I am a pom (English living in Australia), I used to work with Matt he told me of his great uncle who died in the Great War, Pte. Christopher Everding. Around this time , actually on ANZAC day (25th April) I adopted a lost Aussie ‘digger’ Lance Cpl. Frank Abbot, who I found commemorated on the Windsor War Memorial. These men served together in the 25th Battalion AIF, they both died on the 31st October 1917. They are buried together in the Hooge Crater cemetery.

I always visit them when I am in Ypres (Ieper), in 2017 I laid wreaths at their graves.

A very interesting bit of data I found on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) website was the information about concentration of graves. After the war smaller cemeteries were closed down and the graves moved to bigger concentration cemeteries like Hooge Crater. Also bodies that were found where the fell ware also moved.

Using the map references we can see where the bodies were originally buried, and maybe where the originally fell. As it says on the form –

“Exhumed from Pill Box Zillebeke 28.J.2.c.35.10” but where is that?

it is here….

…but who were these men?

Private Christopher Everding 533125^th Battalion

Age: 32?

Date of death: 31^st October 1917

Location of grave: BELGIUM 112 Hooge Crater Cemetery Zillebeke XIV D7

Date of enlistment: 9^th September 1915

Date of embarkation: 8^th August 1916

Draft: 14^th; Vessel: ITONUS

Marital status: married

Information: Cordial maker

Lance Corporal (acting sergeant) Frank Abbott 3755

Unit: 25^th Battalion

Age: 21

Date of death: 31^st October 1917

Location of grave: BELGIUM 112 Hooge Crater Cemetery Zillebeke XIV D8

Date of enlistment: 18^th August 1915

Date of embarkation: 31^st January 1916

Draft: 9^th; Vessel: WANDILLA

Marital status: single

Information: Son of Matthew and Harriet Louisa Abbott, of Gympie Rd., Kedron, Queensland. Carpenter.