Northumbrian Gunner: Pas De Calais - Hazebrouk Commumal Cemetary

Monday 25 March 2019

Pas De Calais - Hazebrouk Commumal Cemetary

Hazebrouk Communal Cemetery
French Memorial

During the First World War Hazebrouck was the location of casualty clearing stations from October 1914 to July 1918. Those who died were buried in the town's communal cemetery among civilian graves. After the war, the burials were moved to a military section.

Hazebrouk Communal Cemetery
British World War One Graves

The cemetery was once again in use during World War Two. Hazebrouk was garrisoned as part of the defences of the Lille Corridor which allowed the British Expeditionary Force to withdraw to Dunkirk. Casualties from the battles in late May 1940 are buried there.

Hazebrouk Communal Cemetery
British World War Two Graves

The cemetery contains 877 Commonwealth burials of the First World War (17 of them unidentified) and 86 from the Second World War. Adjacent to the Commonwealth War Graves is a French cemetery and French memorials from World War One.

Hazebrouk Communal Cemetery
French World War One Graves

Hazebrouk Communal Cemetery
French World War One Memorial

A combined Anglo-French memorial flanks the Cross of Sacrifice.

Hazebrouk Communal Cemetery
Anglo-French Memorial World War One

Hazebrouk Communal Cemetery

Anglo-French Memorial World War One

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Buried in the cemetery is the first Northumbrian Gunner Officer to loose his life during WW1, Lieutenant Guppy Elliot, who died on the 16th October 1915 aged 28.

2.Lt Guppy Elliot
1st Northumbrian Brigade RFA

On 14th October 1915, Guppy Elliot’s horse bolted and in the ensuing fall he fractured the base of his skull. Guppy never regained conscientious and died in hospital in Hazebrouk. He was buried in the Hazebrouck cemetery.

CWGC - Lieutenant TGV Elliot

Guppy was born in 1887 and took his name from his mother Henrietta Guppy who was born in Naples where she married. Guppy was one of six children. Guppy Elliot was commissioned into the 1st Northumbrian Ammunition Column on the 5th February 1909. It is believed left the Territorial Force before the war and re-joined on the outbreak of hostilities. He was re-commissioned on 29th August 1914. He deployed to France in April 1915, loosing his life 6 months later.

Lieutenant Guppy Elliot's headstone is unusual in that it is a private headstone erected by his fellow officers and can be prominently identified amongst the CWGC headstones.

Hazebrouk Communal Cemetery
2.Lt Guppy Elliot
1st Northumbrian Brigade RFA

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Hazebrouk Communal Cemetery
Private Edward Rust
4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment

CWGC Private Edward Rust

The headstone of Private Edward Rust, 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards), is rather unusual as it chronicles the events that caused his death.

1839 PRIVATE
EDWARD RUST

YORKSHIRE REGIMENT

30TH APRIL 1915 AGE 19

SERIOUSLY WOUNDED WHILE ADVANCING WITH HIS REGIMENT IN THE FIGHTING NEAR ST. JULIEN SAT. APRIL 24. 1915 HE WAS TAKEN TO THE FIELD HOSPITAL BUT WAS SO EAGER TO UPHOLD THE HONOUR OF HIS REGIMENT AND TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY THAT HE RETURNED NEXT DAY TO THE FIRING LINE AND REMAINED WITH HIS COMRADES UNTIL THEY WERE RELIEVED AND DIED ON APRIL 30TH COURAGEOUS TO THE END AND BELOVED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIM

The 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards), were part of the Yorkshire and Durham Brigade of the Northumbrian Division. The Division deployed from the North East on 18th April 1915, arriving in Ypres on the 22nd. As they arrived,the Germans unleased Chlorine Gas triggering the 2nd Battle of Ypres. The newly arrived soldiers from the NE were immediately thrown into battle. Many like Private Rust lost their lives within days of arriving in Belgium.