Ypres 2020 - Lijssenthoek Remy Sidings

The Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery is located next to what was Remy Sidings, a series of casualty clearing stations and military hospitals , south west of Poperinghe. A visitor centre tells the story of the medical facilities and the military cemetery where most of those resting there, died whilst in the casualty clearing stations and hospitals.

Lijssenthoek Hospital and Cemetery

In May 1915, the French Army established Hopital d'Evacuation 15. The French had set up medical facilities in Poperinghe, but as the Germans advanced, those facilities came under artillery fire and were moved to the area around Remi Farm outside the range of the German guns. Adjacent to the hospital, a cemetery was set up. 

Nurses outside a French Hospital Remy Siding 

Source: IWM Q 51881

French Motor Ambulance Convoy, near Remy Siding 1915

Source: IWM Q 51895

The first British medical facility was set up a month later in June, Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) 10. Another CCS, no 17, was set up in August 1915. Further expansion occurred in 1916 with the addition of Canadian CCS no 2 and no 3.

Remy Siding CCS no 3

Not only was the location outside the range of German artillery, it was adjacent to the Poperinghe to Hazebrouck railway line providing the basis for a medivac system from the front line, through the CCS and onto stationary hospitals using Ambulance Trains

Railway Network Remy Sidings

Remy Sidings

Ambulance Train no 2 Remy Siding

Casualty Clearing Stations were central to the evacuation of the sick and wounded. The first stage in the medical evacuation chain was Collection. This started with Regimental Aid Posts (RAP), Medical Officers and Regimental Stretcher Bearers attached to Battalions and units. Wounded would be moved by Field Ambulances to Advanced Dressing Stations (ADS), then onto the Casualty Clearing Stations (CCS) using Motor Ambulance Convoys.

At the Casualty Clearing Stations, in the Evacuation Zone, hospitals existed to carry out immediate surgery and treatment. Wounded could be returned to unit, or sent back to stationary hospitals in France, and onward to hospitals in the UK if necessary. 

Medical Evacuation Chain

Evacuation chain for wounded and sick soldiers

The Casualty Clearing stations in Remy Sidings co-ordinated activities as a hospital group. A CCS would admit 200 patients for immediate treatment, then when the next 200 arrived, they would be admitted to another CCS allowing the first CCS to focus on surgery and nursing.

Remy Siding Medical Evacuation Chain

The hospital grew to a total capacity of 4,000 patients housed in 80 tents and barracks, with a further 50 tents for staff,  the largest in the Ypres sector. The site also developed into a village. Wooden passages were built between tents and barracks, with signs and street names. Trees and decorative bushes were planted to provide as pleasant an environment as possible.  Vegtable gardens would be planted in March 1917 to help overcome food shortages.

Remy Siding Hospital

King George V visits Remy Sidings August 1916

It is estimated that over 300,000 casualties passed through Remy Sidings of which around 3%, 10,000 casualties died. They were buried in the adjacent cemetery started by the French in 1915.  Initially the British casualties were buried along side the French, eight new plots were added in 1916, The carnage of Passchendaele in 1917 resulted in another 15 plots, and 8 others were added 1918-19. Separate plots were established for German, French and Chinese Casualties. 

Whilst the number of burials spiked during major battles, almost every day saw a burial. 

Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery

Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery

The hospital would remain in operation after he war ended, it finally closed in October 1920.

Remy Siding Hospital 1920

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Lijssenthoek  Vistor Centre

Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery Visitor Centre

The Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery Visitor Centre chronicles the history of Remy Siding and the Military Cemetery. It is located on the site of the original French hospital.

Lijssenthoek  Vistor Centre

Location

Lijssenthoek  Visitor Centre

Remy Siding 1915 - 1918

A graphic records the number of daily burials on each of the 1,392 days a person lost their lives.

Lijssenthoek  Visitor Centre

Record of Daily Casualties

A memorial wall displays photographs of some of those buried in  Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. An electronic screen displays those lost on a particular date.

Lijssenthoek  Visitor Centre

Memorial Wall

Private William Whaites

12th Battalion The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)

Died 13/03/1916

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Harry Wilfred Rendell

Lijssenthoek  Visitor Centre

Harry Wilfred Rendell

Serjeant Harry Wilfred Rendell

Royal Field Artillery

Died 27/10/1917

Harry Wilfred Rendell, a dairy farmer from Beamminter, in the English county of Dorest, was married to Edith May Hooper. A few weeks after the birth of their son Wilfred on 31 July 1914, Harry's call-up papers arrived in the letterbox. He served in the Royal Field Artillery, 94th Brigade, B Battery. Harry's unit arrived in Reningelst on 17 September 1917. They travelled from there to the front line, near Polderhoek Castle, in Geluveld.Harry and his fellow soldiers provided barrage firing during the attacks. After sustaining serious injuries on 26 October Harry was evacuated to Lijssenthoek Hospital, where he died from his wounds one day later. He lies buried in section 22, row H, grave 10.

