for mike

[mack]

hiya mike.

I recently came across these three soldiers buried in erquelinnes communal cemetery,202296 Arthur Atkinson,15049 Charles peats and 82051 joe taylor,the CWGC erected special memorials to these three soldiers,stating that their precise graves could not be located,these three men were buried in graves 28[taylor]29.[Atkinson]30.[peats]these are the grave details listed by the germans when they buried them,as far as I know,this cemetery wasn't damaged by shellfire,so why cant they locate the exact spot,the CWGC were aware of the grave numbers listed by the germans,any clues mike.

mack

[pete th]

Mack/Mike, from A District at War:

Arthur Atkinson – Died as Prisoner of War (cause unknown) 14th October 1918

Private Arthur Atkinson (Service no. 202296) served with the 2nd/5th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment, 199th Brigade, 66th Division.

Arthur was born in Carrington and lived with his parents, William and Sarah Ellen Atkinson, of 17 Liverpool Road, Higher Irlam. He had two sisters Sarah Alice (born c. 1899) and Ethel (c. 1900). His parents later lived at 35 Addison Road, Irlam.

Arthur enlisted at Manchester and in February 1917 he arrived with his battalion in France. At some point over the next year and a half he was captured. He died as a prisoner of war on Monday, 14th October 1918, aged 20. It is known that he is buried within Erquelinnes Communal Cemetery, Belgium although the exact position of his grave is unknown. He is commemorated on a special memorial headstone in the cemetery. The following is inscribed on his headstone 'The sweetest of memories are all that are left.' Medal Entitlement: Pair.

[charlie]

He was born on 19.12.1897 and died of Gastro-enteritis at Erquelliennes, and was buried, as Mack has already mentioned, in grave 29 by the Germans.
Charlie

[Sniper0745]

Hi Mack,

It maybe worth contacting the CWGC and asking the question as to why his grave location was lost. It could be that the German plan of the cemetery has now been lost but i am sure they should have some idea as to why this has happened.

Regards
Mike