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Cemetery:
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BUCQUOY
ROAD CEMETERY, FICHEUX, Pas de Calais, France |
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Grave
Reference/ |
Plot 8.
Row H. Grave 14. |
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Location:
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Bucquoy Road Cemetery is situated on the D919 heading
south from Arras to Ayette. The Cemetery is on the right hand side of the
road, 9 kilometres from Arras, just before a crossroads with the D36 between
Ficheux and Boisleux-au-Mont. |
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Historical
Information: |
In
November, 1916, the village of Ficheux was behind the German front line; but
by April, 1917, the German retreat had brought our line considerably East of
the village, and in April and May the VII Corps Main Dressing Station was
posted near for the Battles of Arras. It was followed by the 20th and 43rd
Casualty Clearing Stations, which remained at Boisleux-au-Mont until March,
1918, and continued to use the Bucquoy Road Cemetery which the Field
Ambulances had begun. From early April to early August, 1918, the cemetery
was not used; but in September and October the 22nd, 30th and 33rd Casualty
Clearing Stations came to Boisleux-au-Mont and extended it. By the date of
the Armistice it contained 1,166 graves and was greatly increased by
concentration of graves from the surrounding battlefields and from small
cemeteries in the neighbourhood. There are now 1901, 1914-18 and 136, 1939-45
war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 168, 1914-18 and 25,
1939-45 war are unidentifed and special memorials are erected to 23 soldiers
from the United Kingdom who are known, or believed, to be buried among them.
In addition, 21 special memorials are erected to soldiers from the United
Kingdom, buried by their comrades in Henin-sur-Cojeul German Cemetery, whose
graves could not be found on concentration. From the 1939-45 War, over 20 are
unidentified and special memorials commemorate 39 soldiers whose graves in
the cemetery could not be specifically located. The cemetery covers an area
of 5,244 square metres. The more important of the small cemeteries
concentrated into Bucquoy Road Cemetery were the following:-. BOIRY-STE
RICTRUDE BRITISH CEMETERY, on the West side of that village, containing 16
graves of soldiers from the United Kingdom (mainly 56th (London) Division),
who fell in March and April, 1917. BOISLEUX-ST MARC BRITISH CEMETERY, between
Boisleux-st Marc and Boyelles, containing ten graves of soldiers from the
United Kingdom (nine of the 2/1st London Regiment) who fell in March and May,
1917. BOISLEUX-ST MARC MILITARY CEMETERY (or MERCATEL ROAD CEMETERY), half a
mile South of Mercatel, containing eleven graves of soldiers from the United
Kingdom who fell in March and April, 1917. CROSS ROADS CEMETERY, BOISLEUX-ST
MARC, a little East of that village, containing 25 graves of soldiers from
the United Kingdom (18 of the 1st London Scottish) who fell in August and
September, 1918. BUSHES CEMETERY, BOISLEUX-ST MARC, a little South of that
village, containing 17 graves of soldiers of the 1st Grenadier Guards who
fell in March and April, 1918. HAMELINCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY, between
Courcelles and Hamelincourt, containing the graves of eight soldiers of the
3rd Grenadier Guards who fell on the 22nd-24th August, 1918. HAMELINCOURT
COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, containing 20 graves of soldiers from the United
Kingdom who fell in March, August and September, 1918. MONCHY-AU-BOIS BRITISH
CEMETERY, on the North-East side of that village, containing the graves of 14
soldiers (twelve of the 42nd (East Lancs) Division) who fell in March, 1918.
HENIN-SUR-COJEUL GERMAN CEMETERY, in the South-West quarter of that village,
where 28 soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried by their comrades in
April and May, 1917. |