Ypres 2016 - Shot at Dawn

 

Execution Post

Located in Poperinghe Town Hall are cells that were once used as execution cells for those sentenced to be shot at dawn.


Poperinghe Town Hall

The cells were used to house prisoners guilty of offences such as drunkenness but gained their notoriety as the place soldier's were held who were condemned to execution. The precise number executed was not recorded, thought it is believed to be at least five. Outside in the courtyard is the execution post to which men were tied and blindfolded before being shot.

Entrance to the Execution Cells

Execution Cell Door

Execution Cell 

Execution Cell Window

Shot at Dawn - Execution Post

  

 

Ypres 2016 - Talbot House Poperinghe



Talbot House
Poperinghe

In Poperinghe Talbot House became a place of rest and relaxation for British Soldiers from 1915 until the end of the war. 

Poperinghe was a place of relative safety, being out of range for all but the longest ranging German guns. One of those guns landed a shell in the garden of local brewer Cevoet Camerlynk in Summer 1915 resulting in him removing his family and belongings to a safer location. He rented the empty house to the British Army for 150 francs per month.

Senior Army Chaplain Padre Neville Talbot, son of the Bishop of Winchester instructed fellow Padre ‘ Tubby Clayton’ to secure use of the house as a Soldiers Club as ‘an alternative for the ‘debauched’ recreational life of the town’.

Tubby Clayton

It was named after Padre Talbot’s brother Gilbert who was killed at Hooge in July 1915. The damage from the shelling was repaired by the Royal Engineers and it opened 15^th December 1915.

 

The facilities were available to all serving regardless of rank ‘Every-Mans Club’.

Talbot House
Every Mans Club

 It was place to try and forget the war, a sign on the entrance way displayed the Clubs ethos.

  

 

The location was nicknamed Toc H, the signallers phonetics for TH during WW1. The facilities included canteen, restroom, library and writing room. On the top floor, a chapel was constructed in the attic which had been previously used to dry hops. 

 

 

The house was left unfurnished, the soldiers ‘acquiring’ items to make the place homelier, gifts from England including books to fill the library further enhanced the quality of the surroundings.

Talbot House
Entrance Hall

Talbot House
Front Room with portrait of Tubby Clayton

Talbot House
Bruce Bairnsfather Plates

 Tubby Clayton was still in charge of the clubhouse and wanted to make sure that there was a cosy and homely atmosphere for all, regardless of rank and status. The sign on the door of Tubby's office, the chaplains room outlines his philosophy:

ALL RANK ABANDON YE WHO ENTER HERE

Talbot House
Chaplains Room Sign

Talbot House
Chaplains Room Writing Desk

Talbot House
Chaplains Room Tea Table



 





Talbot House
Tea Table and Bedspace

Tubby Clayton would hold services in the chapel in the loft, a great source of comfort to the front line troops as they prepared to face the dangers of the front line.
 

Talbot House
Chapel

The altar was constructed from an carpenters bench found in a shed in the garden.

Talbot House
Chapel Altar

The 'largest room in the house' as Tubby called in was the garden. A place to meet and relax, soldiers could do gardening, to forget about the war.

Talbot House
1916

Talbot House
2016

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Ypres 2016 - Poperinghe

The town of Poperinge (Poperinghe) lies 5km west of Ypres. In WW1 it was 12km from the frontline, enough to keep it out of range of most of the German Artillery. It therefore became a place of relative safety, though it was troubled by some artillery fire and air attack, particularly the rail station and sidings.

A sprawling array of camps, supply depots and casualty clearing stations grew up around the town as a result of the comparative safety and railed head. In the town it's self  British soldiers would have had an opportunity for rest and recuperation away from the front line., though the distant rumble of gunfire would be a constant reminder of the war. 

Poperinge - Town Hall

Poperinghe - Town Hall

Poperinge - Groot Markt

Poperinghe - Groot Markt



Poperinghe - Then & Now

Poperingh e- Groot Markt

Poperinghe - Troop Transports

Poperinge - Belgian War Memorial