Puchevillers British Cemetery, Somme. W of village. Begun in June 1916 just before the Battle of the Somme by 3rd & 4th Casualty Clearing Stations. Records 1132 UK., 416 Aust., 214 Can., 1 NZ., 1 French and 75 German burials.

Grave in Puchevillers British Cemetery of Captain Marcus Goodall, Siegfried Sassoon’s friend. Goodall was a Company Commander in the 1/5th York and Lancasters, 49th (West Riding) Division. Two nights after the disastrous Ulster Division attack at Thiepval, Captain Goodall took out a patrol of 20 volunteers to ‘assess the strength of the Bosch line’ but the patrol was fired on as it tried to cut through the German wire. Goodall and one other man were hit. He took 11 days to die. The news of his death reached Sassoon who was then ill in hospital; it severely depressed Sassoon and led to a poem “Elegy For Marcus Goodall” and was probably one of the steps along the road which led to Sassoon’s anti war protest in 1917.

Grave in Puchevillers British Cemetery of TZ/6356 Able Seaman Frank Cain RNVR Drake Battn. R.N.D. Died16th November 1916 aged 24. Headstone bears inscription “But if you only knew the whole great British Army was made from stuff like you.”  Son of Francis and Hannah Cain of 4 Horsleys Cottages Chirton Northumberland.

Pozieres British Cemetery and Memorial, Ovillers-La-Noiselle, Somme. 3 miles NE of Albert , SW of Pozieres on Bapaume road. Cemetery records 1809 UK., 690 Aust., 218 Can., 16 Unknown, 1 German and 22 special memorials. The Memorial records 14,690 “Missing” who have no known grave of the Fifth Army who fell in the Battles of the Somme up to April 5th 1918 and all casualties of this area until August 7th 1918.

Grave in Pozieres British Cemetery of Sergeant Claude Charles Castleton VC. Killed in action 29th July 1916 in fighting south of the village of Pozieres. Citation reads “For most conspicuous bravery. During an attack on the enemy’s trenches the infantry was temporarily driven back by the intense machine-gun fire opened by the enemy. Many wounded were left in No Man’s Land lying in shell-holes. Sergeant Castleton went out twice in face of this intense fire and each time brought in a wounded man on his back. He went out a third time and was bringing in another wounded man when he was himself hit in the back and killed instantly. He set a splendid example of courage and self-sacrifice. The headstone bears the inscription “A Noble Life laid down for freedom We shall meet our loved one again.”

Grave in Pozieres British Cemetery, Ovillers-la-Boiselle, Somme of No 2096 Sergeant Roland Isaac Kenney 1st/7th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment (Territorial Force). Son of Thomas and Jane Kenney of Stretton-under-Fosse. Enlisted Coventry when resident Brinklow. Killed in action 14th July 1916. Commemorated on the War Memorials at Monks Kirby and Brinklow.

Peronne Road Cemetery, Maricourt, Somme. 6 miles from Albert on Peronne – Albert road. A concentration cemetery. In the first Battle of the Somme the junction of French and British lines was at Maricourt. Records 1,298 UK., 34 SA., 14 Aust., 1 Can. Burials and 3 special memorials.

Peronne Road Cemetery, Maricourt  - October 2010

Maricourt is a village about 7 miles from Albert.  The Cemetery is on the western outskirts of the village.

Maricourt was at the junction of the British and French Armies at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, was lost in the German advance in March 1918 and recaptured on the 27th August 1918.  The Cemetery was originally known as Maricourt Military Cemetery No. 3 and was begun by fighting units and Field Ambulances in the 1916 Somme battles and used until 1917.  At the Armistice there were only 175 graves but then there was a concentration of graves from the immediate neighbourhood and smaller burial grounds.  There are now 1,348 1914 – 1918 war casualties commemorated, 366 of whom are unknown with special memorials to 26 known or believed to buried among them.  There are other special memorials to 3 U.K. soldiers buried in other cemeteries where graves could not be found.

