TWELVE TREE COPSE CEMETERY & MEMORIAL

UK - 1,313
AIF - 12
NZ - 80
INDIA - 1
CEYLON - 1
UNIDENTIFIED - 1,953

HISTORY

Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery is about half a mile South-West of the village of Krithia. It was made after the Armistice by the concentration of smaller cemeteries and isolated graves from the battlefields of April to August and December, 1915. It covers an area of 9,307 square yards; and it contains the graves of 679 soldiers (and sailors and marines of the Royal Naval Division and the Royal Naval Air Service) from the United Kingdom, 60 from New Zealand, ten from Australia, one from Ceylon, and 1,953 whose unit in our forces could not be ascertained. The unnamed graves number 2,226 and special memorials are erected to 646 soldiers from the United Kingdom, ten from New Zealand and one from Australia, known or believed to be buried among them. These special tablets include the names of 142 officers and men of the 1st Essex who fell on the 6th August, 1915, and 47 of the 1/7th Scottish Rifles who fell on the 28th June; and it is probable that most of the dead of some other units on those two dates are buried here as unknown soldiers.

The more important burial grounds concentrated into Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery were the following:-. GEOGHEGHAN's BLUFF CEMETERY, West of Krithia, between Saghir Dere and the sea. It contained the graves of 925 men, and it was connected in particular with the Action of Gully Ravine in June-July, 1915. FIR TREE WOOD CEMETERY, a little way South of Twelve Tree Copse, near the "Daisy Field," where the 29th Division and the New Zealand Infantry Brigade fought in May, 1915. CLUNES VENNEL CEMETERY, on the South side of Krithia, where 522 soldiers were buried.

The New Zealand Memorial commemorates 179 New Zealand soldiers who fell in the Second Battle of Krithia, May 1915, or in July 1915. The greatest number of names are from: the Auckland Battalion (59), Canterbury Battalion (49), Wellington Battalion (48) and Otago Battalion (21). Most fell on 8th May 1915 at The Daisy Patch near Firr Tree Wood.

LOCATION

Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery is in the Helles area, about 1 kilometre south-west of the village of Krithia. On the north-west side of the cemetery is Twelve Tree Copse (New Zealand) Memorial, which takes the form of panels placed in the wall flanking the Cross of Sacrifice.

GRAVES OF INTEREST

- Pte T.Buchanan DCM  1/5th Royal Scots Fusiliers, Killed 29th December 1915.
- Sgt C.Cooney DCM, 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers, Killed 5th July 1915.
- Cpl W.Downton DCM, 1/7th Lancashire Fusiliers, Killed 19th December 1915.
- CQMS F.Fisher DCM, 2nd Hampshire Regiment, Killed 7th August 1915.
- Sgt-Mjr W.J.Magee DCM, 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 12th May 1915. (born Malta)
- Cpl S.Stockton DCM  1/5th Manchester Regiment, Killed 7th August 1915.
- Sgt J.J.Ward DCM, 2nd South Wales Borderers, Killed 28th June 1915, aged 27.

- Killed 6th August 1915, aged 32.
- His name is also on the Helles Memorial.

- Killed 21st June 1915, aged 41.
- Served in the Boer war.

- Died of wounds 20th December 1915, aged 33.
- The inscription on his grave reads:
" Who lives if England dies, Who dies if England lives?"

- Pte Charles Heaton, 1/5th Manchesters, 7th August 1915, aged 27.
- Pte John Heaton, 1/5th Manchesters, 7th August 1915, aged 27.
- From Atherton, Lancs.

- Killed 12th May 1915, aged 33.
- The insccription on his grave reads:
"Unheard voices called to the West, Dinna forget"

- Killed 19th December 1915, aged 38.
- Croix de Guerre, mentioned in despatches.
- He was one of the few officers to reach the Kritihia Vinyard on 7th August 1915.

- Killed 7th August 1915.
- Mentioned in despatches.
- Graduate in Medicine of Melborne University.
- He was attached to 2nd Hampshires as their medical officer when killed.
- Name listed in the British Jewry Book of Honour.

- Killed 28th June 1915, aged 57.
- First commissioned into 57th Foot in May 1878, and served in Zulu War and Boer War. Severely wounded at Spion Kop, which left him lame.
- Recalled from retirement in 1914, and given command of 156th Brigade.
- Killed when his brigade assaulted the Turkish positions. The Bde lost 72 oficers and 1,281 men in this battle, including Lt-Cols H.M.Hannan & J.B.Wilson of the Cameronians, mentioned elsewhere on this page.
- Lt-Col W.C.Peebles DSO wrote:
" ... he personally led the last two companies [of 1/7th Cameronians] by a forward sap, now marked sap 30, and was killed as the sap began to emerge on to the surface level."

- Killed 22nd December 1915, aged 24.
- Son of William Henry and Louisa Smith, of The Chief Constable's Office, Town Hall, Burnley. Born at Guildford.
- VC citation London Gazette 3rd March 1916:

" For most conspicuous bravery. He was in the act of throwing a grenade when it slipped from his hand and fell to the bottom of the trench, close to several of our officers and men. He immediately shouted out a warning, and himself jumped clear and into safety, but seeing that the officers and men were unable to get into cover, and knowing well that the grenade was due to explode, he returned without any hesitation and flung himself down on it. He was instantly killed by the explosion. His magnificent act of self-sacrifice undoubtedly saved many lives."

Grave of 2/Lt A.V.Smith VC

- Killed 12th July 1915.

- Killed 28th June 1915, aged 40.
- Served in the Boer War.