Zantvoorde British Cemetery, West Flanders. 6 miles SE of Ypres, NE of village. Made after the Armistice by concentration of graves from battle-fields. Records 1,525 UK., 22 Can., 2 Aust., 1 Ind. burials and 33 special memorials.

Grave in Zantvoorde British Cemetery of Major (Brevet Lieutenant Colonel) Henry William, Viscount Crichton DSO MVO Royal Horse Guards (The Blues) killed in action 31st October 1914 aged 42 years Headstone bears inscription “Until the day dawns And the clouds flee away.” Viscount Crichton. Son of the 4th Earl of Erme of Crom Castle Ireland, husband of Viscountess Crichton (now Lady Mary Stanley of Sopworth Chippenham, Wilts). The Royal Horse Guards, with 1st and 2nd Life Guards formed the 7th Cavalry Brigade, part of 3rd Cavalry Division. The troopers fought as infantry and on the 30th October 1914 were in trenches in front of Zandvoorde on which the greater part of the German 260 heavy guns seems to have been concentrated. An overwhelming infantry attack followed and a retirement to the second line was ordered but the greater part of two squadrons of the Life Guards and the Royal Horse Guards machine guns were cut off and annihilated. On the 31 October the 3rd Cavalry Division was the only Reserve available to General Haig but at 0730 the 7th Brigade was returned to General Allenby as part of 3rd Cavalry Division. In operations in this area Viscount Crichton lost his life.

Grave in Zantvoorde British Cemetery of Major Humphrey St Leger Stucley, King’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards killed in action 29th October 1914 aged 37 years. Headstone bears inscription “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” Major Stucley was Second in Command of the 1st Battalion sailing from Southampton and landing in Zeebrugge on the 7th October 1914. The 1st Battalion was in trenches south of the cross roads at Gheluvelt and was cut off from view of the Menin Road by intervening houses and gardens and it was densely foggy. The Battalion was heavily shelled by British guns, presumably the fire was intended for the German infantry which was known to be somewhere near. There being no sign of the attack at down which had been envisaged it was decided to send the two Battalions in support back for their rations but had been gone hardly half an hour when the Germans opened a very heavy fire from the left rear. The enemy had managed to penetrate the line and the whole Battalion was forced to leave the fire trenches and occupy the support trenches. Major Stucley set off to bring up the King’s Company, the only support available. The shell fire had practically ceased and there then arose steady machine-gun fire from the houses around. Headed by Major Stucley the King’s Company steadily advanced for some 200 yards suffering many casualties. The enemy’s machine guns were pouring a murderous fire into the other two companies and the problem was how to stop the German advance, the enemy having taken all the houses near the Menin road and the Germans advancing shoulder to shoulder under 100 yards from the British line. Major Stucley disdained all cover and dashed forward at the head of the King’s Company determined to save the situation. In the hail of bullets he fell shot through the head. One Company retired to the brickyard whilst others hung doggedly on to their support trenches for another half an hour. A Company of the Gordon Highlanders came up to assist but despite a counter attack on the Germans all had eventually to retire. The Germans did not appreciate that between them and Ypres were just the remains of a battalion. Losses in the Battalion were very heavy so that only 4 officers and 100 men went into billets that night at Hooge. Son of the late Sir George Stucley 1st Baronet of Moreton, and Lady Stucley, husband of Rose Stucley of 26 St George’s Road London SW1. Served in the Egyptian Campaign of 1898 and the South African War. (See also below)

Grave in Zantvoorde British Cemetery of Captain James Anson Otho Brooke V.C. 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders killed in action 29th October 1914 aged 30 years. Headstone bears inscription “I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith. Gloria Finis.” Extract from the London Gazette records “For conspicuous bravery and great ability near Gheluvelt on the 29th October, in leading two attacks on the German trenches under heavy rifle and machine-gun fire regaining a lost trench at a very critical moment. He was killed on that day. By his marked coolness and promptitude on this occasion Lieutenant Brooke prevented the enemy from breaking through our line at a time when a general counter-attack could not have been organised.” Action in which Major Stucley was killed. Son of Sir Harry Vesey Brooke KBE and Lady Brooke of Fairley, Countesswells, Aberdeenshire. Awarded the Sword of Honour at Sandhurst.

