Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery

Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Used for those deceased April 1915 - November 1917
Established 1915
Location near Ploegsteert, Hainaut, Belgium
Designed by H Chalton Bradshaw
Total burials 87
Burials by nation
Allied Powers:

Central Powers:

Burials by war
World War I: 87
Statistics source: WW1cemeteries.com

Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) burial ground for the dead of the First World War located in the Ypres Salient on the Western Front.

The cemetery grounds were assigned to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium in recognition of the sacrifices made by the British Empire in the defence and liberation of Belgium during the war.

Contents

Foundation

This small cemetery was founded by 1st and 4th Royal Berkshire Regiment troops in April 1915. The cemetery later expanded across the road, where the Berks Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery Extension was built.[1]

The cemetery was designed by H(arold) Chalton Bradshaw, who also designed the Cambrai Memorial in France.[2]

Notable graves

The cemetery contains the graves of 87 soldiers. Amongst these graves lies Rifleman Samuel McBride of the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, who was executed for desertion on 7 December 1916.[3] It is now felt by many that these "shot at dawn" men were unfairly tried and executed as they may have been suffering from combat stress reaction rather than acting in cowardice.[4]

References

  1. ^ CWGC entry, accessed 26 May 2006
  2. ^ First World War, accessed 26 May 2006
  3. ^ Irish Shot at Dawn Campaign, accessed 26 May 2006
  4. ^ The Shot at Dawn Campaign website, accessed 23 May 2006

External links