worldwar1

Messines Ridge British Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War located in the Ypres Salient in Belgium on the Western Front. The town of Messines, now known as Mesen, was the location of a number of battles during the First World War, beginning when it was captured by German forces in late October-early November 1914. Later in the war, it formed the southern corner of the Ypres Salient and in June 1917, the New Zealand Division drove the Germans out in the Battle of Messines, taking 3,700 casualties in the process. In March 1918, it was lost to the Germans in the Spring Offensive and returned to Allied control again in September 1918, when it was seized during the Hundred Days Offensive. The cemetery, designed by the English architect Charles Holden[3] and located on the Mesen-Wulvergem Road, to the west of Mesen, holds the remains of 1,493 Allied soldiers, over half of whom are unknown.[2] It was established on land that formerly belonged to the 'Institution Royale'.[3] Within the cemetery are special memorials to several soldiers who are believed to be among the unknown remains buried at the cemetery; four British, ten Australian, thirteen New Zealanders and one South African. In addition, there are special memorials to thirteen British soldiers buried in other cemeteries in the area during the war but whose graves were destroyed by artillery fire.[2] In total, 1,534 soldiers are buried or remembered at the cemetery.[3] Bodies continue to be occasionally discovered in the area and are often interred at the cemetery; one was found while digging a pipeline and was formally interred on 25 February 2013. Although the identity of the soldier was not known, he was believed to be a New Zealander, as badges and paraphernalia from the New Zealand Rifle Brigade was found with his remains. This followed another interment of an unknown New Zealander the previous year. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messines_Ridge_British_Cemetery

This is Queen Street, with the Edward Street intersection at the right of the photo

Thanks for that Peter.

Lieutenant Charles Otway Alexander, born 1 January 1888 in Newark, Nottinghamshire, England. If taken during World War 1, this photo will not be past the summer of 1916, when Alexander was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. He eventually reached the rank of Rear-Admiral on 10 January 1939. Alexander died on 13 April, 1970, aged 82.