Grave in Zantvoorde British Cemetery of Lieutenant-Colonel Beauchamp Tyndall Pell, DSO, 1st Battalion Queens (Royal West Kent Regiment) died of wounds 4th November 1914. Headstone bears inscription “God is our God For ever and ever He shall be our guide unto death.” On the night of 30th/31st October 1914 the 1st Battalion the Queen’s was in the line south of the Menin Road and east of the village of Gheluvelt with 3 companies immediately below the road. To their left and astride the road was the 2nd Battalion the Welch Regiment and to their left the 1st Battalion the South Wales Borderers; to the right of the Queens was the 2nd Battalion of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps and the 4th company of the Queens. Just after 6 am on the 31st October 1914 a German infantry attack was made against this line but except near the orchard at the junction of the line held by the Queens and the Kings Royal Rifle Corps the attack was repulsed with heavy losses. The orchard of which the Germans had possession enabled them to enfilade the front line of the Queens and all attempts by counter attack to retake it failed. The Germans commenced heavy artillery fire so that the right half of the Welch were simply “blown out” of their trenches and part were withdrawn to the support line. The retirement could not be seen from south of the road and the support line proving only to be a sunken lane more exposed than the front line the whole of the Welch were withdrawn. The 1st Queen’s under Major C F Watson – Colonel Pell having been mortally wounded early in the morning- with the detachment of the KRRC held on although enemy gun and rifle fire swept the ground with an intensity never before experienced. The farm, in the area held by the Queens was set alight and the German infantry then charged but were met by British rapid fire but weight of numbers told in the end the Germans having brought up artillery. After Gheluvelt church and the buildings round it had been shattered to a mass of broken bricks and rubble and houses set on fire the survivors of the Queens fell back but found the enemy in possession of the village and were surrounded and shot down from front, flank and rear and only two officers and twelve other ranks succeeded in escaping and rejoining the 3rd Brigade. Son of the Reverend Beauchamp H St Pell and Julia C M Pell; husband of Alice M Pell of The Rectory Wilburton Isle-of-Ely. Born at Ickenham Middlesex.

Grave in Zandvoorde British Cemetery of No 240693 Sergeant Lewis McGuffie V.C. 1/5th Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers killed in action 4th October 1918. Headstone bears inscription “Oh for the touch of a vanished hand and the sound of the voice that is I still.” Extract from the London Gazette records “For most conspicuous bravery and resourceful leadership under heavy fire near Wytschaete on 28th September 1918. During the advance to Piccadilly Farm, he, single-handed entered several enemy dugouts and took many prisoners, and during subsequent operations dealt similarly with dugout after dugout, forcing one officer and twenty-five other ranks to surrender. During the consolidation of the first objective he pursued and brought back several of the enemy who were slipping away, and he was also instrumental in rescuing some British soldiers who were being led off as prisoners. Later in the day when in command of a platoon, he led it with the utmost dash and resource capturing many prisoners. This very gallant soldier was subsequently killed by a shell."  Son of Mrs Catherine McGuffie of 1 North Main Street Wigtownshire. Born Wigtown, enlisted Wigtown residence Wigtown.

Graves in Zandvoorde British Cemetery of Second Lieutenant Henry Leslie Marvin, Royal Flying Corps, killed in action 26th October 1917aged 22 years. Headstone bears inscription “So loved, so mourned, so missed.” Son of Henry Ward Marvin and Ella Marvin of 21 Red Down Road Coulsdon Surrey. Second Lieutenant Clarence Harry Barton, Royal Flying Corps killed in action 26th October 1917 aged 25 years. Headstone bears inscription “Greater love hath no man.” Son of Frank Burrell Barton and Louise Barton of 90 Lordship Park Stoke Newington London. Both members of 6th Squadron who took off from Abeele Aerodrome, about 14 miles west of Ypres, where the squadron was based and were shot down near Zillebeke on 26th October 1917.

