Aveluy Wood Cemetery (Lancashire Dump)
Mesnil-Martinsart (Somme)

Details

Mesnil - Martinsart is a commune in the Department of the Somme, containing the villages of Mesnil and Martinsart. It includes part of the forest of oak and birch, shattered in the War, which is called Aveluy Wood. The road from Hamel to Albert runs through the wood; and by the side of this road, just within the Northern boundary of the Wood, "Lancashire Dump" was made, and the cemetery now stands.

The Cemetery was begun in June, 1916, a few days before the Battles of the Somme, and it was used by fighting units and Field Ambulances until the German retirement in February, 1917. It then remained unused until the German advance in the spring of 1918. On the night of the 26th-27th March, the Germans entered Aveluy Wood; and on the 5th April it was mostly in their hands, in spite of stubborn defence of the 12th (Eastern), 47th (London) and 63rd (Royal Naval) Divisions. It was attacked in vain by several Divisions before it was finally cleared at the end of August; and in September the V Corps Burial Officers added to the cemetery Row H of Plot I, with its graves of April-September, 1918.

After the Armistice, Plots II and III were added, by concentrating 100 isolated graves from Aveluy Wood itself; and in 1923 Rows I to M of Plot I (124 graves) were added by concentration from a wider area.

Number of burials by Unit

West Yorkshire Regiment
23
  Sherwood Foresters - Notts. & Derbys. Regiment
20
Royal Naval Division
18
  Australian units
17
Royal Fusiliers - City of London Regiment
13
  Bedfordshire Regiment
11
Duke of Wellington's - West Riding Regiment
7
  Royal Welsh Fusiliers
7
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
6
  Lancashire Fusiliers
6
Royal Irish Rifles
6
  Royal Army Medical Corps
5
Royal Engineers
5
  Royal Sussex Regiment
5
Hampshire Regiment
4
  5th Bn. London Regiment - London Rifle Brigade
4
Monmouthshire Regiment
3
  Northumberland Fusiliers
3
Rifle Brigade
3
  York & Lancaster Regiment
3
Cheshire Regiment
2
  Dorsetshire Regiment
2
Highland Light Infantry
2
   King's Royal Rifle Corps
2
24th Bn. London Regiment - The Queen's
2
   Manchester Regiment
2
Royal Field Artillery
2
   Royal Garrison Artillery
2
Royal Horse Artillery
2
   Buffs - East Kent Regiment
1
Durham Light Infantry
1
   East Yorkshire Regiment
1
Essex Regiment
1
   King's Own Scottish Borderers
1
Leicestershire Regiment
1
   17th Bn. London Regiment - Poplar & Stepney Rifles
1
22nd Bn. London Regiment - The Queen's
1
   Middlesex Regiment
1
Royal Dublin Fusiliers
1
   Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
1
Royal Scots
1
   Royal West Kent Regiment - Queen's Own
1
Somerset Light Infantry
1
   South Staffordshire Regiment
1
South Wales Borderers
1
   Suffolk Regiment
1
Welch Regiment
1
      
Identified burials
205
      
Unidentified burials:        
Soldiers & Sailors from the UK
166
      
Soldiers from Australia
9
      
Total Unidentified burials
175
     
Total burials
380
     

 

Those having Awards in this cemetery

Sgt. George Ernest Banting M.M., 24th Bn. London Regiment, The Queen's. Killed in action 5th April 1918 aged 23. J. 5

Pte. I. Guest M.M., 2nd Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Died 21st June 1918. H. 25

Capt. F. B. Joyce M.C., 10th Bn. Sherwood Foresters, Notts. & Derbys Regiment. Died 21st April 1918. H. 42

2nd Lt. Charles Lovatt M.C., 26th Tyneside Irish Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers. Killed in action 12th April 1918 aged 21. F. 1

Pte. George Edward Wilson D.C.M., 1st/5th Bn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Died 6th July 1916 aged 31. Spec. Memorial A. 5

Others buried in this Cemetery

 Pte. J. Townson, 5982 1/5 Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regt.). Died 3rd July 1916. I.C.7.