GUILLEMONT is a village and commune in the Department of the Somme, 13 kilometres East of Albert. Guillemont Road Cemetery is between the village and Trones Wood, on the North side of the road to Montauban.

The village was an important point in the German defences in July, 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on the 30th July, but the battalion was obliged to fall back; and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on the 8th August. On the 18th August it was reached by the 2nd Division, and on the 3rd September (in the Battle of Guillemont) the village was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March, 1918, but retaken on the 29th August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The 20th Division erected a Memorial at the cross roads 450 metres East of the village; which has now been replaced by a permanent monument near the same spot; and a permanent Memorial to the 16th Division has been erected between Guillemont and Ginchy.

The cemetery (which was sometimes called Trones Wood Cemetery) was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and Field Ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March, 1917. It then contained 121 burials, besides a number of regimental memorials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice by the concentration of 2,139 graves (almost all of July-September, 1916) from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village. It now contains the graves of 2,259 soldiers from the United Kingdom, one from Canada, one from Australia, one from South Africa and one from Newfoundland; and two German prisoners. Thirty-nine French graves have been removed to French cemeteries.

The unnamed graves in the cemetery number 1,523; and a few others are identified as groups but not individually. Special memorials are erected to eight soldiers from the United Kingdom, known or believed to be buried among the unnamed graves.

The cemetery covers an area of 8,344 square metres. It stands in cultivated country, near the head of the valley which rises to Guillemont from the West..

The only considerable cemetery from which British graves were brought to Guillemont Road Cemetery was
HARDECOURT VILLAGE FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY. The village of Hardecourt-au-Bois was captured by French troops on the 8th July, 1916, and again by the 58th (London) and 12th (Eastern) Divisions on the 28th August, 1918. Five British Artillerymen were buried by their unit in the French Military Cemetery, in the middle of the village, in September, 1916; and in 1918 the 12th Division buried in the same cemetery 14 men of the 9th Royal Fusiliers and two of the 7th Royal Sussex.

Number of burials by Unit

Plan of the Cemetery

Those with awards in this cemetery

Lt. Frank Everard Boundy M.C., 17th Bn. The King's Liverpool Regt. Killed in action near Bois de Trônes, 30th July 1916, aged 21. Son of parents living in Valparaiso, Chile. 2.M.5

Sgt. F. Bowler D.C.M., 2nd Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts. & Derbys. Regt.) Died 16th Sept. 1916, aged 33. 7.J.7

2nd Lt. Harold Joseph Calder, Mentioned in Despatches. 14th Bn. London Regt. (London Scottish). Killed in action 18th Sept. 1916, aged 25. 15.J.1

Pte. H. Calvert D.C.M., 19th Field Amb. Royal Army Medical Corps. Died 3rd Nov. 1916. 1.E.6

L/Cpl. J. Cray M.M., 9th Bn. Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt.) Died 29th Aug. 1918. 2.B.3

Cpl. A. Edwards M.M., 5th Bn. The King's Liverpool Regt. Died 8th Aug. 1916. 9.F.3

Capt. Leopold Reginald Hargreaves M.C., Irish Guards, died 25th Sept. 1916, aged 33. 1.C.4

Bmdr. Gravatt Bundell Hobgen M.M., 5th Bty. 281st Brig. Royal Field Artillery. died 20th Sept. 1916, aged 30. 9.F.9

L/Cpl. A. S. Knight M.M., 8th Bn. The Buffs (East Kent Regt.). Died 4th Aug. 1917, aged 23. 9.J.5

L/Cpl. George Lovell M.M., 1st Bn. Leicestershire Regt. Died 15th Sept. 1916, aged 22. Native of Hinckley, Leics. 5.G.3

Sgt. Leonard Auton Mann, Mentioned in Despatches. 19th Bn. The Rifle Brigade. Killed in action 3rd Sept. 1916, aged 33. 2.P.1

Capt. William Joseph Murphy, Mentioned in Despatches. 9th Bn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Killed in action 9th Sept. 1916, aged 36. Joined Cadet Corps, Leinster Regt. Nov. 1914; appointed Lt. 9th Dublins, Dec. 1914 and Capt. in March 1915. Special Memorial No. 5

Capt. Guy Mynors Shufflebotham, Mentioned in Despatches. 7th Bn. Somerset Light Infantry. Killed in action 3rd Sept. 1916, aged 20. Native of Staplegrove, Somerset. 4 years in O.T.C. King's College, Taunton. 14.E.3

Maj. D. A. Stacey D.S.O., 2nd Bn. London Regt. (Royal Fusiliers), died 9th Oct. 1916. 1.D.1

Lt. Col. John Collier Stormonth-Darling D.S.O., 1st Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), attd. 9th (Glasgow Highlanders) Bn. Highland Light Infantry. Died 1st Nov. 1916, aged 38. Native of Kelso, Roxburghshire. 1.C.1

Cpl. E. C. Woolridge M.M., "D" Bty. 83rd Brig. Royal Field Artillery. Died 3rd Sept. 1918. 1.H.1.

