Headstone
Clement Percy Joscelyne is the husband of my fourth cousin, twice removed. It is interesting to note that his sister in law is the mother of the Author, Eileen Mary Challans (A.K.A. Mary Renault). Special thanks are owed to Trevor Higgins for writing the following text:-
Lt Joscelyne did not join the Suffolk Regiment until the 10th August 1917, and he and his battalion took part in the first of Gen Plumers ‘bite and hold’ battles of the third Ypres offensive. The attack on Poelcappelle, commencing on the 9th October was not successful in gaining ground from the Germans, and at some cost. Lt Joscelyne was removed from the battlefield and taken to Dozinghem Casualty Clearing Station, where he died from his wounds on the 10th October.
The three clearing stations, specially prepared for this offensive were named by the troops who no doubt had a wry sense of humour in that Dozinghem (dosing them) Mendinghem (mending them) and Bandaghem (bandaging them) dealt with the troops on their severity of injury. Dozinghem, then chosen as the burial place, no doubt dealt with those with casualties with mortal injury. There are 3174 burials within the cemetery.
Dozinghem Cemetery
Lt Joscelyne’s headstone is inscribed with a line from the ‘ Epilogue to Asolando’ by Robert Browning and ‘Speed fight on, fare ever there as here’.
This is a revised version of a post which was originally published on my WordPress Blog on 28/12/2009 and republished on Mollekin Portalite on 31/05/2011.
WEEK 42 