Grave in Peronne Road Cemetery of Lieutenant-Colonel William Herbert Anderson VC 12th Highland Light Infantry killed in action on the 25th March1918 aged 36 years leading a counter-attack at Maricourt during a critical stage of the 1918 fighting. An extract from the London Gazette records “For most conspicuous bravery, determination, and gallant leading of his command. The enemy attacked on the right of the battalion frontage and succeeded in penetrating the wood held by our men. Owing to successive lines of the enemy following on closely there was the greatest danger that the flank of the whole position would be turned. Grasping the seriousness of the situation, Colonel Anderson made his way across the open in full view of the enemy now holding the wood on the right, and after much effort succeeded in gathering the remainder of the two right companies. He personally led the counter-attack and drove the enemy from the wood, capturing twelve machine-guns and seventy prisoners, and restoring the original line. His conduct in leading the charge was quite fearless and his most splendid example was the means of rallying and inspiring the men during the most critical hour. Later on the same day, in another position, the enemy had penetrated to within 300 yards of the village and were holding a timber yard in force. Colonel Anderson reorganised his men after they had been driven in and brought them forward to a position of readiness for a counterattack. He led the attack in person and throughout showed the utmost disregard for his own safety. The counter-attack drove the enemy from his position, but resulted in this very gallant officer losing his life. He died fighting within the enemy’s lines, setting a magnificent example to all who were privileged to serve under him.” Son of W J Anderson CBE of Strathairly Largo Fife. Husband of Gertrude Campbell Anderson of 23 Abingdon Court Kensington London. Headstone inscribed “When my spirit enters to its rest, My lips shall say ‘I too have known the best.’”

Grave in Peronne Road Cemetery Maricourt of Captain Ernest Cruzick Dupres 9th Battalion Royal Fusiliers killed in action 28th August 1918.

Son of Cruzick Dupres of 22 Fortescue Place, Compton, Plymouth.

Headstone bears inscription “Sans Peur et Sans Reproche.” (He kept the Faith).

Background to and details of the action on the 28th August 1918 can be read here. 

 Grave in Peronne Road Cemetery, Maricourt of No. 17625 Sergeant George Goldsmith 9th Battalion Royal Fusiliers killed in action 28th August 1918.

Headstone bears inscription “Tho Gone from my side Memory still lingers In a loving wife’s heart.”

For details of the action on the 28th August 1918 see entry above for Captain Ernest Dupres

Grave in Peronne Road Cemetery of No. 79461 Private John Parslow 9th Battalion Royal Fusiliers killed in action 28th August 1918.

For details of the action on the 28th August 1918 see entry above for Captain Ernest Dupres

Grave in Peronne Road Cemetery Maricourt of No. 50699 Private Edgar William Christian Roberts 9th Battalion Royal Fusiliers killed in action 28th August 1918.

For details of the action on the 28th August 1918 see entry above for Captain Ernest Dupres

Point 110 Old Military Cemetery, Fricourt, Somme. 3 miles E of Albert ands of Fricourt. Fricourt fell Sunday 1st July 1916. Records 92 UK burials. Named after the 110 metre contour line on the military maps. Near to the front line and close to where the communication trenches started.

Point 110 New Military Cemetery, Fricourt, Somme. East of Point 110 Old Military Cemetery.  Records 64 U.K. burials.

Grave in Point 110 New Military Cemetery of No 449 Private Percy Walter Frederick Ingram 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Killed in action 21st March 1916 aged 20 years. Headstone bears inscription “His name shall live for evermore.” Only son of Walter and Edith Ingram of Withybrook, Coventry. Born and residing in Withybrook, enlisted Rugby, Warwickshire. Commemorated on the Pailton and Withybrook War Memorials.

