LOCRE HOSPICE CEMETERY
Heuvelland
West-Vlaanderen
Belgium
GENERAL DIRECTIONS: From Ieper centre take the Elverdingestraat, go over the roundabout into J. Capronstraat and then left along M. Fochlaan, you then go right straight after the railway station onto Dikkebusseweg (N375), pass through the village of Dikkebus and continue a further 6km to Loker, the first left turn leads onto Kemmelbergweg and then there is an immediate right turn onto Godtschalkstraat, the cemetery is just under a kilometre along this road.
For the majority of the war the village of Locre was in British hands and field ambulances were stationed at the Convent St. Antoine. On 25th April 1918 the village was captured by the enemy although it was recaptured soon after. The area was not finally retaken until July 1918. This cemetery was started in June 1917 by field ambulances and fighting units and continued in use until April 1918, after the armistice four graves were transferred here from the garden of the Hospice, which was later re-built.
Shot at Dawn: Private D J. Blakemore, 8th Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment executed for desertion 09/07/1917, plot 1. A. 22. Photo of Grave Below
Private W. Jones, 9th Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers, executed for desertion 25/10/1917, plot 1. C. 4.
The mass pardon of 306 British Empire soldiers executed for certain offences during the Great War was enacted in section 359 of the Armed Forces Act 2006, which came into effect on royal assent on 8 November 2006.
CASUALTY DETAILS: UK 240; Canada 1; Australia 2; New Zealand 1; Germany 2; Total Burials: 246
40435 Private
Denis Jetson Blakemore
8th Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment
Executed for desertion 09/07/1917
aged 28.
Son of George L. and Sophia Blakemore, of 3, St. George's St., Mountfields, Shrewsbury. Native of Bicton, Shrewsbury.
Plot I. A. 22.
Both images courtesy of Philip Morris of Shrewsbury
28015 Private
John Spencer George Watts
10th Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment
30/07/1917, aged 20.
Plot I. B. 9.
Picture courtesy of Vic Terry
John was my Mother's Cousin, the 3rd Son of Albert E & Annie E WATTS of Rugby, Born 26 Sept 1896
He was also the Brother of Pvt. A WATTS, Born 17 Oct 1893 and buried at FONTAINE-AU-PIRE. His full name was
Albert Edward George WATTS.
24489 Private
Thomas Kellett
7th Bn. King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
23/09/1917, aged 35.
Plot III. A. 2.
He died on 23rd September 1917 and is buried in Locre Hospice Cemetery in grave III. A. 2. He lived in Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire - working as a brick setters labourer - where his name is remembered on the Cenotaph in the town centre. He had a wife named Mary Alice and 3 daughters Lilian, Alice (my Grand Mother) and Betty (Elizabeth I presume) all of whom have passed away now. I have just learned that going by his army number he joined the army in December 1915 as a volunteer and went to France in 1916 where he fought in several battles until he died in the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). It seems, after talking to the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum, that Thomas Kellett may have been severely wounded and transferred to Locre Hospice (which was being used as a hospital) where he died of his wounds, although this is not the story that was passed down through the family.
Pictures courtesy of great grandson Darren Kellett
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