BURIALS & COMMEMORATIONS

BURIALS & COMMEMORATIONS

By 1918 there were approximately 587,000 burials and 559,000 men with no known grave recorded on the various Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Memorials on the WW1 battlefields.[1]  Thus, just short of 50% have no known grave.

Of the Gaunless Valley men 87 have no known grave which represents about 37%, a lower proportion than the national figure.  Thus 63% of our local men have burials.

The great majority, 85%, of burials and commemorations for the Gaunless Valley men are located on the Western Front, Belgium and France.  12 men have been buried or are included on commemorations in other theatres of war:

  • Germany: 3 burials
  • Salonica, Greece: 3 burials
  • Italy: 2 burials
  • Gallipoli, Turkey: 1 burials & 2 commemorations
  • Norway: 1 burial

There are 24 home burials, 23 in the UK and 1 in Australia.

GERMANY: 3 BURIALS

  • 46265 Private Harold Wilson 7th Battalion the Leicester Regiment died 14 June 1918 and is buried at Cologne Southern Cemetery, Germany. He was about 19 years old and is commemorated on the Roll of Honour, West Auckland Memorial Hall.  The cause of his death is unknown, probably ill health.
  • 250339 Private Robert William Smart, 1/6th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry died 17 October 1918. He was 29 years old and is buried in Niederzwehren Cemetery, near Kassel, Germany and commemorated on the St. Helen’s Colliery Memorial Cottages.  The cause of his death is unknown, probably ill health.
  • 340630 Private Fred Purvis, 1/5th battalion, the Northumbrian Fusiliers died 9 December 1918 and is buried at Niederzwehren Cemetery near Kassel, Hessen, Germany. He was about 24 years old and is commemorated on Evenwood War Memorial and the Roll of Honour, St. Paul’s Church, Evenwood. The cause of his death is unknown, probably ill health.

SALONIKA, GREECE: 3 BURIALS

  • 5767 Private William Armstrong 1st Battalion the Prince of Wales’ Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) was killed in action 29 May 1917 and is buried at Struma Military Cemetery, Salonika, Greece. He was 19 years old and is commemorated on the West Auckland War Memorial and the Roll of Honour in West Auckland Memorial Hall.
  • 134901 Gunner Joseph William Ellerton, Royal Field Artillery died 28 October 1917 and is buried at Sarigol Military Cemetery, Kriston, Salonika, Greece. He was 23 years old and is commemorated on Cockfield War Memorial. Gunner J.W. Ellerton died of “recurrent malaria” in 21st Stationary Hospital, Sarigol, Greece and was buried the same day in the military cemetery.
  • 388253 Private Bertie Kirby, 2nd (Northumbrian) Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps died 1 October 1918 and is buried at Sarigol Military Cemetery, Kriston, Salonika, Greece.  He was 25 years old and is commemorated on Cockfield War Memorial, the memorial plaque in the Cockfield Methodist Church and the Roll of Honour, Cockfield Council School. Private B. Kirby died from pneumonia and influenza 1 October 1918 in No.21 Stationary Hospital.

ITALY: 2 BURIALS

  • 252054 Private Mark Goliath Middlemass, 12th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry was killed in action 27 October 1918 and is buried at Tezze British Cemetery, Italy. He was 35 years old and commemorated on Evenwood War Memorial, the Roll of Honour, St. Paul’s Church, Evenwood and the Memorial Plaque in Evenwood WMC.
  • 315180 Private Ralph Alexander Kirkup, 11th Battalion, the Northumberland Fusiliers was killed in action 27 October 1918 and is buried in Tezze British Cemetery, Italy. He was 24 years old and is commemorated on Cockfield War Memorial.

GALLIPOLI, TURKEY: 1 BURIAL

  • 5115(S) Sapper R.C. Yole, Royal Marines Divisional Engineers, Royal Naval Division, Royal Marines was killed in action 10 December 1915 and is buried at Lancashire Landing Cemetery, Cape Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. He was 28 years old and is commemorated on the Butterknowle War Memorial and the memorial plaques in St. John the Evangelist Church, Lynesack and Butterknowle Village Hall, formerly in South Side Methodist Chapel.

NORWAY: 1 BURIAL

  • J/43920 Ordinary Seaman William Carrick was killed in action 1 June, 1916 and is buried at Farsund Cemetery, Norway. He was about 22 years old and is commemorated on the Evenwood War Memorial, the Roll of Honour, St. Paul’s Church, Evenwood and the memorial in the Workmen’s Club.

