Tyne Cott

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Hi again

Quite a few years ago I started looking at my family history and on my mums mums side (my Grandma) (Stark) I had some info from the 1881 census that they lived just off Clarence street down Naylors Row in Hull and that it was a large family with Martin Stark (my great great grandfather) as the head of the house.

I didn't get much further until I met a relation of mine (Chris Thor) last year at my Grandmas funeral and he told me loads about the Starks including a relation Lewis H Stark (my great granddads brother, so my great uncle) who was killed in WWI. Lewis actually lied to join up in 1914 at the age of 14 as all 3 of his older brothers where in the army.

He was killed in the battle for Mont Kemmel on 25th April 1917 (google it for info) and although he has no grave he is commemorated at Tyne Cott cemetery by having his name alongside all those from the East Yorkshire Regiment who died on the battle fields around Ypres (Ieper) in 1917.

The cemetery is the largest commonwealth cemetery in the world and has over 12,000 grave stones and over 35,000 listed as missing in action. The cemetery and the small museum are very atmospheric places and bring the whole graphic detail of the battles fields to life with some simple but great exhibits, there is also a larger museum in Zonnebeke dedicated to the battles of Passchendale on which the Tyne Cott site is based. It was nice for us to visit as I don't believe any of our family have ever been there before and although the kids where sceptical about the trip at fist they left the place asking question after question so it had an affect on them too.

Thanks to Chris for all the info and the photo from 1914 of Martin Stark with all of his sons in their military uniforms, that photograph will mean even more when I see it again after the trip to Tyne Cott.

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Photos

Tyne Cott
The entrance

Tyne Cott
The wall of panels from each regiment

Tyne Cott
Another view of the wall of panels for each regiment of those missing in action

Tyne Cott
The centre of the cemetery

Tyne Cott
The area where the East Yorkshire Regiment panel is displayed

Tyne Cott
A close up of Lewis H Starks memorial

Tyne Cott
Some of the 12,000 head stones

Tyne Cott
Me and Harry taking it all in

Tyne Cott
Inside the museum