Wulvergem Churchyard Cemetery, 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, Killed in Action 1914

The one soldier of the Cheshire Regiment buried here belonged to the 1/6 Battalion which took part in the now famous "Christmas Truce" and maybe even the football match in the Wulvergem area.

Two survivors of the 6th Cheshires, Private Ernie Williams and C.S.M. Frank Naden, both claimed in interviews to the TV and the press that had taken part in one such truce and kick-about in Wulverghem.

Private 1367 Joseph PRICE
	Date of Death:	20 December 1914 (Killed in Action)
	Grave No:	Special Memorial 1
	Unit:	1st/6th Battalion
	Age:	17

	Personal History:
	Joseph was born in St Oswald's Parish, Oswestry, Shropshire, in March quarter 1897, the youngest son of Edward (Train driver) and Elizabeth Price. His four elder siblings were Elizabeth, William, Ethelfrida and Sarah. In 1901 the family were living in Albert Road, Oswestry. (1901 Census RG 13/2545)
	Military History:
	Currently his Army records are unavailable, all that is known is that Joseph enlisted at Stockport, Cheshire. He was a pre-war member of the Territorial Battalion and was mobilised on 4th August 1914 part of the Cheshire Brigade, Welsh Division. On 10th November 1914 they left the Division and landed in France and on the 17th December 1914 were attached to 15th Brigade, 5th Division, alongside the 1st Battalion. On the 11th it commenced duty in the Wulverghem sector. On 20th December, Joseph's company was one of two in the front line trench when he was killed, probably by shellfire. He was buried just behind their position in the village churchyard. The church and its graveyard were badly damaged by shelling during the war and 23 graves, including Joseph's, were destroyed. He is now commemorated on a special memorial in the graveyard.
	Read more about the Stockport's Territorials in the first weeks of War ("Stockport Soldiers in the Great War")

The churchyard contains 38 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. All seem to be from the later part of 1914 and early 1915 and from a variety of British Regiments.

Six of the burials are unidentified and 23 graves destroyed by shell fire are now represented by special memorials.

Wulvergem Church was destroyed by shellfire and rebuilt in its present form in 1925.