Méaulte Military Cemetery (Somme)

Meaulte is a village and commune in the Department of the Somme, immediately South of Albert. It was held by British forces (and inhabited by three quarters of the civilian population) from 1915 to the 26th March, 1918, when it was evacuated after a rearguard fight by the 9th (Scottish) Division. It was recaptured by the 12th (Eastern) Division and Tanks on the 22nd August, 1918.

Meaulte Military Cemetery is South of the village, on the West side of the road to Etinehem. It was begun in December 1915, and used until February, 1917. A few further burials were made after the recapture of the village; and after the Armistice 154 graves (mainly of 1918) were brought in from other burial grounds and from neighbouring battlefields. The 6th Queen's erected a wooden memorial in the cemetery to their officers and men who fell on the 23rd August, 1918.

The Cemetery covers an area of 1,522 square metres, and contains the graves of 283 soldiers from the United Kingdom, six from India, two (including one airman) from Canada, one from Australia, and seven whose unit in our forces is not known. The unnamed graves number 21, and special memorials (three of which are in Row E) are erected to eleven soldiers from the United Kingdom believed to be buried among them.

Two cemeteries of some importance were concentrated here :

Sandpit Cemetery, Meaulte, on the Albert-Bray road, a little East of the village. The Sandpit was a camp in January 1917, and it was retaken by the 7th Royal Sussex on the 22nd August, 1918. The cemetery was made by the 12th Division. It contained the graves of 93 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one Canadian airman who fell on the 22nd-29th August, 1918.

Meaulte Triangle Cemetery, between a road junction and a light railway crossing the Morlancourt road. It was made by the III Corps Heavy Artillery and the 12th Division, and it contained the graves of 36 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell on the 23rd-25th August, 1918. The Cemetery also contain one soldier from Meaulte churchyard.

Number of burials by Unit

Queen's - Royal West Surrey Regt.
24
  Northumberland Fusiliers
18
Royal West Kent Regt. - Queen's Own
18
  Essex Regt.
17
Royal Fusiliers - City of London Regt.
17
  Cambridgeshire Regt.
15
Royal Field Artillery
15
  Buffs - East Kent Regt.
14
Middlesex Regt.
12
  Bedfordshire Regt.
11
Northamptonshire Regt.
11
  Machine Gun Corps - Infantry
10
Royal Sussex Regt.
10
  Lincolnshire Regt.
7
Norfolk Regt.
7
  Indian burials
6
Royal Berkshire Regt.
5
  Royal Army Medical Corps
4
Royal Engineers
4
  Cheshire Regt.
3
Gloucestershire Regt.
3
  Gordon Highlanders
3
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
3
  King's Royal Rifle Corps
3
Manchester Regt.
3
  Royal Army Service Corps
3
Royal Garrison Artillery
3
  Royal Munster Fusiliers
3
Sherwood Foresters - Notts. & Derbys. Regt.
3
  York & Lancaster Regt.
3
Yorkshire Regt. - The Green Howards
3
  Border Regt.
2
Devonshire Regt.
2
  Dorsetshire Regt.
2
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
2
  Durham Light Infantry
2
Welsh Regt.
2
  24th Bn. London Regt. - The Queen's
1
7th Bn. London Regt.
1
  Australian burial
1
Canadian burial
1
  East Surrey Regt.
1
King's Own Royal Lancaster Regt.
1
  King's Own Scottish Borderers
1
North Somerset Yeomanry
1
  Ox. & Bucks. Light Infantry
1
Ox. & Bucks. Light Infantry
1
  Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force
1
Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force
1
  Royal Warwickshire Regt.
1
Suffolk Regt.
1
  Tank Corps
1
West Yorkshire Regt.
1
  Wiltshire Regt.
1
Worcestershire Regt.
1
   
1
Identified burials
291
     
Unidentified burials:
38
     
Total burials
319
     

Those having awards in this cemetery

Pte. William Eric Bean M.M., 1/1st Cambridgeshire Regt. Died 22nd Aug. 1918, aged 22. B.3

Pte. S. J. Blake M.M., 6th Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regt.). Died 24th Aug. 1918, aged 34. G.32

Pte. J. G. Coote M.M., 1/1st Cambridgeshire Regt. Died 22nd Aug. 1918, aged 34. G.12

Sgt. Thomas Henry Davis D.C.M., "C" Coy. 5th Bn. Royal Berkshire Regt. Died of wounds 22nd Aug. 1918, aged 24. E.17

Sgt. Charles William Denny M.M., 9th Bn. Essex Regt. Died of wounds 22nd Aug. 1918, aged 26. G.16

Lt. Harry Farrant Driver M.C., 1/1st Cambridgeshire Regt. Died 28th Aug. 1918, aged 32. G.23

Capt. Lenox Paton Figgis M.C., 6th Bn. The Buffs (East Kent Regt.) Died 27th Aug. 1918, aged 25. F.25

Lt. Richard William Jennings, Mentioned in Despatches. "C" Coy. 10th Bn. Worcestershire Regt. Died of wounds received at La Boisselle on 3rd July 1916, aged 27. Lightweight Boxing Champion 1909-1910, B.A. and L.I.B. (Cantab.) 1910;
Roll of Solicitors. D.34

Lt. Harold Howard Kilmister M.C., 9th Bn. Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt.) Died 22nd Aug. 1918, aged 27. B.37

Sgt. C. Rapley M.M., 6th Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regt.) Died 23rd Aug. 1918. G.31

2nd Lt. Leslie Roberts M.C., East Surrey Regt. attd. 6th Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regt.). Killed in action 24th Aug. 1918, aged 23. G.32

Capt. Magnus Rainier Robertson M.C., 9th Bn. Essex Regt. Killed in action 22nd Aug. 1918, aged 30. G.15

Pte. Joseph Henry Stevens M.M., 6th Bn. Northamptonshire Regt. Died 24th Aug. 1918, aged 22. E.13

2nd Lt. John Connell Stevenson, Mentioned in Despatches. 6th Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regt.) Died of wounds 23rd Aug. 1918, aged 27. F.18


Others buried in this cemetery

Lt. Arthur Macdougall Baily. 7th, attd. 9th Bn. Essex Regt. Killed in action 22nd Aug. 1918, aged 21. Educated at Merchant Taylor's School and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. B.42

2nd Lt. Harry A. Butters. "B" Bty. 109th Brig. Royal Field Artillery. Killed in action 31st Aug. 1916, aged 24. Born at San Francisco. See "Harry Butters, R.F.A. 'An American Citizen'". Published by John Lane Company, New York and London. (1918) E.27

Capt. John Playford Hales. 203rd Sqdn. Royal Air Force. Died 23rd Aug. 1918, aged 25. From Ontario, Canada. E.46

Pte. William Benjamin Hodges (Served as Hoad). "A" Coy. 12th Bn. Middlesex Regt. Killed in action 29th Dec. 1915, aged 25. A.30

Pte. Harry Henry Hudson. 9th Bn. Essex Regt. Killed in action 22nd Aug. 1918, aged 46. Served on the North West Frontier. G.22

Pte. Alfred Hunt. 9th Bn. Cheshire Regt. Died of wounds (gas) 3rd July 1916, aged 21. Previously employed by Liverpool Corporation. D.32

Pte. Frederick Jones (Served as Smith). 2nd Bn. Welsh Regt. Killed in action 15th July 1916, aged 36. Served in the South African Campaign. D.6

L/Cpl. James Harold Potter. "B" Coy. 16th Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers. Killed in action 28th Dec. 1915, aged 25. A school teacher, Educated at St. Mary's College, Hammersmith, London. A.29