Bouzincourt Ridge Cemetery, Albert (Somme)

Details

Bouzincourt Ridge rises North-West of the town of Albert, in the Department of the Somme. It remained partly in German hands after the battles of March, 1918; the Eastern end of it was attacked by the 12th and 18th Divisions at the end of June, 1918, and cleared in the latter half of August. In the first week of September, Plot I of Bouzincourt Ridge Cemetery was made by the V Corps Burial Officer, who cleared the battlefields; and the remaining Plots were formed after the Armistice by the concentration of 568 additional graves from the immediate neighbourhood.

The cemetery stands alongside a track leading from Albert to Bouzincourt. It contains the graves of 667 soldiers, sailors Marines and airmen from the United Kingdom, largely of the 38th (Welsh) and 12th (Eastern) Division; 35 soldiers from Australia; and five soldiers and one airman from Canada. The unnamed graves are 313 in number, and a special memorial is erected to an officer of the 38th Division, buried in one of them.

Number of burials by Unit

Royal Welsh Fusiliers
115
East Yorkshire Regiment
34
Royal Sussex Regiment
30
Queen's - Royal West Surrey Regiment
29
Australian burials
24
Royal West Kent Regiment
22
Royal Berkshire Regiment
15
Royal Fusiliers - City of London Regiment Regiment
14
Northamptonshire Regiment
13
Buffs - East Kent Regiment
12
Bedfordshire Regiment
10
Royal Engineers
8
East Surrey Regiment
6
Suffolk Regiment
6
London Regiment - 23rd Battalion
5
Machine Gun Corps
5
West Yorkshire Regiment
5
London Regiment - 18th Bn. London Irish Rifles
4
Notts. & Derbys Regiment
4
Durham Light Infantry
3
Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
3
Rifle Brigade
3
Canadian burials
2
Lancashire Fusiliers
2
Norfolk Regiment
2
Royal Navy Division
2
South Wales Borderers
2
Cameronians - Scottish Rifles
1
Cheshire Regiment
1
Dorsetshire Regiment
1
Essex Regiment
1
King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment
1
King's Royal Rifle Corps
1
London Regiment - 5th Bn. London Rifle Brigade
1
London Regiment - 7th Bn.
1
London Regiment - 11th Bn. Finsury Rifles
1
London Regiment - 19th Bn. St. Pancras
1
London Regiment - 20th Bn. Blackheath & Woolwich
1
Northumberland Fusiliers
1
Royal Army Medical Corps
1
Royal Field Artillery
1
Royal Irish Fusiliers
1
Royal Warwickshire Regiment
1
Identified burials
396
Unidentified burials
     
United Kingdom
298
     
Australian
11
     
Canadian
4
     
Total
313
     
Total burials
709
     

Awards

Cpl. W. Bones MM., The Buffs, East Kent Regiment, died 22nd Aug. 1918. II R 8

L/Cpl. S. O. J. Bull DCM., 6th Bn. Northamptonshire Regiment. K.I.A. 2nd July 1918, aged 22. II H 1

Lt. Col.John Stanhope Collings-Wells VC, DSO., 4th Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment. Died 27th Mar. 1918 aged 38. Son of Arthur & Caroline Mary Collings-Wells of High Wycombe. An extract from the London Gazette dated 23rd April 1918 records the following:
"For most conspicuous bravery, skilful leading and handling of his battalion in very critical situations during a withdrawal. When the rearguard was almost surrounded and in great danger of being captured, Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells, realising the situation, called for volunteers to remain behind and hold up the enemy whilst the remainder of the rearguard withdrew, and with his small body of volunteers held them up for one and half hours until they had expended every round of ammunition. During this time he moved freely amongst his men guiding and encouraging them, and by his great courage undoubtedly saved the situation.
On a subsequent occasion, when his battalion was ordered to carry out a counter attack, he showed the greatest bravery. Knowing that his men were extremely tired after six days' fighting, he placed himself in front and led the attack, and even when twice wounded refused to leave them but continued to lead and encourage his men until he was killed at the moment of gaining their objective. The successful results of the operations were, without doubt, due to the undaunted courage exhibited by this officer." III E 12





Lt. Edward Carter Eaton, Croix de Guerre (France)
Saskatchewan Regiment. K.I.A. 26th June 1918, aged 20. Native of Montreal, Canada. II I 10

Pte. Robert Hartup MM., 2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment, died 3rd July 1918 aged 24. II C 16

Pte. A. E. Huggall MM., 13th Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Died 22nd April 1918. Ii A 6

Cpl. Frederick John Moseley MM
., 6th Bn. Royal West Kent Regiment. K.I.A. 1st July 1918 aged 20. I A 15

Cpl. T. Thomas MM., 13th Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. K.I.A. 22nd April 1918. I D 23

L/Cpl. W. J. Thomas MM., 16th Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. K.I.A. 22nd April 1918 aged 21. I A 24

Sgt. A. Todd MM., 7th Bn. East Yorkshire Regiment. Died 31st March 1918. I E 21

2nd Lt. Alfred Waite DCM., 5th Bn. Royal Berkshire Regiment. Died 5th April 1918 aged 28. I C 5

Sgt. Harry Lionel Wayman DCM., Croix de Guerre (Belgium), 7th Bn. Suffolk Regiment. Died 27th March 1918 aged 22. II S 11