Croydon. Panel 11 - 13 and 14.

13239 Private Hamilton Shirley Vincent 2nd Regt. (Inf.) South African Infantry. 14/10/1917, aged 18. Only son of Capt. J. H. Vincent (R.E.) and A. Beatrice Vincent, of 13, Leigham Terrace, The Hoe, Plymouth, England. Panel 15, 16 and 16A Picture courtesy of David Paton, nephew of this soldier	253239 Private Ernest Achille Boudrie 1st/3rd Bn. London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) 16/08/1917, aged 19. He was born 6 Oct 1897 in Dartford, Kent, England and died 16 August 1917 at Ypres. He enlisted at Dartford and was a Private in the 3rd Bn. London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) Panel 52 Picture courtesy of Wendy Marshall of Queensland, Australia, great-niece of this soldier.	20824 Private John Taylor 10th Bn. Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regiment) 03/05/1915, aged 30. Son of Charles and Elizabeth Taylor, of Woodbine Cottage, Finstown, Orkney, Scotland. Panel 24 - 26 - 28 - 30. Article on the this soldier and the action in which he was killed Picture courtesy of Brian Budge	6759 Private James Bertram Jones 29th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F. Between 26/09/1917 and 27/09/1917 Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31. Killed in action at Polygon Wood, his brother Walter Sydney Jones named his only child, a son, after James. Picture courtesy of Peter Jones

8673 Private Lewis Pelgrena Mazzei 1st Bn. South Wales Borderers 21/10/1914, aged 30. Born Cardiff, Wales. His brother, Alfred Michael Mazzei was also killed in the 1914-18 war. Panel 22. Image courtesy of Darin Mazzei, great, great nephew.	7346 Private William Perkins 2nd Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers 31/10/1914, aged 29. Panel 19 and 33 Image courtesy of Patricia Bell, great niece of this soldier.	11886 Private Walter Sutcliffe 7th Bn. East Yorkshire Regiment 16/02/1916, aged 21. Son of Annie Sutcliffe, of 4 Earles Row, Wilmington, Hull. Panel 21 and 31. Picture courtesy of great niece, Marion Griffin Bulmer	1908 Private George Milne Greig 60th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F. 26/09/1917, aged 23. Son of Robert and Catherine Anne Milne Greig, of Little Bogburn, Drumlithie, Scotland. Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31. Picture courtesy of Heather Ashford and submitted by Harry Willey
2076 Private Donald Desmond Geary 36th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F. 10/06/1917 Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31. Photo courtesy of Robyn Geary and submitted by Harry Willey	4759 Private Ernest Victor Collison 21st Coy. Australian Machine Gun Corps. 28/10/1917 Panel 31. Photo courtesy of his family and submitted by Harry Willey	2640 Private Clive William Quinn 34th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F. 09/06/1917, aged 21. Son of William and Amy Asenath Quinn, of "Springfield," Parkville, New South Wales. Native of Seaham, New South Wales. Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31. Photo courtesy of Louis Dodd and submitted by Harry Willey	30847 Private Joseph Edward Toms 12th Bn. East Surrey Regiment 03/05/1917, aged 20. Son of John and Harriett Toms, of 110, East St., Epsom, Surrey. Panel 34. Picture courtesy of Del Doune
7469 Private John Harty 2nd Bn. Irish Guards 30/07/1917 Panel 11 Left a widow and six children, resided at 9 Carfin Road, Craigneuk, Wishaw. previously worked in the Etna Steelworks, Craigneuk Picture courtesy of Joe O'Raw	3/5804 Private John McMahon 2nd Bn. Cameron Highlanders 11/05/1915 Panels 38-40 One of five brothers who served in the war and was the son of James and Mary McMahon nee O'Raw, of No. 2 Thankerton, Mossend, Lanarkshire. John and had been a regular soldier recalled to the colours at the outbreak of the war, and had previously been a miner. Picture courtesy of Joe O'Raw	3624 Corporal Reginald Rowland 31st Bn . Australian Infantry, A. I. F. 26/09/1917, aged 25. Son of Harold and Sarah Ann Rowland; husband of Eileen G. Rowland. Native of Bundaberg, Queensland. Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31. *Picture courtesy of Jim Donald*	3542 Private Neil McMaster Crawford 31st Bn, Australian Infantry, A. I. F. 26/09/1917, aged 19. Son of James and Annie M. Crawford, of Roma, Queensland. Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31. Originally buried near Black Watch Corner *Picture courtesy of Jim Donald*
13287 Private Charles McKenna 1st Bn. Scots Guards 30/03/1916, aged 26. He was unmarried and resided at 18 Meadowhead Road, Craigneuk, Wishaw. before enlisting He was a crane man in Lanarkshire Steelworks, Motherwell. Panel 11. Picture courtesy of Joe O'Raw	9918 Private William Monaghan 1st Bn. Royal Scots 09/05/1915 Panel 11. Killed at Sanctuary Wood. Zillebeke (Hill 62) Commemorated on Menin Gate Ypres. Panel 11. William was a regular soldier and had enlisted in Haddington, Edinburgh about 1912. A Geordie Lad (second generation Irish) in a Scottish Regiment. William was born 29th June 1887 at 10 Dunn Street Jarrow on Tyne. He was the only remaining son of William Monaghan and the late Catherine (Casey) William's younger brother Frank Monaghan Private 3428. 2nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers died on Monday 22nd February 1915 at La Chapelle Farm at Ypres (Hill 60) They died within a mile of each other. Picture courtesy of Vin Mullen	38739 Private Robert Edward Snider 13th Bn. Royal Scots 31/07/1917, aged 31. Son of the late George Henry and Agnes Archibald Snider. Panel 11. Picture courtesy of Margaret Meredith, great niece.	742978 Private Harry William Darkes 26th Bn. Canadian Infantry (New Brunswick Regiment) 06/11/1917, agd 20. Son of the late Henry-and Laurine Hansena Darkes. Panel 26-28 Picture courtesy of Jim Walker
2201 Private Herbert Leslie Jones 56th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F 29/09/1917. Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31. Pictures courtesy of Patrick Lernout	16945 Private Charles Landamore 7th Bn. East Yorkshire Regiment 16/02/1916, aged 25. Son of John Thomas and Nancy Landamore, of Lockington, Yorks. Panel 21 and 31. Picture courtesy of Sue and Wyn Bell