The Vlamertinge Burial Grounds Part Four – The Chavasse V.C. Memorial

Remember this shot from the first Brandhoek post a while back, the signposts pointing to the three cemeteries we have recently visited?  Well, here we are back on the Ieper-Poperinge road, and there being a church here at Brandhoek, you’d expect me to have a look around, would you not? 

And it’s a good job I did,…

…because I wouldn’t have spotted this if I hadn’t,…

…this being the Chavasse V.C. Memorial,…

…unveiled by a descendant of Noel Chavasse in 1998,…

…its once yellow bricks, presumably whitewashed in the years since it was first erected…

…to allow both the text,…

…and Chavasse’s image to be seen more clearly.

The church was locked, but here’s a shot of the noticeboard in the entrance – photos, among others, of Chavasse, and a number of nurses, including the unfortunate Nellie Spindler (last post) – before we head off up the road towards Vlamertinge, a name that occurs at least as frequently as that of Brandhoek when medical facilities or evacuation routes are mentioned along the Ypres-Poperinge road, and which contains three cemeteries of its own, the first one of which can be found here.

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7 Responses to The Vlamertinge Burial Grounds Part Four – The Chavasse V.C. Memorial

  1. Andy Mowatt says:

    Remarkable! What courage he had.

  2. I like the architecture of the church.
    Do you know when it was built?

  3. Daisy in Indonesia says:

    Hello Magicfingers,

    During my travels around France I have stayed a couple of times in a village close to Guillemont on the Somme called Hardecourt-aux-Bois with Diane and Vic Puik. Next door is the Chavasse Ferme, an accommodation farm which has a bar called the ‘Rum Ration’ where the walls are adorned with militaria found within the area of the farm and surroundings. There are a lot of photos, stories and information in the ‘Rum Ration’ regarding Dr Noel Chavasse, one of only 3 men to be awarded a Victoria Cross and Bar and the only one during WW1. Interestingly Chavasse is related to the New Zealander Charles Upham who also holds a VC and Bar but from WW2. Upham is the only recipient as a combat soldier as the other 2 are doctors…

    The Australian Albert Jacka should have at least one bar to his Gallipoli VC from action at Pozieres but also could have another for fighting at Bullecourt however he ruffled the feathers of the higher authorities too often and in the finish they didn’t appreciate his perceived insubordination.

    Thanks for posting, love your work, as usual.

    Daisy.

  4. Nick Kilner says:

    What a great find! He really must have been a most remarkable man.

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