White House Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery

Infobox Military Cemetery
name= White House, Ieper
body= Commonwealth War Graves Commission


use_dates= 1915-1918
established= 1915
designer= Sir Reginald Blomfield
coordinates= coord|50|51|42.9|N|02|53|55.1|E|
nearest_town= Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium
total= 1,171
unknowns= 323
by_country=Allied Powers:
*United Kingdom 1,002
*Canada: 85
*Australia: 45
*New Zealand: 25
*South Africa: 5
*Undivided India: 1
*Bermuda: 1
by_war=
World War I: 1163
World War II: 8
source= [http://www.ww1cemeteries.com/ww1cemeteries/whitehousecemetery.htm WW1Cemeteries.com] and [http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_details.aspx?cemetery=52400&mode=1 CWGC]

White House Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) burial ground for the dead of World War I 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. [ [http://www.webmatters.net/belgium/ww1_friedhof_vladslo.htm First World War] , accessed 19 August 2006]

Foundation

The cemetery was founded by Commonwealth troops in March 1915 and remained in use until April 1918. [http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_details.aspx?cemetery=52400&mode=1 Commonwealth War Graves Commission] accessed 1 October 2006] After the Armistice in November 1918, the cemetery was enlarged by concentrating graves from eight outlying cemeteries.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield who was also responsible for the nearby Menin Gate memorial. [http://www.greatwar.co.uk/westfront/ypsalient/meningate/meningate.htm GreatWar.co.uk] , accessed 1 October 2007]

Notable graves

The cemetery contains the graves of some 1,163 soldiers of the Great War. Amongst these are the graves of four men executed by the Commonwealth military authorities - Private HH Chase of the Lancashire Fusiliers, executed for cowardice on 12 June 1915; Private WJ Turpie of the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment, executed for desertion on 1 July 1915; and Privates RW Gawler and AE Eveleigh of The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), executed for desertion 24 February 1916. [http://www.ww1cemeteries.com/ww1cemeteries/whitehousecemetery.htm WW1Cemeteries.com] , accessed 1 October 2007] Private Turpie reached the United Kingdom about a month after deserting. He was apprehended by the police and confessed to being a deserter. Brought back to the Front, he was convicted at a court martial and subsequently executed.Putkowski, JJ [http://www.janpieterchielens.be/shotatdawn/page58.html Shot at Dawn Campaign website on Turpie's trial] , accessed 1 October 2007]

On 7 November 2006, the British government reversed its previous decision and announced a pardon for all soldiers executed in the Great War. [http://www.shotatdawn.org.uk/ Shot at Dawn Campaign website] , accessed 1 October 2007]

Also buried at this cemetery is Private Robert Morrow of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, who won the Victoria Cross for carrying wounded to safety under heavy fire but was killed later that year at the front.Fact|date=October 2007

References

External links

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