Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy

Historical Information (Source: CWGC)

A little west of the crossroads known to the army as 'Windy Corner' was a house used as a battalion headquarters and dressing station. The cemetery grew up beside this house. The original cemetery is now Plots I and II and Rows A to S of Plot III. It was begun by the 2nd Division in January 1915, and used extensively by the 4th (Guards) Brigade in and after February. It was closed at the end of May 1916, when it contained 681 graves. After the Armistice it was increased when more than 2,700 graves were brought in from the neighbouring battlefields.

 

Guards Cemetery now contains 3,445 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 2,198 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 36 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate six casualties buried in Indian Village North Cemetery, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire, and five Indian soldiers originally buried in the Guards Cemetery but afterwards cremated in accordance with the requirements of their faith. The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.

 

Served with

  • United Kingdom (1211)
  • Canadian (31)
  • Indian (9)

Served in

  • Army (1250)
  • Air Force (1)
Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner
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VICTORIA CROSS

Major John MACKENZIE - 1st Bn. attd. 2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment

Died 17 May 1915

Country of Service: United Kingdom

Awards: Victoria Cross, Distinguished Conduct Medal

Mac Kenzie London Gazette
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Citation

An extract taken from the London Gazette dated 15th Jan., 1901 records the following: "On the 6th June, 1900, at Dompoassi, in Ashanti, Sergeant Mackenzie, after working two Maxim guns under a hot fire, and being wounded while doing so, volunteered to clear the stockades of the enemy which he did in the most gallant manner, leading the charge himself and driving the enemy headlong into the bush."

Grave Reference: VIII. J. 10.

(Source: Wikipedia)