BURIALS AT HOME 

The following 23 men are buried in the UK:

  • Howson J.S. 4/DLI, West Auckland (private headstone)
  • Lane R. 15/DLI, West Auckland
  • Lowes E.V. 3/Dorsetshire Regt. Lynesack
  • Richards J.C. 44/Royal Garrison Artillery, Pembroke Dock, Wales (private headstone)
  • Walker B.R. RAMC, Manchester
  • Wilson R.W. 6/Yorkshire Regiment, Evenwood
  • Walker W.G.B. 3/DLI, Cockfield
  • Bird J.R. Royal Engineers, West Auckland
  • Sowerby B. 215 Labour Corps  Lynesack (private headstone)
  • Hutchinson J.J.B. Machine Gun Corps, Cockfield
  • Snowball W. 6/DLI, Evenwood
  • Burrell A. Labour Corps, Cockfield
  • Smith J.R. 5th Bn., Guards MGC, Cockfield [headstone not yet found]
  • Jobling T.J.T. (headstone not yet found)
  • Sewell J.C.A. 6/DLI Evenwood (private headstone )
  • Gill J.W. 7/East Yorkshire Regiment, Hamsterley
  • Maughan J.W. 12/DLI, Evenwood
  • McNeally R.W. 6/DLI (headstone not yet found)
  • Maughan T.P. 2/Royal Scots, West Auckland (private headstone)
  • Clay N.A. RAF, West Auckland
  • Harvey S. 2/Dragoons, Durham
  • Harvey G. 3/West Yorks [Cockfield headstone not yet found]
  • Barclay J. MGC Penrith

In addition, 1 soldier is buried in Australia:

  • Monk H. Australian Engineers, Rookwood, Sydney

DETAILS OF THOSE WHO ARE BURIED AT HOME

West Auckland Cemetery: 5 Burials

  • 4/8776 Lance Corporal Joseph Simpson Howson, 4th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry died 19 January 1915 and is buried in West Auckland Cemetery. He was 20 years old and is commemorated on West Auckland War Memorial and the Roll of Honour, West Auckland Memorial Hall.  The nature of his death is unknown.
  • 2490 Private Robert Lane, 6th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry died at home 6 June 1915. He is buried in West Auckland Cemetery and commemorated on the St. Helens Colliery Memorial Cottages and the West Auckland War Memorial. The nature of his death is unknown.
  • 1709 Sapper John Richardson Bird, Royal Engineers died 30 January 1917. He was 33 years old and he is buried in West Auckland cemetery, County Durham and commemorated on the St. Helens Colliery Memorial Cottages and the West Auckland War Memorial.  The nature of his death is unknown.
  • 11550 Lance Corporal Thomas Preston Maughan, 2nd Battalion, the Royal Scots died 21 July 1919 and is buried in West Auckland cemetery. He was 26 years old and is commemorated on the West Auckland War Memorial and the Roll of Honour, West Auckland Memorial Hall.  Lance Corporal T.P. Maughan returned home 16 April 1918, was posted to the depot 17 April 1918.  Following consideration of his case by the Medical Board 7 May 1918, he was considered to be physically unfit as a result of vascular disease of the heart due to “strain of service.”  He was discharged 28 May 1918 and died 21 July 1919.
  • 319104 Flight Cadet Norman Andrew Clay, Royal Air Force died 29 October 1919 and is buried in West Auckland Cemetery. He was 21 years old and is commemorated on the West Auckland War Memorial.  The nature of his death is unknown.

