The cemetery named after a nearby farm, called by the Army “Y” (or Wye) Farm. Y Farm Military Cemetery, Bois-Grenier, Nord, begun in March 1915 and used by units holding this sector until February 1918.
The cemetery signposted on the D222, at the junction of Rue de la Guennerie. The cemetery located on a single lane paved farm track at the junction of Rue de la Guennerie and Rue des Tronchons.
Battle of Neuve-Chapelle
The first planned offensive strike upon a German trench system on the Western Front conducted independently by the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) during the Great War.
10 March 2015
When the bombardment began at 7:30 a.m. on 10 March, the Canadian divisional artillery shelled enemy positions opposite, and as the assault went in thirty-five minutes later, riflemen and machine-gunners opened bursts of rapid fire which continued at fifteen-minute intervals throughout the day. The main attack took the enemy completely by surprise, and within twenty minutes a breach 1600 yards wide had been opened in the German line. By nine o’clock British troops had cleared Neuve Chapelle, and with virtually no resistance in sight were halted on a pre-arranged line, awaiting orders from their corps headquarters to resume the offensive.
Heavy fire from well-sited German machine-guns inflicted damaging casualties on the infantry as they crossed the flat fields. The advance came to a halt. During the night the Germans closed the breach with a well-wired rallying line linking up strongpoints armed with machine-guns, and brought forward new batteries.
12 March 1915
Early on 12 March, after a pre-dawn bombardment of the Allied positions, the Germans counter-attacked with twenty battalions. British unit commanders were well prepared and the full force of their rifle and machine-gun fire threw back the enemy with very heavy losses. Previous orders by Sir Douglas Haig for a renewal of the British advance at 10:30 a.m. kept the forward troops from immediately exploiting the German setback, and there was a further postponement of two hours because of a thick haze which hindered artillery observation.
The attack brought only further British losses, and at 10:40 p.m. orders from Haig to establish a new defensive line on the ground gained ended the battle.
Armistice
At the Armistice Y Farm Military Cemetery contained 335 burials, but then increased when graves brought in from the battlefields south of Armentieres and from the following cemeteries, CROIX-BLANCHE BRITISH CEMETERY, FLEURBAIX (Pas-de-Calais), DON GERMAN CEMETERY, ALLENNES-LES-MARAIS (Nord), DOULIEU CHURCHYARD (Nord), HANTAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (Nord), LESTREM COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION (Pas-de-Calais), MARQUILLIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY and GERMAN EXTENSION (Nord), MOUVAUX MILITARY CEMETERY (Nord), PONT-A-MARCQ COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (Nord), and finally TEMPLEUVE COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Nord).
Y Farm Military Cemetery now contains 835 burials and commemorations of the Great War. 288 of the burials unidentified and a special memorial commemorates one New Zealand casualty believed to be buried among them. Another special memorial commemorates an Indian soldier known to have been buried in Marquillies Communal Cemetery German Extension whose grave could not be found. The cemetery designed by Sir Herbert Baker.
Identified Canadian Casualties at Y Farm Military Cemetery
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 373, Australia 91, New Zealand 42, Canada 22, India 20, South African 3, Germany 2. Total 553.
Harold Percy Bridge
Pte H Percy Bridge 6777, 1st Bn. Daisy M Cousins, 119 Rosslyn Crescent, Harrow, England.
Jas T Corcoran
Pte Jas T Corcoran 6201, 1st Bn. John Corcoran, 887 So. Clinton St., Rochester, New York, U.S.A.
William Harry Edwards
Pte William Harry Edwards 6635, 1st Bn. Alice M Edwards, 60 Wellington St., Stratford, Ont.
James Garnet Fairbairn
Pte James Garnet Fairbairn 18042, 1st Bn. Son of David B. Fairbairn, of Balerno, Midlothian, Scotland.
William Nelson Galaugher
Lt Wm Nelson Galaugher, 1st Bn. Son of Susan Galaugher, of Omemee, Ontario, and the late Alexander Galaugher.
John Hollingworth
Private John Hollingworth 6806, 1st Bn. S Hollingworth, Higher Hurst, Ashton-on-Lyne, Lanes, England.
John Henry Jackson
Private John Henry Jackson 6570, 1st Bn. Mrs Mary Jackson, Roman Hearst Stables, ChurchwoodRd., Bromley, , Kent, England.
William Lloyd
Pte William Lloyd 6473, 1st Bn. Mrs Jane Lloyd, 7 Glynllifon St., Bleneau Festiniog, N. Wales.
George Henry Lowe
Pte Geo Henry Lowe 6356, 1st Bn. Mrs Mary Lowe, 29 Leconfield Rd., Highbury, London, England.
Peter Nelson
Pte Peter Nelson 7060, 1st Bn. Mrs Jessie Nelson, Camelon, Falkirk, Scotland.
Ivor C Plaskett
Cpl Ivor C Plaskett 6162, 1st Bn. Annie Plaskett, R. R. 5 Stratford, Ont.
Alexander Mc W Skinner
Pte Alexander Mc W Skinner 6407, 1st Bn. Elsie McLean, 243 Buller St., Woodstock, Ont.
Clarence Smith
Private Clarence Smith 6383, 1st Bn. Mrs Nellie Smith, Freshford, nr. Bath, England.
Arthur Ross Wherry
Pte Arthur Ross Wherry 18834, 1st Bn. Mrs Jacob Raush, Wheeler, Michigan.
Lester Walter Bowman
Lester Walter Bowman 9764, 3rd Bn. C W Bowman, 12 Garnock Ave., Toronto, Ont.
John Comrie
Pte John Comrie 18028, 3rd Bn. Son of John Comrie and Elizabeth Bone Comrie, of Minnedosa, Manitoba.
James Walter Croft
Pte James Walter Croft 9426, 3rd Bn. Mrs A Croft, 46 Carlow Ave., Toronto, Ont.
G W Shea
Corporal G W Shea 9743, 3rd Bn. W H Shea, 381 Ontario St., Toronto, Ont.
Joseph Theobald
Pte Joseph Theobald 9834, 3rd Bn. Thomas Theobald, 86 Northcote Ave., Toronto, Ont.
