HOOGE CRATER CEMETERY

Ieper

West-Vlaanderen

Belgium

GENERAL DIRECTIONS: From Ieper take the N8 Menin Road, at the roundabout (Hellfire Corner) continue straight over and the cemetery is 3.5 km on the right. Parking and access to the cemetery is easy.

Hooge Chateau and its surrounding area was the scene of fierce fighting throughout the war, the area was constantly changing hands as both sides battled for supremacy. On 31^st October 1914, the staffs of the 1st and 2nd Divisions were wiped out by shell fire on the chateau. The chateau continued to be fought over in 1915 and the crater from which the cemetery takes its name was made by a mine blown by the 3^rd Division in July 1915. On 30^th July 1915 the Germans took the chateau, although it was retaken on August 9^th by the 6^th Division, fighting continued and the Germans once again took the area on 6^th June 1916 only for the 8^th Division to recapture it on 31^st July 1917. The Germans took the chateau for the last time in April 1918 but it was finally retaken on September 28^th by the 9^th (Scottish) and 29^th Divisions.

The cemetery itself was begun by the 7^th Division Burial Officer in early October 1917; it originally contained just 76 graves (Rows A-D Plot 1) but was increased to its present size after the armistice, when graves from the surrounding area and the battlefields of Zillebeke, Zantvoorde and Gheluvelt were concentrated here.

Victoria Cross: Private Patrick Bugden VC, 31^st Bn. Australian Infantry, Australian Infantry Force, Plot VIII. C. 5. He was killed in action on 28^th September 1918.

Another view of this cemetery

CASUALTY DETAILS: UK 5183; Canada 105; Australia 513; New Zealand 121; Total Burials: 5922

Alternative view of the upper part of the cemetery showing the area which was designed to symbolise the crater


Private 49855 John Ulrich Moss 1st/7th Bn. King's (Liverpool) Regiment. Killed by shellfire 31/07/1917. Plot XII. B. 8. Picture courtesy of John Garlington	Second Lieutenant Herbert William Barnett 26th Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Killed in action 20/09/1917. Plot VIA. J. 12.	8654 Private James Daynes 8th Bn. Yorkshire Regiment 18/10/1917, aged 29. Plot IV. G. 6. I was told by my Grandmother, Eva Whittaker, nee Daynes, that James was acting as a stretcher bearer at the time of his death, recovering the wounded from "no man's land" when he was shot by a German sniper... he died instantly of his wound." His family had a memorial silk bookmark made with the following dedication: "There on the field of battle He bravely took his place. He fought and died for England And the honour of his race. He sleeps not in his native land But 'neath the foreign skies Far from those who loved him best In a hero's grave he lies. Deeply mourned by his mother, sister, and brothers. Picture courtesy of great nephew, Steve Sinton

3428 Private

Frank Monaghan

2nd Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers

22/02/1915, aged 23.

La Chapelle Farm Special Memorial 13.

Killed at La Chapelle Farm at Ypres (Hill 60) Born 30th April 1891 at 10 Dunn Street Jarrow Son of William Monaghan of 46 Lord Street Jarrow, and the late Catherine Monaghan (Casey)

Commemorated at Hooge Crater Cemetery West Vlaanderen, Ypres, Belgium On Special Memorial 13 To those who died at La Chapelle Farm

Frank was a regular soldier and had enlisted aged 21 in Jarrow June/July 1912. On 22nd February 1915 after four days of heavy fighting near Verbrandenmolen Zillebeke Belgium La Chapelle Farm Frank was mortally wounded and died shortly after from his wounds

Out of nearly 50 killed from the 2nd battalion Northumberland Fusiliers during the four days fighting Frank was the only one who got buried at La Chapelle Farm All of the rest were lost without trace and are commemorated on the Menin Gate

He was buried at La Chapelle farm with a wooden cross as a marker Buried alongside Frank were 12 other crosses 10 from the 1st Lincolnshire's, 2 from the 1st Dorsetshire's and one from the 1st Bedfordshire's During the preceding years the little wooden cross cemetery was pounded by shellfire and by the end of the war there was no trace of any graves After the war the Commonwealth Graves Commission made a Duhallow (special memorial) at Hooge Crater Cemetery a few kilometres away to those lost graves at La Chapelle farm

Frank had served in the Royal Navy prior to WW1 (hence the photograph of him in Naval uniform which was taken 1910-11 which is the only surviving photograph of him) He was dishonourably discharged from the Royal Navy 5th August 1911 for striking a non commissioned officer The photograph was taken between 10th March 1910 to 5th August 1911 when he served on HMS Monmouth a Battle Cruiser built in 1903 Ironically it was sunk by the Nurnberg at the Battle of Coronel in the Falklands on the 1st of November 1914 with the loss of all hands

Picture courtesy of Vin Mullen

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