837 Sapper Stuart
William Swann
Royal Engineers
Stuart William Swann was born
in Darnall, Yorkshire. He was the son William Henry and Frances
Elizabeth Swann, of Rose Cottage, 38, Tannery St., Woodhouse,
Sheffield. Stuart Swann enlisted in the Royal Engineers at
Sheffield and was assigned to the 1/1st West Riding Division
Signal Company. He died on the 22nd of October 1915 of wounds
received in action in Flanders.
Cemetery: LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY, Poperinge, West- Vlaanderen, Belgium
Grave Reference/Panel Number: I. B. 28.
Location: Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery is located 11.5 kilometres west of Ieper town centre, on the Boescheepseweg, a road leading from the N308 connecting Ieper to Poperinge. From Ieper town centre the Poperingseweg (N308) is reached via Elverdingsestraat, then over two small roundabouts in the J. Capronstraat. The Poperingseweg is a continuation of the J. Capronstraat and begins after a prominent railway level crossing. On reaching Poperinge, the N308 joins the left hand turning onto the R33, Poperinge ring road. The R33 ring continues to the left hand junction with the N38 Frans- Vlaanderenweg. 800 metres along the N38 lies the left hand turning onto Lenestraat. The next immediate right hand turning leads onto Boescheepseweg. The cemetery itself is located 1.5 kilometres along Boescheepseweg on the right hand side of the road. From Calais, take the motorway A16 signposted Dunkerque/Lille. At Dunkerque take the motorway signposted Lille/Ypres, the A25. Leave the motorway at Junction 13, the village of Steenvoorde. Follow the D948/N38 signposted Ieper/Poperinge. After approximately 8-10 kilometres Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery will be signposted off to the right. Please Note: Ypres/ Ieper are the same place: Ypres (French spelling), Ieper (Flemish spelling) Commission signposts are green and white.
Historical Information: The Hazebrouck-Poperinghe railway line and the Poperinghe-Ypres road formed the main communication between the bases and the Flemish battlefields, and Lijssenthoek, lying close behind the extreme range of enemy shell-fire, was a natural position for clearing hospitals. It was first used by the French 15th Hopital D'Evacuation. In June, 1915, it began to be used by British Casualty Clearing Stations; and between that month and the Armistice it became the second greatest British War Cemetery. From April to August, 1918, the Casualty Clearing Stations fell back before the German advance, and Field Ambulances (including a French Ambulance) took their places; and the French graves in Plots XXVI, XXVII, and XXXI recalled the French regiments that were sent to Flanders at that time. Twenty-four British graves in Plot XXXI were brought from isolated positions near Poperinghe after the Armistice. There are now nearly 10,000, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site.
SOURCES:
1. Soldiers Died in the Great War.