Authuile Military Cemetery (Somme)

Details

Authuile is a village and commune in the Department of the Somme, 5 kilometres North of Albert; and Authuile Military Cemetery is on the South side of the village, between the road to Albert and the river Ancre. The village was held by British troops from the summer of 1915 to March, 1918, when it was captured in the German Offensive on the Somme, it was ruined by shell fire even before that date.

The Military Cemetery was used by Field Ambulances and fighting units from August, 1915 to December, 1916, and in 1917 and 1918 by Indian Labour Companies. It contains the graves of 451 soldiers from the United Kingdom, 14 from India and three from South Africa; four men of the Indian Labour Corps, and one German prisoner. The graves of 2 other German soldiers have been removed. The unnamed graves are 38 in number, and special memorials are erected to 18 soldiers from the United Kingdom, known or believed to be buried among them.

Number of burials by Unit

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
63
   Royal Irish Rifles
41
West Yorkshire Regiment
41
   Lancashire Fusiliers
38
Dorsetshire Regiment
24
   Highland Light Infantry
24
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
23
   Northumberland Fusiliers
23
Duke of Wellington - West Riding Regiment
15
   York & Lancaster Regiment
15
Border Regiment
11
   Gordon Highlanders
11
Manchester Regiment
10
   Royal Field Artillery
10
Royal Engineers
9
   Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
7
Machine Gun Corps
6
   Black Watch
5
South Lancashire Regiment
5
   Indian Labour Company
4
Northamptonshire Regiment
4
   Loyal North Lancashire
3
Royal Sussex
3
   Seaforth Highlanders
3
South African Heavy Artillery
3
   Worcestershire Regiment
3
29th Lancers - Deccan Horse
2
   9th Hodson's Horse
2
Cheshire Regiment
2
   Durham Light Infantry
2
King's Liverpool Regiment
2
   King's Own Scottish Borderers
2
Royal Garrison Artillery
2
   11th King Edward's Own Cavalry
1
19th Lancers - Fane's Horse
1
   31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers
1
36th Jacob's Horse
1
   37th Lancers
1
6th King Edward's Own Cavalry
1
   East Surrey Regiment
1
Gloucestershire Regiment
1
   Hampshire Regiment
1
Inniskilling Dragoons
1
   Middlesex Regiment
1
Royal Fusiliers
1
   Royal Horse Guards
1
Royal Irish Fusiliers
1
   Somerset Light Infantry
1
Wiltshire Regiment
1
      
Indentified burials
434
      
German burial
1
      
Unidentified UK burials:
34
      
Unidentified Indian burials:
4
      
Total Unidentified burials
38
      
Total burials
473
      

Awards

Sgt. Thomas Henry Clarke D.C.M., 4th Bn. Duke of Wellington (West Riding Regiment). Died 5th July 1916 aged 29. F. 23.

Sgt. George Edward Golby M.M., 6th Bn. Northamptonshire Regiment. Died 27th Sept. 1916 aged 24. H. 23.

Capt. Ernest Edward Sykes M.C., 4th Bn. Duke of Wellington (West Riding Regiment). Died 4th July 1916 aged 30. E. 22.

Capt. Richard Henry Vaughan Thompson. Mentioned in Despatches. 11th Bn. Royal Fusiliers, K.I.A. at Thiepval 26th Sept. 1916 aged 32. . E. 35.