| Description | File of correspondence regarding the isolated grave and memorial of Lt. W.G.F. Welch, Royal Field Artillery, at Harenthage (Herenthage) Wood, Zillebeke. Main topics include discussion between Mr R. Courtenay Welch, the casualty's father, and the IWGC regarding his desire to purchase the land on which the isolated grave is located and his desire to prevent any exhumation or disturbance of his sons remains; necessity of removing isolated burials in Belgium; failure to locate body of Lt. Welch during exhumation and concentration work in area, and discovery that grave marked as being Lt. Welch's actually contained the body of a German officer; eventual discovery of Lt. Welch's remains; ongoing correspondence and negotiations between Mr Courtenay Welch , the IWGC and the Belgian authorities regarding the transfer of the burial site to the IWGC and the maintenance and horticultural treatment of the plot; and subsequent correspondence, after the death of Mr Courtenay Welch, with his sister Miss A.M.J. Welch concerning maintenance costs and upkeep of site |
| Content Note | Includes: letter from Mr R. Courtenay Welch to the DGRE requesting information on the location of his sons grave as he intends to purchase the plot of ground and arrange for its permanent care, 20th August 1916; rough sketch of grave location, produced by casualty's father, 12th December 1918; copy letter from Brigadier-General A.E. Wardrop, Royal Artillery, who was in command of the 117th Battery when Lt. Welch was killed, providing location details of grave and account of burial, 22nd May 1919; account by 2nd Lt H.J.C. Stevens, Officer in Command of the Special Flying Squadron, of the visit of Mr Welch to the area where his son's grave was believed to be, and the subsequent erection of a temporary cross, August 1919; note from the DGRE advising that following search of area, no body which could be identified as Lt Welch was found, although other remains were discovered, 16th March 1920; letter from Mr. R. Courtenay Welch to the DGRE requesting infomation on the unidentified remains recovered, and providing additional information on the cause of death of his son and the personal effects he was carrying at the time, with photograph taken of the wooden cross which had been erected on Lt Welch's grave in the preceeding year, 20th May 1920; photograph of the completed private memorial, 3rd February 1922; letter from Rev. H.J. Cochran, sole surviving relative and cousin of Lt. Welch, to IWGC requesting information on the private memorial and surrounding site, and also information on the grave of Captain L.F.A. Cochran, his brother, buried in Ismailia War Memorial Cemetery, 16th July 1952. |
| Cemetery_Name | RAMPARTS CEMETERY, LILLE GATE |