Evenwood Cemetery: 4 burials

  • 16202 Private Robert William Wilson, 6th Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment died of wounds 3 October 1916 in Hampstead Hospital, England and is buried in Evenwood Cemetery. He was 20 years old and is commemorated on the Evenwood and Etherley War Memorial, the Rolls of Honour in St. Paul’s and St. Cuthbert’s Churches, Evenwood and Etherley.  It is assumed that his wounds were received in action sometime between 8 and 30 September 1916 in the vicinity of Thiepval.  The Green Howards Gazette, January 1917 reported that he had died of wounds.
  • 250400 Private Walter Snowball, 6th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry died 29 August 1918 and is buried in Evenwood Cemetery. He was 21 years old and is commemorated on the Evenwood War Memorial and the Roll of Honour, St. Paul’s Church, Evenwood.   Private Walter Snowball returned to England 18 January 1917 and was admitted into the Northumberland War Hospital, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne suffering from nephritis (a kidney complaint).  He was examined by the Medical Board.  28 June 1917 it was considered that he was “quite unfit for Military Service”.  The Board concluded that he was physically unfit and the illness, nephritis was not the result of Active Service but aggravated by the cold and exposure whilst on Active Service.  The report also stated that “no treatment was required”.  Private Walter Snowball was discharged 19 July 1917.  Subsequent reports throughout late 1917 and the summer of 1918 examined his case and stated, “should have medical treatment.”  Private Walter Snowball died 29 August 1918.
  • 6/1670 Lance Corporal John Cecil Abraham Sewell, 1/6th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry died 1 December 1918 and is buried in Evenwood Cemetery. He was 27 years old and is commemorated on Cockfield War Memorial.  The nature of his death is unknown.  He received the silver war badge thus was discharged from service due to wounds.  At the time of his death, there was a flu epidemic which may be the cause of his death.     
  • 26952 Private John William Maughan, 12th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry died of pneumonia 27 January 1919 and he is buried in Evenwood Cemetery. He was 30 years old and is commemorated on Evenwood War Memorial and the Roll of Honour, St. Paul’s Church, Evenwood.  5 December 1918, he was admitted into the Military Hospital at Catterick Camp suffering from pneumonia.

Cockfield Cemetery: 4 burials

  • 36093 Private William Gordon Brumwell Walker, 3rd Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry died 5 November 1916 and is buried at Cockfield Cemetery. He is commemorated on the Cockfield War Memorial. He was 34 years old and died of nephritis and dropsy.
  • 66570 Private John Joseph Burrell Hutchinson, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) died of wounds 10 June 1918 and is buried in Cockfield Cemetery. He was 20 years old and is commemorated on Cockfield War Memorial and the Memorial Plaque in Cockfield Methodist Church.  It is assumed that his injury took place on or about 22 June 1917. He was discharged 19 September 1917 from York Street, Westminster (Chelsea Hospital) in consequence of, “Being no longer physically fit for war service.” The Report of Medical Board dated 29 August 1917 reported, “GSW spine. Accidental injury by revolver shot in the dugout.  Permanent Total Incapacity.”  It is assumed that he succumbed to his wounds.
  • 339885 Private Albert Burrell, the Labour Corps died 2 September 1918 and is buried in Cockfield Cemetery and commemorated on Cockfield War Memorial. He was 34 years old. Albert Burrell originally attested 10 September 1914 but served only 34 days before being discharged as being unfit for service suffering from epilepsy.  The cause of his death is unknown.
  • 2842 Private John Robert Smith, 5th Bn. Guards MGC was buried 11 April 1920 in Cockfield Cemetery and he is commemorated on Cockfield War Memorial.  He was 22 years old.  He attested 7 February 1916 and was mobilized 6 June 1918 but did not serve overseas.  He served 2 years 311 days at home.  The cause of his death is unknown – possibly influenza.

Lynesack (St. John) Cemetery: 2 burials

  • 13924 Private Ernest Victor Lowes, 3rd Battalion, the Dorsetshire Regiment died 12 June 1915 and is buried in Lynesack (St. John) Cemetery. He was 22 years old and is commemorated on the Copley and Woodland War Memorials and the memorial plaque in St. John the Evangelist Church, Lynesack. Ernest was in training and accidentally drowned whilst bathing at Weymouth, Dorsetshire.
  • 346005 Private Bertie Sowerby, 215th Divisional Employment Company, Labour Corps died 31 December 1917 and is buried in Lynesack (St. John) Churchyard. He was 24 years old and is commemorated on Copley War Memorial and the Memorial Plaque in St. John the Evangelist Church, Lynesack. Private B. Sowerby died at Frensham Hill Military Hospital, Farnham, Surrey.

Hamsterley (St. James) Cemetery: 1 burial

  • 36880 Private John Walton Gill, 7th Battalion, the East Yorkshire Regiment died of wounds 3 December 1918 and is buried in Hamsterley (St. James) Churchyard. He was 20 years old and is commemorated on the Woodland War Memorial and the memorial plaque in St. John the Evangelist Church, Lynesack.  Private J.W. Gill suffered a gun-shot wound to the right side and head during the month of November (probably 4 November).  He went back to the UK for treatment 12 November and admitted to the Military Hospital, Berridge Road, Nottingham then the Trent Bridge Military Hospital, Nottingham 21 November 1918.  Private J.W. Gill succumbed to his wounds 3 December 1918.

