Boezinge, Essex Farm Cemetery

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Boezinge, Essex Farm Cemetery

For most conspicuous bravery – Private Thomas Barratt

Headstone of Serjeant A G Cohen, West Yorkshire Regiment, Essex Farm Cemetery. The Star of David on Cohen’s headstone indicates that he was of the Jewish faith. Notice also the stones placed by visitors on top of the headstone. The Jewish Virtual Library at www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org has this to say about the custom of placing stones on graves: ‘Unlike people from other religions, Jews do not typically place flowers at gravesites. Instead, they often place stones on the grave or tombstone. The origin of the custom is uncertain, though it may relate to ancient times when a pile of stones was used as a marker. The most common explanation is that placing stones is a symbolic act that indicates someone has come to visit and the deceased has not been forgotten. [DVA]

From the 49th Division Memorial a pathway leads to Essex Farm Cemetery where lie the remains of 1,102 British and British Empire soldiers. Unlike many of the cemeteries in the Ypres Salient area it has only two graves that are unidentified. This is because many of the servicemen buried here died of their wounds after having been carried back to dressing stations hereabouts from the front line.

In Plot I, just inside the main gate near the Cross of Sacrifice, there are many graves that are dated 1915. These are the graves of men of the infantry battalions of the 49th (West Yorkshire) Division, especially the battalions of the West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own).

Also in Plot I (in Row Z, Grave 8) is Private Thomas Barratt, from Cosseley, Staffordshire, South Staffordshire Regiment, who was killed in action on 27 July 1917. Barratt’s grave is nearly always marked by the familiar British Legion wooden remembrance crosses with a poppy in the middle, for he was a Victoria Cross recipient. Barratt’s headstone carries an engraving of the medal, VC awardees being the only soldiers so honoured by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Where a man had received the VC, the cemetery register also has the official citation from the London Gazette describing the deed, or deeds, for which he was so highly decorated:

For most conspicuous bravery when as Scout to a patrol he [Barratt] worked his way towards the enemy line with the greatest gallantry and determination, in spite of continuous fire from hostile snipers at close range. These snipers he stalked and killed. Later his patrol was similarly held up, and again he disposed of the snipers. When during the subsequent withdrawal of the patrol it was observed that a party of the enemy were endeavouring to outflank them, Private Barratt at once volunteered to cover the retirement, and this he succeeded in accomplishing. His accurate shooting caused many casualties to the enemy, and prevented their advance. Throughout the enterprise he was under heavy machine gun and rifle fire, and his splendid example of coolness and daring was beyond all praise. After safely regaining our lines, this very gallant soldier was killed by a shell.

Headstone of Private Thomas Barratt, South Staffordshire Regiment, Essex Farm Cemetery. [DVA]

There are many individual tragedies of war noticeable in the arrangement of certain graves at Essex Farm. What happened, for example, to the men of the 17th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, who lie side by side in a mass grave, in Plot II, Row W, Graves 1–9. The way in which seven of the headstones virtually abut one another indicates the collective nature of this burial and that, while the remains of the men named on the headstones are indeed here, they do not necessarily lie under a man’s personal headstone. All these soldiers perished on Christmas Day 1916.

Row of graves of men of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, all killed on 25 December 1916, Essex Farm Cemetery. [DVA]

Headstones of Riflemen C J Smith and F A Still, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, Essex Farm Cemetery. [DVA]

Boezinge, Essex Farm Cemetery

For most conspicuous bravery – Private Thomas Barratt

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