Others buried in this cemetery

Lt. Raymond Asquith, 3rd Bn. Grenadier Guards. Died of chest wounds during the attack on Ginchy on the 15th Sept. 1916. Aged 37. Son of the Rt. Hon. H. H. Asquith, P.C., Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1908-1916 (becoming 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, K.G.). An associate of Rupert Brooke, he was a barrister and scholar of high intellect and had been President of the Union at Oxford, won the Craven, Derby and Ireland Scholarships, a First in Greats and a Fellowship at All Souls. The following inscription has been engraved on his grave: Small time but in that small most greatly lived this star of England. 1.B.3

Pte. Cecil Aubrey Balshaw. 13th Bn. London Regt. (Kensington), killed in action 9th Sept. 1916, aged 22. Native of Lancashire and Civil Service clerk at the Admiralty. 9.J.6

Pte. Felix Beattie (served as Craig). 1st Bn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Died 27th Jan. 1917. 1.J.2

Pte. Vincent Archer Alphonso Brown, 2nd Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts. & Derbys. Regt.), killed in action 13th Sept. 1916, aged 26. Enlisted Feb. 1907. 6.H.7

Pte. J. Burrow, 4th Bn. King's Own Royal Lancaster Regt. Killed in action 8th Aug. 1916, aged 25. Pupil of the Ulverston Victoria Grammar School and student of St. John's College, York. Assistant Master at Dalton (Church of England) School. 6.N.6

2nd Lt. Robert Furley Callaway, 2nd Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts. & Derbys. Regt.), killed in action 13th Sept. 1916, aged 44. A Missionary Priest in the Diocese of St. John's, Kaffraria, in charge of the Holy Cross, Pondoland, South Africa. Special Memorial No. 1

Lt. Harold Quinan Carver, 19th Bn. The King's Liverpool Regt. Died 30th July 1916, aged 26. Born in Australia. 5.D.7

Pte. H. S. Clarke, 9th Bn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers, died 6th Sept. 1916, aged 18. Known as "Brother Stephen" at Twyford Abbey, Willesden, London. 7.P.8

Pte. E. Coquelin, 6th Bn. Royal Irish Regt. Died 3rd Sept. 1916, aged 20. From Le Hurel Vale, Guernsey. 2.E.7

2nd Lt. William Alexander Stanhope Forbes, 3rd Bn. Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Died 3rd Sept. 1916, aged 23. Son of Stanhope Alexander Forbes, one of the founders of the Newlyn 'School of Art'. Lt. Forbes was a student of the Royal Architectural Association. The following inscription can be seen on his grave: He saw beyond the filth of battle and thought death a fair price to pay to belong to the company of these fellows. 1.A.1

Lt. Richard William Formby, Royal Engineers, killed in action 16th Feb. 1917. An official of the Public Works Department, Madras. 1.A.2.

2nd Lt. Fred Hall, Dorsetshire Regt. attd. Royal Flying Corps. Died 22nd Sept. 1916, aged 20. 4.G.5

2nd Lt. William Thomas Hichens, 1st Bn. Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Killed in action 3rd Sept. 1916, aged 22. From Guernsey. 6.O.4

Pte. Eric Coulthard Hughes, 1/10th Bn. The King's Liverpool Regt. Died 12th Aug. 1916, aged 18. Apprenticed to Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. 8.F.4

Gnr. A. Kairis. "X" 29th Trench Mortar Bty. Royal Field Artillery. Died 23rd Jan. 1917, aged 20. Native of Lithuania. 1.I.4

Pte. F. Lees, 10th Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers, died 16th Aug. 1916, aged 27. B.Sc. X.I.9

2nd Lt. Lance Will Lewis, 7th Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps, attd. Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Killed in action 9th Aug. 1916, aged 24. B.A. Oxford. 7.M.7

Pte. John Macfarlane, 2nd Bn. Seaforth Highlanders. Died 20th Oct. 1916, aged 24. Came from Monte Video, South America to enlist. 2.E.5

2nd Lt. Kenneth Irvine Thomson Morland, 6th Bn. Ox. & Bucks. Light Inf. Died 3rd Sept. 1916, aged 32. Born at Abingdon, Berks. Educated at Haileybury, M.A. of Oriel College Oxford. Tea planter in Ceylon, 1908-1915. Enlisted 1915 in H.A.C. Special Memorial No. 3

Gnr. H. Nye (served as Cotton) "A" Bty. 77th Brig. Royal Field Artillery. Died 7th Sept. 1916. 2.B.7

L/Cpl. Jack Archibald Nye, 3rd Bn. London Regt. (Royal Fusiliers). Died 16th Aug. 1916, aged 23. Native of Wembley, Middlesex. Enlisted Sept. 1914. Served in the Sudan and at the Dardanelles. 7.M.5

Pte. Eric Albert Peppiette, 10th, attd. 13th Bn. The King's Liverpool Regt. Died 16th Aug. 1916, aged 24. Assistant Librarian at Liverpool University. 13.M.10

Sgt. William Rhodes, 12th Bn. The King's Liverpool Regt. Died 9th March 1917, aged 25. Employee of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. 1.G.9

L/Cpl. (Signaller) John Skillcorn, 11th (Pioneer) Bn. Durham Light Infantry. Died of wounds 10th March 1917, aged 22. Born at Coal Centre, Washington Co., U.S.A. 1.C.13

Lt. The Hon. Edward Wyndham Tennant, 4th Bn. Grenadier Guards. Killed in action from a sniper's bullet 22nd Sept. 1916, aged 19. Son of Edward Priaux, 1st Baron Glenconner and Lady Glenconner (later Viscountess Grey of Falloden). A talented poet, he was, with Raymond Asquith and others, an associate of Rupert Brooke. His grave bears the inscription, Killed in action in his twentieth year. 1.B.18

2nd Lt. Bryn Atherton Brodie Thomas, 13th Bn. The King's Liverpool Regt. Killed in action 16th Aug. 1916, aged 19.Son of Lt. Col. D. Brodie Thomas, O.B.E. Native of Chester. 4.N.7

Rfn. D. F. Tuhey (served as Welch), 1/12th Bn. London Regt. (The Rangers). Died 9th Sept. 1916. 1.L.11