Pembroke Dock, Wales: 1 burial

  • 54973 Acting Bombardier John Caleb Richards, 44th Company, Royal Garrison Artillery died 18 September 1915 and is buried at Pembroke Dock Military Cemetery, Wales. He was 25 years old and is commemorated on the Etherley War Memorial and the Roll of Honour, St. Cuthbert’s Church, Etherley.    The nature of his death is unknown.

Manchester Southern Cemetery: 1 burial

  • S4/158569 Private Bertram Ralph Walker, “K” Supply Company, Army Service Corps died 26 April 1916 and is buried at Manchester Southern Cemetery. He was about 28 years old and is commemorated on Cockfield War Memorial.  The nature of his death remains unknown.

Durham St. Cuthbert’s Cemetery: 1 burial

  • GS/15060 Private Stephen Harvey, 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) died 1 February 1921 and is buried at Durham (St. Cuthbert) Churchyard. He was 32 years old and is commemorated on Cockfield War Memorial.

Penrith cemetery: 1 burial

  • 24313 Serjeant John Barclay, C Company, 50th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps [Infantry] died 14 December 1918. He was 29 years old, buried in Penrith Cemetery, Cumbria and recorded on the West Auckland War Memorial and the Roll of Honour in West Auckland Memorial Hall.

UK Unknown Locations:  2 burials

  • 251960 Serjeant Robert James McNeally, 6th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry died 3 June 1919 aged 33. He is commemorated on the West Auckland War Memorial.  Serjeant R.J. McNeally suffered a gun-shot wound and 6 November 1916, he was admitted to General Hospital, Camiers, France.  11 November 1916, he was admitted to the Military Hospital Trent Bridge, Nottingham.  He did not serve overseas following this injury.  It seems that his medical condition originally recorded as A1 had deteriorated to A111.   The location of his burial is unknown and to date I found no headstone in either West Auckland Cemetery or St. Helen’s Churchyard.
  • Thomas Joseph Thubron Jobling died 20 or 21 September 1918 in East Dock, Cardiff whilst on active service. He was 29 years old and is commemorated on West Auckland War Memorial and the Roll of Honour, West Auckland Memorial Hall.  Having checked the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Soldiers Died in the Great War data bases, I can find no details.  He may have been employed in a reserved occupation on war duty when he met his death.  I have not found his burial place.
  • Smith J.R [Cockfield] we know that he is buried in Cockfield cemetery but we have not found a headstone
  • Harvey G. [Cockfield] we think he is buried in Cockfield cemetery but have not fully researched this yet.

AUSTRALIA

Rookwood Necropolis Military Cemetery, Sydney, NSW, Australia: 1 burial

  • 9931 Sapper Harry Monk, 9th Field Company, Australian Engineers died 21 December 1917 and is buried at Rookwood Necropolis Military Cemetery, Sydney, NSW, Australia. He was 29 years old and is commemorated on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra and a family headstone in West Auckland cemetery.  In May 1917, Lance Corporal Harry Monk was considered “permanently unfit for general and home service” having suffered from mumps and orchitis and returned home to Australia.  21 December 1917, Sapper H. Monk died from TB at the Quarantine Station, Manley, Sydney NSW.

 COMMEMORATIONS: NO KNOWN GRAVE

 Gaunless Valley men are commemorated on the following memorials:

Le Touret Memorial, France

 The Memorial commemorates over 13,400 British soldiers who were killed in this sector of the Western Front from the beginning of October 1914 to the eve of the Battle of Loos in late September 1915 and who have no known grave.  The Memorial takes the form of a loggia surrounding an open rectangular court.  The names of those commemorated are listed on panels set into the walls of the court and the gallery, arranged by regiment, rank and alphabetically by surname within the rank.  It was unveiled 22 March 1930.  The following soldier is commemorated here:

  • Davidson G.W. 2/Coldstream Guards

Ypres Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium

Ypres (Ieper) is a town in the Province of West Flanders, Belgium.  The Memorial is situated at the eastern side of the town on the road to Menin (Menen) and Courtrai (Kortrijk).  The Menin Gate is one of 4 memorials to the missing in Belgian Flanders which cover the area known as the Ypres Salient which stretched from Langemarck in the north to Ploegsteert Wood in the south.  The Salient was formed during the First Battle of Ypres in October and November 1914.  The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields.  It commemorates those of all Commonwealth nations except New Zealand who died in the Salient and in the case of British casualties, before 16 August 1917.  Those UK and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot.  The memorial was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and was unveiled in July 1927 by Lord Plummer.  The Ypres Menin Gate Memorial bears the names of 54,344 officers and men whose graves are not known.  The following 11 soldiers are commemorated here:

