CWGC

Additional = Information:	Son of John and Maggie = Downie, of Beech=20 Cottage, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie.
Cemetery:	PLOEGSTEERT = MEMORIALComines-Warneton,=20 Hainaut, Belgium
Grave or Reference Panel = Number:	Panel 1
Location:	The Ploegsteert Memorial = stands in=20 Berks Cemetery Extension, which is located 12.5 kilometres = south of=20 Ieper town centre, on the N365 leading from Ieper to Mesen=20 (Messines), Ploegsteert and on to Armentieres. From Ieper = town=20 centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, = through the=20 Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads = with the=20 Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the = Rijselseweg=20 (N336). 3.5 kilometres along the N336 lies a fork junction = with the=20 N365. The N365, which forms the right hand fork, leads to = the town=20 of Mesen. The Cemetery lies 3 kilometres beyond Mesen on the = right=20 hand side of the N365, and opposite Hyde Park Corner Royal = Berks=20 Cemetery. The sounding of the Last Post takes place at the=20 Ploegsteert Memorial on the first Friday of every month at 7 = p.m.=20
Visiting Information:	The Panel Numbers quoted at = the end of=20 each entry relate to the panels dedicated to the Regiment = served=20 with. In some instances where a casualty is recorded as = attached to=20 another Regiment, his name may alternatively appear within = their=20 Regimental Panels. Please refer to the on-site Memorial = Register=20 Introduction to determine the alternative panel numbers if = you do=20 not find the name within the quoted Panels.
Historical Information:	The PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL = commemorates=20 more than 11,000 servicemen of the United Kingdom and South = African=20 forces who died in this sector during the First World War = and have=20 no known grave. The memorial serves the area from the line=20 Caestre-Dranoutre-Warneton to the north, to=20 Haverskerque-Estaires-Fournes to the south, including the = towns of=20 Hazebrouck, Merville, Bailleul and Armentieres, the Forest = of=20 Nieppe, and Ploegsteert Wood. The original intention had = been to=20 erect the memorial in Lille. Those commemorated by the = memorial did=20 not die in major offensives, such as those which took place = around=20 Ypres to the north, or Loos to the south. Most were killed = in the=20 course of the day-to-day trench warfare which characterised = this=20 part of the line, or in small scale set engagements, usually = carried=20 out in support of the major attacks taking place elsewhere. = BERKS=20 CEMETERY EXTENSION, in which the memorial stands, was begun = in June=20 1916 and used continuously until September 1917. At the = Armistice,=20 the extension comprised Plot I only, but Plots II and III = were added=20 in 1930 when graves were brought in from Rosenberg Chateau = Military=20 Cemetery and Extension, about 1 kilometre to the north-west, = when it=20 was established that these sites could not be acquired in=20 perpetuity. Rosenberg Chateau Military Cemetery was used by = fighting=20 units from November 1914 to August 1916. The extension was = begun in=20 May 1916 and used until March 1918. Together, the Rosenberg = Chateau=20 cemetery and extension were sometimes referred to as 'Red = Lodge'.=20 Berks Cemetery Extension now contains 876 First World War = burials.=20 HYDE PARK CORNER (ROYAL BERKS) CEMETERY is separated from = Berks=20 Cemetery Extension by a road. It was begun in April 1915 by = the=20 1st/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment and was used at intervals = until=20 November 1917. Hyde Park Corner was a road junction to the = north of=20 Ploegsteert Wood. Hill 63 was to the north-west and nearby = were the=20 'Catacombs', deep shelters capable of holding two = battalions, which=20 were used from November 1916 onwards. The cemetery contains = 83=20 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and four German = war=20 graves The cemetery, cemetery extension and memorial were = designed=20 by H Chalton Bradshaw, with sculpture by Gilbert = Ledward.
Display Record of=20 Commemoration

Debt of Honour Register