Klein Vierstraat British Cemetery. 6k South West of Ypres town.
After the War burials from smaller cemeteries were brought in.
[Picture courtesy of - "WW1Cemeteries.com".].
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25 MAY
The Battalion began to arrive back at the hutments on the West side of Ypres.
At night the remainder of the garrison of our trenches were relieved and straggled back.
Capt Bowes-Wilson and his Company getting in about 3.30 am on the 25th; then Captain Leather, then Capt Dorman,
then Capt Constantine and Captain Charlton last. The men were nearly exhausted.
They had been at the centre of the gas and all suffering from it more or less.
Captains Charlton and Bowes-Wilson,
though they did not go to hospital, were in a terrible state.
Major H.L. de Legh though suffering neuritis worked like a slave among the men who were lying about being sick at
intervals.
Captain Leather's work in getting the remnants of the Battalion back was splendid. So ended the 24th
and 25th May 1915.
The casualties of NCOs and men stood at 30 killed, 70 wounded and 98 missing and wounded.
These latter were almost all accounted for in different hospitals either wounded or gassed, where all ranks did well.
Mr Albert Jervelund of Redcar and Middlesbrough, N Yorks has received a telegram announcing that his youngest son, Lieut C C Jervelund of the 4th Yorks is at No
7 Stationary Hospital, Boulogne, suffering from Gas. His condition is satsifactory.
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Pte Fred W Battram.
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Pte Matthew Woodrow.
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Pte Archibald Gray.
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563 Pte Frederick William Battram of Middlesbrough was reported as suffering from gas and he was discharged on the 23rd December 1915.
1584 Pte Matthew Woodrow of Skinningrove, N Yorks was reported as being gassed. He served the rest of the War in some capacity and was disembodied on the 23rd March 1919.
2393 Pte Herbert Brown of Middlesbrough was gassed. He was killed in the Somme area on the 16 Nov 1916. Photo on page for that date.
2574 Pte John William Robertson of Middlesbrough was gassed. He was later transferred to the 5th Battalion and killed on the Aisne 27th May 1918.
2557 Pte Archibald Gray was gassed. He was later commissioned, 27 Aug 1917 and served as an Officer with the 5th Yorks Battalion.
The photographs of the 5 above named appeared in the Illustrated Chronicle in the following weeks.
Private F Onions, of the 4th Yorks, is in Hospital at Rouen suffering from
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gas poisoning. He was a member of the Middlesbrough Police Force until he joined the Colours.
Middlesbrough, North East Daily Gazette, 26th May 1915.
PERISCOPES NEEDED - AN URGENT APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE OF MIDDLESBROUGH.
Second Lieut George W Dawson, of the 4th Yorkshire Battalion, the son of Mr Edward Dawson. J.P. writing to Mr J Charles Imeson of Middlesbrough says:-
"I wonder if you could get up a subscription to buy a lot of periscopes. We have only 4 for the whole Battalion - the one I brought out. Frank Hutchinson's, Bowes-Wilson's
and Austin Graham's.
The German snipers down this part are terrible. We lost 2 men in 19 minutes the day before yesterday.
If you could do something on the lines indicated, I am sure you would help to save a number of valuable Middlesbrough lives.
If you put it to the Middlesbrough people in the proper way, I am sure you will have a ready and generous response.
Don't wait to get a lot before you send some out. Send one or tow if don't get more, as the matter is really urgent.
Captain Austin Graham writing to Mr Imeson says:-
"I had a Trench Periscope sent from Middlesbrough, which has proved most useful. We could not have anything more acceptable."
Mr Imeson will be pleased to receive subscriptions. Address Opera House, Middlesbrough. There follows a list of subscribers.
1648 Pte Ebbs Isaac. Home at Skinningrove N Yorks. Born at Sea Palling, Norfolk.
Enlisted at Skelton in Cleveland, N Yorks. Killed in action. Menin Gate Memorial Ypres.
2092 Pte Latheron Walter Christopher. Born and enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks.
Killed in action. Buried at Klein Vierstraat British Cemetery.
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Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery.
About 60k South West of Ypres and used by Casualty Clearing Stations. Three
4th Yorks' men are buried here.
[Picture courtesy of - "WW1Cemeteries.com".].
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[Walter was one of three brothers who died during the Great War. One of his brothers was Edwin Gladstone Latheron
(known as Eddie, or Pinky), who was a rising professional footballer playing for Blackburn Rovers and England -
in fact he is still the 4th highest goalscorer in the club's history!]
1442 L/Cpl Paterson Archibald James. Born at Garston, Liverpool and enlisted at Middlesbrough,
N Yorks. Died of wounds. Age 24.
Buried at Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery.
2543 Pte Williams Fred Bertrand. Enlisted at Northallerton, N Yorks. Killed in action.
Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
26 MAY to 6 JUNE
They stayed at the huts recovering, although on the 26th they began
sending working parties to the trenches, the first party being 150 men, which was all the men in the Battalion able
to move.