  • Caile J.A. 3/Coldstream Guards
  • Bell J.J. 2/Yorkshire Regiment
  • Campbell J. 1/8 DLI
  • Martin J. 2/Northumberland Fusiliers
  • Siddle W. 1/Northumberland Fusiliers
  • McGuire J. 1/9 DLI
  • Million W.L. 2/DLI
  • Robinson S. 1/Gordon Highlanders
  • Lamb A. 7/East Yorkshire Regiment
  • Hall H.R. 20/DLI
  • Scott W. 20/DLI

Loos Memorial, France

 The Loos Memorial located in Loos-en-Gohelle, Pas de Calais and forms the side and back of Dud Corner Cemetery.  It commemorates over 20,000 officers and men who have no known grave who fell in the area from the River Lys to the old southern boundary of the First Army, east and west of Grenay.  Loos-en-Gohelle is a village 5 kilometres north-west of Lens and Dud Corner Cemetery is located about 1 kilometres west of the village.  On either side of the cemetery is a wall 15ft. high to which are fixed tablets on which are carved the names of those commemorated.  At the back are 4 small circular courts open to the sky in which the lines of tablets are continued and between these courts are 3 semi-circular walls or apses 2 of which carry tablets while on the centre apse is erected the Cross of Sacrifice.  There are 20,597 identified casualties.  The following 4 soldiers are commemorated here:

  • Brown W. 15/DLI
  • Thompson F. 20/DLI
  • Towers E. 15/DLI
  • Anderson R. 1/Black Watch

Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey

 The Helles Memorial serves the dual function of Commonwealth battle memorial of the whole campaign and place of commemoration for many of those Commonwealth servicemen who died there and have no known grave.  There are also panels for those who died or were buried at sea in Gallipoli waters.  The memorial bears more than 21,000 names. The following 2 soldiers are commemorated here:

  • Readman H. Royal Naval Division
  • Bagley R. 6/Yorkshire Regiment

 Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent

After the First World War, an appropriate way had to be found of commemorating those members of the Royal Navy who had no known grave, the majority of deaths having occurred at sea where no permanent memorial could be provided.  An Admiralty committee recommended that the three manning ports in Great Britain – Chatham, Plymouth and Portsmouth – should each have an identical memorial of unmistaken naval form, an obelisk, which would serve as a leading mark for shipping.  The memorials were designed by Sir Robert Lorimer and Henry Poole.  Chatham Naval Memorial commemorates 8,514 sailors of the First World War.   The following seaman is commemorated here:

  •  Able Seaman J.W. Wren HMS “Black Prince”

Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire

 Portsmouth Naval Memorial commemorates almost 10,000 sailors of the First World War.  The following seaman is commemorated here:

  • Ordinary Seaman A. Lynas HMS “Ardent”

The Thiepval Memorial: The Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, France

The Memorial bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the UK and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave.  Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.  The memorial, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, was built between 1928 and 1932 and unveiled by the Prince of Wales, in the presence of the President of France, 31 July 1932.  The following 22 soldiers are commemorated here:

  • Bayles R. 1/Northumberland Fusiliers
  • Goldsborough T. 15/DLI
  • Armstrong M.S. 15/DLI
  • Eales W. 2/Yorkshire Regiment
  • Alderson T.A. 10/DLI
  • Gargett J.G. 2/DLI
  • Graves J.C. 10/DLI
  • Meads G. 15/DLI
  • Tazey F. 15/DLI
  • Dunn T.W. 1/6 DLI
  • Pratt T. 14/DLI
  • Teasdale W. 9/Yorkshire Regiment
  • Bolton G. 10/KOYLI
  • Earl W.E. 14/DLI
  • Lowther C.E. 1/6 DLI
  • Wallace R.W. 1/6 DLI
  • Baker R.W. 1/6 DLI
  • Patton J.W. 2/DLI
  • Cox G.T. 1/6 DLI
  • Wilson R. 1/6 DLI
  • Hepple J. Royal Naval Division
  • Arkless J.W. 2/5 Lincolnshire Regiment

Arras Memorial, France

 The Arras Memorial stands in the Faubourg-d’Amiens Cemetery in Arras and it commemorates 35,000 servicemen from Britain, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between spring 1916 and August 1918 who have no known grave.  It was unveiled in 1932. The following 5 soldiers are commemorated here:

