| Additional Information: | Wambaix German Cem. |
| Cemetery: | HONNECHY BRITISH CEMETERY, Nord, France |
| Grave Reference/ Panel Number: |
Mem. 3. |
| Location: | Honnechy is a village in the Department of the
Nord, 8 kilometres south-west of Le Cateau. Honnechy British Cemetery is
north-east of the village, on the north-west side of the road to
Reumont. |
| Historical Information: | Honnechy was part of the battlefield of Le Cateau in August 1914, and from that time it remained in German hands until the 9th October 1918, when the 25th Division and the 6th Cavalry Brigade captured it. It had been a German Hospital centre, and from its capture until the end of October it was a British Field Ambulance centre. The village was inhabited by civilians during the whole of the War. The cemetery stands on the site of a German Cemetery begun in the Battle of Cambrai 1917 and used by German troops and then by British until the 24th October 1918. The 300 German graves were removed to another burial ground, leaving 44 British graves; and the cemetery was re-made in 1922 and 1923 by the concentration of British graves almost entirely from German Cemeteries. There are now over 450, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly a quarter are unidentified and a special memorial is erected to one Canadian soldier known to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of eight soldiers from the United Kingdom whose graves could not be found during the concentrations from German cemeteries. A number of graves in Plot I, Row C, identified as a whole but not individually, are marked by headstones bearing the additional words "Buried near this spot". The cemetery covers an area of 1,691 square metres and is enclosed by a low rubble wall on three sides. The following were the burial grounds from which the British graves were brought to Honnechy British Cemetery: BANTOUZELLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION, which contained about 250 German graves and those of four soldiers from the United Kingdom and one South African airman. BOUSIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, which was South West of the Communal Cemetery. It was made by the 18th Division at the end of October 1918, and contained the graves of 24 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one German soldier. CLARY GERMAN CEMETERY, on the North side of the village, containing the graves of 96 soldiers from the United Kingdom. Of these 47 were buried by French civilians after the Battle of Le Cateau; 28 were buried by the enemy in 1917-18; and 21 were buried by their comrades in October 1918. The 127 German graves have also been removed. ESNES COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION, which contained the graves of 470 German soldiers and 37 from the United Kingdom and six of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry who fell in action or died as prisoners in 1917-18. LESDAIN GERMAN CEMETERY, at the South-East corner of the village, containing the graves of 350 German soldiers, six soldiers from the United Kingdom buried by the enemy as prisoners, and 26 New Zealand soldiers and two from the United Kingdom who fell on the 8th October 1918 in the capture of the village. MALINCOURT GERMAN CEMETERY, on the East side of the road to Walincourt, which contained the graves of 300 German soldiers, seven soldiers from the United Kingdom buried by the enemy and 14 who fell in October-December 1918, and one man of the Chinese Labour Corps. MARETZ COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION, which was on the East side of the Communal Cemetery. It contained the graves of 213 German soldiers, 25 from the United Kingdom and three from South Africa; of the 28 British graves, 23 were made by the enemy. SELVIGNY GERMAN CEMETERY, which is now a large permanent burial ground between the villages of Selvigny and Walincourt. It contained the graves of 106 soldiers from the United Kingdom, eight of whom were buried by their comrades in October 1918. SERANVILLERS GERMAN CEMETERY No. 1, at the West end of the village. It contained the graves of 200 German soldiers, three from the United Kingdom and one of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry. VILLERS-OUTREAU COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION, on the South side of the Communal Cemetery, which contained the graves of 25 soldiers from the United Kingdom, 28 German and one Russian; and VILLERS-OUTREAU GERMAN CEMETERY, near the East side of the village, in which 900 German soldiers and one from the United Kingdom were buried. WAMBAIX GERMAN CEMETERY, on the East side of the road to Cattenieres, in which seven soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried by French civilians in 1914 and one R.F.C. Officer in 1917 by the enemy. |