During this time Capt R A F Montanaro joined and took over the Adjutancy.
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The 4th Yorks Bn were part of the line in Sanctuary Wood.
The enemy in Shrewsbury Forest.
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In this month Lt George Dudley Gardner was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. He had joined the Bn Sept 12, 1914 and was an articled
clerk in his father's Solicitors firm, G J E Gardner of Northallerton, N Yorks. His father was a Captain in the Bn in 1914 and not
known whether he also went to the War. Lt Gardner became Captain Jan 1917 and Major 1918. He was mentioned in Dispatches 3 times and was awarded
the MC and Italian Silver Medal for Military Valour serving in Egypt from Dec 1915 to July 1916 and Macedonia July 1916 to July 1918.
27 MAY
2143 Pte Benson Henry George. Born and enlisted at Richmond, N Yorks. Killed in action. Age 26.
Menin Gate Memorial Ypres.
1665 Pte Richardson Herbert. Born and enlisted at Guisborough N Yorks. Died of wounds.
Age 23. Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery.
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Pte Charles E Walker.
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2 JUNE.
In the 6 weeks from embarkation to the end of May, the 50th Division had sustained terrible losses.
[The total for the British Army in the same period were 2,150 Officers and 57,125 other ranks.]
During this time its units had been attached to other Divisions and its Artillery held at first in Reserve.
Now it was ordered to take over a section of the Line on its own.
2001 Pte Jemmeson James. Home at - 74 Commercial St, Norton, Malton, N Yorks,
place of birth. Enlisted at Northallerton, N Yorks. Died. Age 22. Ste Marie Cemetery Le Havre.
3 JUNE.
2437 Pte Walker Charles Edward. Home at 12 Trent Street, Middlesbrough, N Yorks, place of birth and enlistment.
Died, aged 19. "A" Company. Buried in Harlebeke New British Cemetery.
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Pte Arthur B Downes.
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6 to 23 JUNE.
The Battalion were in trenches in Sanctuary Wood.
The Bn Diary says "there was no fighting". The German offensive had ceased but the attrition went on and during
this period 3 men were killed and 12 wounded.
8 JUNE.
1151 Pte Downes Arthur Banks. Home at Saltburn N Yorks, place of birth. Enlisted at Redcar, N Yorks.
Died in the Royal Free Hospital, London from wounds received on the 2nd of May at Ypres. He was 22 and a half years of age and prior to
the War had worked for 6 years for the North Eastern Railway Company as a fireman at the Locomotive Dept, Saltburn. He is buried in
Saltburn and Marske [Saltburn] Cemetery.[Photograph kindly contributed by Peter Hastie]
17 JUNE.
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Capt George Hutton Bowes-Wilson.
He was killed outside his dug-out in Sanctuary Wood by a German sniper.
His family home was at Enterpen Hall, Hutton Rudby, N Yorks; the son of Thomas and Maria Bowes-Wilson. He left a Widow, Dulcie Bowes-Wilson of 30 John St, Bedford Row, London.
His family had acquired some wealth through the linen manufacturing business of his Grandfather and then the sail-cloth busines of his Father.
George had been born in 1877 and educated at Clifton College and New College, Oxford. He qualified as a Solicitor in 1902 and had offices
at 28 Albert Road, Middlesbrough. He became a Councillor for the Middlesbrough Exchange Ward from 1906 to his death.
He was also a well known local sportsman.
He was granted a Commission as Second Lieutenant in his local Volunteers, the 1st Volunteer Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry on the
13th December 1905 and promoted to Lieutenant on the 26th April 1907.
When the Territorial Force was established on 1st April 1908 the 1st Volunteer Bn, DLI became part of the 4th Bn of the Yorkshire
Regiment.
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A brass memorial commemorating George's sacrifice is situated in the South Wall of the South Aisle of All Saints Church, Hutton Rudby.
He had been badly gassed in May 1915 - “Captain Bowes-Wilson though he did not go to hospital was in a terrible state”.
His friend, the famous explorer Gertrude Bell, the sister of the Battalion OC Maurice Bell, wrote to their father Sir Hugh Bell:-
:-
"I have a word from Maurice tonight, he says that George Bowes-Wilson is killed, a most gallant and competent officer”.
He is buried at Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, East of Ypres.
His only son, Maurice, died aged two in the same year, 1915.
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He left estate of £2,500.
His brother Lt Col John Hutton Bowes-Wilson was killed in 1917 with the West Riding Regiment.
[The first photograph of the two lower ones is from a local newspaper and has been kindly contributed by Kevin Galloway of Thornaby on
Tees. The second is a copy of a painting by Frank Kewley that hangs in the Council Chamber of Middlesbrough Borough]
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