Friends of the Somme - Mid Ulster Branch
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Pond Farm Cemetery
Belgium
Location
Region : Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Latitude : 50.768913
Lontitude : 2.844708
CWGC Link : 52304
Pond Farm Cemetery is located south-west of Ieper near the village of Wulvergem. From Ieper town centre follow the Rijselstraat to the roundabout at the ring road; go straight over the roundabout and follow direction for Armentieres. In the next village at the roundabout bear right in the direction of Mesen. Follow the main road straight through Wijtschate and onto Mesen. On reaching the village of Mesen, turn right at the crossroads in the direction of Wulvergem. At the crossroads in Wulvergem by the church turn right in the direction of Wijtschate. Follow this road for a short distance then take the first turning left into Vrooilandstraat. The cemetery is along here on the left.

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Cookstown Casualties
No     Rank Name Service No Regiment / Service Date Of Death Grave Ref
1 Portrait Portrait Pte. Booth, Andrew Thomas 11/25242 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 24/11/1916 Grave F-11
2 Portrait Portrait Pte. Curry, Hugh 17494 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 08/09/1916 Grave A-18
3 Portrait Portrait Pte. Hogshaw, Robert 17517 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 06/12/1916 Grave F-5
4 Portrait Pte. McIvor, Hugh 27973 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 08/09/1916 Grave B-19
5 Portrait Portrait Sgt. Mitchell, William Thomas 11084 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 09/09/1916 Grave A-20
6 Portrait Portrait Pte. Spiers, Samuel 17827 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 07/11/1916 Grave E-14
Cemetery History
Wulverghem (now Wulvergem) was the scene of a German gas attack on the night of 29-30 April 1916 which was repulsed by the 3rd and 24th Divisions.
The village was captured by the Germans on 14 April 1918 and reoccupied by the 30th Division on the following 2 September.
'POND FARM' was in the fields about 800 metres East of Packhorse Farm, and on the North-West side of Pond Farm is the Cemetery.
The cemetery was begun by the 3rd Rifle Brigade and the 8th Buffs in July 1916 and it was used by fighting units and field ambulances until October 1917. Further burials were made in April and September 1918.
There are now 296 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery, including special memorials to three casualties of the 1st/7th Cheshires, buried here early in September 1918, whose graves could not be found.
The cemetery also contains five German war graves. The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.
Cemetery Links
No Link Reference Doc
1 Billiongraves Subscription website. Poor quality website and photos
2 Findagrave.com Grave photos
3 War Graves Photo Project War Graves Photographic Project
4 Wikipedia - Pond Farm Cemetery Details of cemetery (Dutch)
5 WWI Cemeteries Details of cemetery including some grave photos
6 Youtube video Video of cemetery