Zillebeke Churchyard, Zillebeke, West Flanders.  The Churchyard is in the centre of the village which is E of Ypres.  The churchyard was used for burials mainly in 1914 but there are 4 burials from 1915 and 5 burials from 1916.  On 20th November 1914 Sir Morgan Crofton, Captain with the 2nd Life Guards, describes the Churchyard first on 20th November 1914 “Outside in the Churchyard marked by rough wooden crosses were the newly made graves of Lord Bernard Gordon-Lennox, Lord Congleton and Symes-Thompson, all of the Grenadier Guards, also Lt. Peterson of my Regiment, and about 20 others all of whom had been killed in the attack of Nov 6th when Dawnay and O’Neill were also killed” and much later on the 9th February 1915 “The Churchyard had several enormous shelll holes in it, which had uprooted the monuments, smashed open the vaults and laid bare the coffins and the dead.  These vaults were half full of rainwater and in many cases the zinc or tin coffins were floating about, with their occupants exposed or bobbing over the sides.” Whilst he noted that the wooden crosses on some graves remained, one grave of Lieutenant William Wyndham was probably destroyed by shell fire, he being commemorated by one of two special memorials. The register records 17 1914 burials, one of whom is commemorated by a Special Memorial, all of whom were killed between the 6th and 20th November 1914 in the final phase of the 1st Battle of Ypres.  For 1915 there are 4 burials, again one being commemorated by a Special Memorial, in May, June and December and for 1916 5 burials, 1 in March and 4 in June.

An outline of the fighting around Zandvoorde and Klein Zillebeke and Sanctuary Wood includes information as to the circumstances of the deaths of all those officers and men buried or commemorated by special memorials in Zillebeke Churchyard

Summary of 1914 deaths.

6th November 1914

Grave in Zillebeke Churchyard of Captain Norman Neill, 13th Hussars (Brigade Major 7th Cavalry Brigade) killed in action 6th November 1914 aged 34 years.  Son of Robert Neill.  Husband of Eleanor de Courcy Neill, Yew Tree Cottage, Merrow, Guildford, Surrey..  Born in 1880 and educated at Harrow School, Norman Neill was a Lieutenant in the 5th Militia Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers and served in the South African War (1899-1902).  Whilst serving in South Africa Norman NeillI was gazetted into the 19th (Queen Alexandra’s Own Royal) Hussars.  In July 1910 he was promoted Captain.  By 1914 he had completed a course at Camberley Staff College.  When serving with the 13th Hussars, he was selected by Brigadier General Charles Kavanagh CVO, CB, DSO commanding 7th Cavalry Brigade to be Brigade Major.  The Brigade Major was the Chief of Staff of a brigade and head of the Operations and Intelligence section, overseeing Administration and Quartermasters sections.  He was responsible for the planning of brigade operations and also ensuring that the Brigadiers orders were transmitted to the units in the Brigade.  Frequently he would undertake that duty personally, especially in times of crisis.  The three Cavalry Regiments in the Brigade were 1st Life Guards, 2nd Life Guards and the Royal Horse Guards, supported by XV Brigade Royal Horse Artillery.  All three cavalry regiments landed at Zeebrugge on the 7th / 8th October 1914 and with the 6th Cavalry Brigade formed the 3rd Cavalry Division.  On the 21st November 1914, the Royal Horse Guards moved to the 8th Cavalry Brigade but remained in the 3rd Cavalry Division.

At 12.30 a.m. on the 9th October 1914 Operation Orders No. 1 was issued by Captain Neill, as Brigade-Major 7th Cavalry Brigade ordering the Cavalry Regiments to concentrate in the Bruges area.  By the 14th October 1914 1st Life Guards at least had arrived at Ypres. 

On the 20th October the Brigade took up a defensive position from Zonnebeke to cross roads north east of St. Julien with the 6th Cavalry Brigade prolonging the line to Langemark.  There were casualties from shrapnel, in the 1st Life Guards a Corporal being killed and 4 other ranks wounded and Captain Neill was also wounded being evacuated to British General Hospital No. 13 at Boulogne but he was back on duty on the 1st November 1914.  In his absence, on the 23rd October the 7th Brigade had relieved the 6th Brigade in trenches on the line of the Zandvoorde-Hollebeke road and the officers and men in the three Cavalry Regiments fought as infantry until the end of the 1st Battle of Ypres on the 22nd November 1914.

By the 1st November 1915 Captain Neill was back with his Brigade and he was issuing orders up until the early hours of the 6th November 1914.  He was killed that afternoon whilst returning to Brigade Headquarters at Verbranden Molen from ordering the Royal Horse Guards to act in support of 2nd Life Guards in stemming the German advance at Zwarteleen. Captain Norman Neill was awarded the Victory and British War Medals and the 1914 Star.