St Symphorien

[Stephen Nulty]

Just a thought for Armistice Day.

Without wanting to ignite debate over the details, as they have been discussed to bits many times before, on this special day for Rememberance I thought it worthwhile just bringing to everybody's mind the fact that St Symphorien contains the first and last casualties of the Great War.

Private PARR, d. 21/08/1914

Privates ELLISON & PRICE, d. 11/11/1918

Name: PARR, JOHN

Initials: J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Middlesex Regiment

Unit Text: 4th Bn.

Age: 20

Date of Death: 21/08/1914

Service No: L/14196

Additional information: Son of Edward Thomas and Alice Rosina Parr of 52 Lodge Lane, North Finchley. Believed to be the first British battle casualty of the war.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: I. A. 10.

Cemetery: ST. SYMPHORIEN MILITARY CEMETERY

Name: ELLISON, GEORGE EDWIN

Initials: G E

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers

Date of Death: 11/11/1918

Service No: L/12643

Additional information: Husband of Hannah Maria Ellison of 49 Edmund Street, Bank, Leeds. Believed to be the last battle casualty of the war.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: I. B. 23.

Cemetery: ST. SYMPHORIEN MILITARY CEMETERY

Name: PRICE, GEORGE LAWRENCE

Initials: G L

Nationality: Canadian

Rank: Private

Regiment: Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regt.)

Unit Text: 28th Bn.

Age: 25

Date of Death: 11/11/1918

Service No: 256265

Additional information: Son of James E. and Annie R. Price of Port Williams, Kings Co., Nova Scotia. Believed to be the last Canadian battle casualty of the war (originally buried in Havre Old Communal Cemetery).

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: V. C. 4.

Cemetery: ST. SYMPHORIEN MILITARY CEMETERY

St. Symphorien Military Cemetery was made by the Germans in August 1914, after the Battle of Mons. It remained in their hands until November 1918, and has the distinction of containing the graves of some of the first and last casualties of the First World War. The site for the cemetery, an existing but artificial mound, was the gift of local resident Jean Houzeau de Lehaie, and was laid out with great care to create the effect of a wooded garden or park. At the highest point, there is a granite obelisk some seven metres high, erected by the Germans in memory of both German and British servicemen killed in the actions near Mons in August 1914, and elsewhere in the cemetery there are further German memorials to officers and men of the Middlesex Regiment (Plot III), Royal Fusiliers and Royal Irish Regiment (Plot VI). At the Armistice, the cemetery contained the graves of 245 German and 188 Commonwealth servicemen, but further graves were brought in later from other burial grounds in the area. There are now 229 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in St. Symphorien Military Cemetery. 65 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate five casualties believed to be buried among them, and four casualties buried in Obourg Churchyard whose graves could not be found. The cemetery also contains 284 German war graves, marked by headstones in a variety of different styles. St. Symphorien Military Cemetery is popularly believed to contain the graves of the first (Pte. J. Parr, Middlesex Regt., 21 August 1914) and the last soldier (Pte. G. L. Price, Canadian Infantry, 11 November 1918) to be killed in the First World War.

[peter-t]

Another interesting point about St.Symphorien is that is also contains the remains of the first VC of the Great War - Lt.Maurice Dease, Royal Fusiliers. Another brave man also buried there is a German called Niemayer, who under heavy fire closed a swing bridge to allow his compatriots to cross the canal at Mons. St.Symphorien is perhaps the most beautiful, uniquely landscaped and interesting cemetery on the Western Front, certainly that I have seen and I recommend a visit to anyone who has not yet been there.

Peter-T

[CROONAERT]

Just a thought for Armistice Day.

Without wanting to ignite debate over the details, as they have been discussed to bits many times before, on this special day for Rememberance I thought it worthwhile just bringing to everybody's mind the fact that St Symphorien contains the first and last casualties of the Great War.

Private PARR, d. 21/08/1914

Privates ELLISON & PRICE, d. 11/11/1918

Price, Ellison and Parr....

[CROONAERT]

Another interesting point about St.Symphorien is that is also contains the remains of the first VC of the Great War - Lt.Maurice Dease, Royal Fusiliers.

Dease...