Act. Bombardier E. Wilkinson

FIRST NAMES: Elijah

UNIT: "C" Battery, 76th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery

NUMBER:167899

STATUS: Died of Wounds

DATE OF DEATH: 24th August 1917

CEMETERY OR MEMORIAL: Bard Cottage Cemetery, Belgium

AGE: 24

Elijah Wilkinson was the son of Edward and Ann Wilkinson of Northallerton. He was married to Margaret, the eldest daughter of Mr George Windress of Brompton, and they lived at Cockpit Hill in Brompton, where they had two children.

He was a member of the Territorials in the 4th Yorkshire Regiment and sailed with them to France in April 1915. When his time expired he returned home and then after a few months he re-enlisted, at Ripon, in the Royal Field Artillery.

He was badly wounded in the head at about 10.00pm during the night of 23rd/24th August by a piece of shell which exploded close to his dug-out. He was taken to the nearby dressing station where he died shortly afterwards.

Bard Cottage Cemetery is located in Belgium, in the northern sector of what was known as the Ypres Salient. It was originally used by troops occupying the nearby front line positions, but as the front line moved eastwards during the 3rd Battle of Ypres, the area was taken over by the artillery, who naturally buried their dead in the cemetery which had already been established in the area. The Cemetery takes its name from a house which originally stood opposite the site of the present cemetery, close to a bridge over a canal called the Bard's Causeway, which has now disappeared. The graveyard was also increased in size after the Armistice with bodies from other battlefield burials, mainly at Marengo Farm 200m to the south, being concentrated there.