Grave in Point 110 New Military Cemetery of 2nd Lieutenant David Cuthbert Thomas 3rd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers died of wounds 18th March 1916 aged 20 years. Friend of Robert Graves who in his Autobiography “Goodbye to All That” describes what happened. A Company (Graves’) and C Company (Thomas’) were working forward putting sandbags in position when rifle fire broke out and sentries passed the news “Officer hit.” Captain Richardson (next Entry) went to investigate and came back and said “Its young Thomas, a bullet through the neck but I think he’s all right, it can’t have hit his spine or an artery because he’s walking to the dressing station.” Later came news that David Thomas was dead. The regimental doctor a throat specialist in civil life had told him at the dressing-station you’ll be alright, only don’t raise your head for a bit. David then took a letter from his pocket and gave it to an orderly and said ‘Post this.’ It had been written to a girl in Glamorgan for delivery if he got killed. The doctor saw that he was choking and tried tracheotomy but too late.

Grave in Point 110 New Military Cemetery of Captain Mervyn Stronge Richardson 1st Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers died of wounds 19th March 1916 aged 21. Headstone bears inscription “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course. Leander.” In his war memoirs “Old soldiers never Die” Private Frank Richards DCM MM refers in the summer of 1915 to Captain Richardson leaving the 2nd Battalion to go to the 1st Battalion. “We were very sorry to lose him; he was very popular with all of us. We heard he was killed at Fricourt on the Somme in the following Spring.” In the 2004 annotated edition it is recorded that he died of heart failure after having been blown into a shell hole full of cold water. Friend of Robert Graves who again in “Goodbye to All That” describes what happened. Following completion by the working party, Captain Richardson invited Graves to take his Company down for their rum and tea and said he was going with Corporal Chamberlain to see what the wiring-party had done. As he was doing this Graves heard a couple of shells fall. There was a call for stretcher bearers and a man ran up and said Captain Graves is hit! Captain Graves sent a stretcher party to investigate and found that Captain Richardson and Corporal Chamberlain had been caught by shells among the wire. Chamberlain lost his leg and died of wounds a day or two later. Captain Richardson, blown into a shell-hole full of water, lay there stunned for some minutes before the sentries heard the corporal’s cries and realized what had happened. The stretcher bearers brought Captain Richardson down semi-conscious; he recognised Graves and said he wouldn’t be long away from the company and gave Graves instructions. The doctor found no wound in any vital spot though the skin of his left side had been riddled with chalky soil blown against it. A little later Robert Graves was told Captain Richardson was dead, the explosion and the cold water had over strained his heart, weakened by rowing in the Eight at Radley.

Grave in Point 110 New Military Cemetery of 2nd Lieutenant David Pritchard 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers killed in action 19th March 1916 aged 19. Headstone bears inscription “Whom the gods love.” Battalion trench mortar officer and another friend of Robert Graves who describes what happened in “Goodbye to All That.” He had just been given two Stokes mortar-guns which he had been trying out and told Graves he could get his own back on the Germans as he could put 4 or 5 shells in the air at once. Shortly after hearing about the death of Captain Richardson shells burst nearby and again the cry went up ‘Stretcher-bearers.’ David Pritchard had fought his duel with the enemy all night and finally silenced the enemy and was coming off duty when a shell hit him at a point where the communication trench reached Maple Redoubt. It was a direct hit.

Grave in Point 110 New Military Cemetery of No 5307 Private William Clarke Royal Welch Fusiliers killed in action 16th March 1916 aged 21 years. Born Devonport.

Grave in Point 110 New Military Cemetery of No 4013 Private Charles Douglas Morrison “D” Coy 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers killed in action 16th March 1916 aged 29 years. Headstone bears inscription “Gone from us but not forgotten from his Loving Wife and children.” Son of George William and Sarah Elizabeth Morrison, husband of Mrs Mary Elizabeth Morrison of 1 Court Lane Ponterdawe Swansea Glamorgan.

On the 4th August 1914 the 1st Battalion was in Malta but left fro England lanind at Zeebrugge on the 7th October 1914 with 22nd Brigade 7th Division.  Private Morrison joined his Battalion landing on the 2nd November 1914 after the severe fighting around Ypres and when the Battalion was probably at Bailleul on the 9th November.  He was awarded the Victory, British War Medal and the 1914 Star.