  • Simpson C. 1/6 DLI
  • Greavison W. 1/6 DLI
  • Clark T.C. 8/East Yorkshire Regiment
  • Brown C. 9/Highland Light Infantry
  • Gargett G. 12/Northumberland Fusiliers

Nieuport Memorial, Belgium

 Nieuport is a town in the province of West Flanders, Belgium on the south-west side of the river Yser, 3km from the sea.  The Memorial commemorates 548 British officers and men who fell in operations of 1914 and 1917 on the Belgian coast and whose graves are not known.  Commonwealth forces relieved French troops in June 1917 and the XV Corps saw fierce fighting in July before handing the sector back to the French in November 1917.  The following soldier is commemorated here:

  • Storey W.R. The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium

The Tyne Cot Cemetery is located 9 kilometres north east of Ypres, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.  The Memorial is one of 4 to the missing in Belgian Flanders which cover the area known as the Ypres Salient which stretched from Langemarck in the north to Ploegsteert Wood in the south.  The Tyne Cot Memorial forms the north-eastern boundary of the Tyne Cot Cemetery and bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are unknown.  The memorial was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and was unveiled in July 1927. The following 17 soldiers are commemorated here:

  • Walton J.J. 6/Yorkshire Regiment
  • Atkinson F. 10/Yorkshire Regiment
  • Hardy A. 13/Northumberland Fusiliers
  • Wilson W. 8/Lincolnshire Regiment
  • Raine M.T. 1/7 West Yorkshire Regiment
  • Blenkin W. 12/DLI
  • Wilkinson J.W. 15/DLI
  • Kirby L.D. 21/Manchester Regiment
  • Hebdon E.W. 1/7 Northumberland Fusiliers
  • Priestley G. 1/6 DLI
  • Thompson R.H. 1/5 DLI
  • Judge G. 6/KOYLI
  • Cross T.W 1/East Yorkshire Regiment
  • Holmes W. 1/East Yorkshire Regiment
  • Oates J. 2/Yorkshire Regiment
  • Reed T.G. 19/DLI
  • Weatherald W.N. RAMC

Pozieres Memorial, France

 Pozieres is located some 6km north east of Albert, Somme, France.  The Pozieres Memorial relates to a period of crisis when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields.  The memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the UK and 300 South African Forces who have no known graves and who died on the Somme between 21 March and 7 August 1918.  The following 6 soldiers are commemorated here:

  • Newton T. 15/DLI
  • Bainbridge J. 11/DLI
  • Jackson J.J. 22/DLI
  • Lamb W. 1/6 DLI
  • Wood T.E. 1/7 DLI
  • Simpson T.W. 1/6 DLI

Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium

The Ploegsteert Memorial commemorates more than 11,000 servicemen of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in this sector during the First World War and have no known grave. The memorial serves the area from the line Caestre-Dranoutre-Warneton to the north, to Haverskerque-Estaires-Fournes to the south, including the towns of Hazebrouck, Merville, Bailleul and Armentieres, the Forest of Nieppe, and Ploegsteert Wood. Those commemorated by the memorial did not die in major offensives and most were killed in the course of the day-to-day trench warfare which characterised this part of the line or in small scale engagements, usually carried out in support of the major attacks taking place elsewhere.  The following 3 soldiers are commemorated here:

  • Stevens G.W.T. 1/6 DLI
  • Baines S. 15/17 West Yorkshire Regiment
  • Gibson T.H. 4/Grenadier Guards

The Soissons Memorial, France

The town of Soissons is in the region of Aisne, approx. 100 kilometres north-east of Paris.  The Soissons Memorial commemorates almost 4,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom who died during the Battles of the Aisne and the Marne in 1918 and who have no known grave.  The following soldiers are 6 commemorated here:

  • Baister D. 1/5 DLI
  • Lowther W. 1/6 DLI
  • Hutchinson W. 14/Northumberland Fusiliers
  • Rushford O. 1/6 DLI
  • Oates R 14/Northumberland Fusiliers
  • Smith T. 1/6 DLI
  • Field J.R. 1/6 DLI
  • Riley S. 1/Sherwood Forresters
  • Little P. 15/DLI

The Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France

This memorial bears the names of over 9,000 men who fell in the period from 8 August 1918 to the date of the Armistice, 11 November 1918, in the Advance to Victory in Picardy and Artois, between the Somme and Loos and who have no known grave that belong to the forces of Great Britain and Ireland and South Africa.  The following soldier is commemorated here:

  • Hodgson G.A 12/13 Northumberland Fusiliers

References:

[1] Commonwealth War Graves Commission