Anyone near the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery In Belgium?

[billybek]

Is there anyone in Belgium near the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery that could take a photo of my grandfathers brother's headstone?

My uncle passed from his wounds on November 1, 1917 and his grave location is XXI. CC. 1A.
Name on the marker is Wilbert Keating.

It would mean a lot to my family, particularly my 87 year old dad to see this marker.

Thanks,

[sc_rufctr]

I can't help but someone should chime in Bill. Good luck.

[tttoon]

I'm about an hour and a half away, if the weather stays nice I'll try to drive over there on Friday and get you a photograph!

[billybek]

Originally Posted by tttoon

I'm about an hour and a half away, if the weather stays nice I'll try to drive over there on Friday and get you a photograph!

Oh, that would be wonderful if you could.

The reach of PPOT never ceases to amaze me!

If it doesn't work out this time, maybe sometime when you are in the area.

Thanks for responding.

[kevin993]

If it doesn't work out, please let us know. I have to believe we can find a way to get this done.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by kevin993

If it doesn't work out, please let us know. I have to believe we can find a way to get this done.

Find A Grave:


Lance Corporal Wilbert Keating ( - 1917) - Find A Grave Memorial

[kevin993]

Boom. Well done. Always work smarter.

[billybek]

Wow!
I had searched for something like that and wasn't able to find anything.
Thanks for posting it and the link.

[Bill Douglas]

Wow, thanks Dad. You may have done someone else a huge favor too.

[HardDrive]

eff google, I'm starting with PPOT from now on.

[Tobra]

Are you kidding me with this stuff, less than 8 hours with an arcane request like that?

Anyone have a line on a perpetual motion machine or a cold fusion reactor I can fit in the trunk of my Miata?

Hey, worth a shot.

[kevin993]

Will fit a Miata or a DeLorean...

[Peterfrans]

If you need additional pictures I could always ask Stijn (from the Stijn thread but no longer active on this forum), he lives only a few km away from that cemetary.

[svandamme]

Will get that tomorrow
I'm 10 minutes away and have the day off for Armistice day

[svandamme]

And btw Pete, you have been here longer and you still haven't caught up with my post count.. And i have been sleeping the last 3 years :P

[billybek]

That would be great if you could do that, svandamme.

I will send you my email via pm.

The War Graves site was great, too. The photo quality is a bit lacking but it was really nice to see the marker.

[svandamme]

No worries, will get you some pics of the grave and it's surroundings.

This is another cemetery, i drive by it every day



Track-X cemetery

Cannot promise the same as this one, it depends on the weather, but will try to get you a feel for the place.

[svandamme]

So i went over there, it was like a 15 minute drive, it's closer to Poperinge the Ypres.
Ypres is where the fighting happened, Poperinge was never taken and was the last town where there was civilisation left, not much but still..




Lijssenhoek was a tiny village near Poperinge and it housed the biggest evacuation hospital of the Ypres Salient.
It had 4000 hospitalbeds at it's peak.



Soldiers and Nurses at Lijssenhoek hospital



Right now there are 10784 casualties buried here about 30 nationalities including 1 American, a large number of French and also some Germans.



The German graves are in the far back
The French are clustered in several areas dotted around the cemetery.


"In most British Military Cemeteries, there is no distinction between ranks. Generals and Privates are buried side by side. It is sometimes different in cemeteries attached to hospitals; the officers were in separate wards and sometimes are buried in separate plots. However, at Lijssenthoek the graves in first row of each plot are those of officers who were buried in coffins. Therefore, there is a bigger gap between the graves. Other ranks are wrapped in blankets and so buried closer together. This distinction ended in late August 1917. Lt Ronald Ross Douglas was the first officer to be buried to be buried amongst the troop and he lies between two privates in plot18."



This is the place where your relative was buried







Since he died here, on 1st of November, as 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles, he would have been wounded during the Third Battle of Ypres,
in the Second Stage of the Second Battle of Passchendaele which started on 30th of October. Probably near Crest Farm.

His Commanding officer was awarded a VC for his role in that battle.

Acting Major George Pearkes of the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion

"For most conspicuous bravery and skilful handling of the troops under his command during the capture and consolidation of considerably more than the objectives allotted to him, in an attack. Just prior to the advance Major Pearkes was wounded in the thigh. Regardless of his wound, he continued to lead his men with the utmost gallantry, despite many obstacles.
At a particular stage of the attack his further advance was threatened by a strong point which was an objective of the battalion on his left, but which they had not succeeded in capturing. Quickly appreciating the situation, he captured and held this point, thus enabling his further advance to be successfully pushed forward.
It was entirely due to his determination and fearless personality that he was able to maintain his objective with the small number of men at his command against repeated enemy counter-attacks, both his flanks being unprotected for a considerable depth meanwhile.
His appreciation of the situation throughout and the reports rendered by him were invaluable to his Commanding Officer in making dispositions of troops to hold the position captured.
He showed throughout a supreme contempt of danger and wonderful powers of control and leading."

So it's safe to say that your grandfathers brother, died from wounds suffered in heavy combat.
More likely then not, it took the better part of a day to get him to a dressing station and further down the line.
The Golden Hour concept was not known in those days.. Nor was it possible in those circumstances to do a quick medivac.
Reasons being they were on the offensive and between them and the Hospital was about 20 km of broken waste land with very little roads.

There's a fair chance that the wound itself was survivable but the infection got him.. But obviously that is speculation at this time.

[svandamme]

Panoramic view Just 15 feet from the grave of your relative :


Another one from the front corner of the cemetery
Near the Cross of Sacrifice



I have sent you a pm with a Wetransfer link to the full resolution original pictures.

[Peterfrans]

Nice Stijn! And still sobering to think about the large number of young men who have found their last resting place over there.