Stump Road Cemetery, Grandcourt (Somme)

Grandcourt is a village and commune in the Department of the Somme, on the East (or left) bank of the Ancre, about five miles from Albert. Stump Road was a sunken road running south from the village up the hillside towards Pozieres, and Stump Road Cemetery is forty yards to the West of that road, half a mile from the village.

Grandcourt was reached by men of the 36th (Ulster) Division on the 1st July, 1916 but it could not be held. It was occupied by the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division on the 7th February, 1917, after a series of local attacks begun in November, 1916; and Stump Road Cemetery was made by the 7th Buffs in the following month. It contains the graves of 237 soldiers from United Kingdom, 24 from Canada, and two of unknown units who fell in the period July, 1916, to February 1917. There are 50 unnamed graves in the cemetery, and many of officers and men of the 18th Division.

Stump Road Cemetery covers an area of 477 square yards, and is bounded by a low rubble wall and a thorn hedge. It is planted with four thorn trees. It stands just below the ridge between Grandcourt and Pozieres, with very wide views of the battlefields of 1916-18

Number of burials by Unit

Queen's - Royal West Surrey Regt.
57
  Buffs - East Kent Regt.
31
Cheshire Regt.
28
  Royal West Kent Regt.
21
Canadian burials
20
  Border Regt.
14
York & Lancaster Regt.
8
  Loyal North Lancashire Regt.
7
North Staffordshire Regt.
6
  Worcestershire Regt.
5
South Lancashire Regt.
4
  Norfolk Regt.
3
Royal Berkshire Regt.
3
  Machine Gun Corps - Infantry
1
King's Own Royal Lancaster Regt.
1
  East Surrey Regt.
1
Royal Irish Rifles
1
  Royal Sussex Regt.
1
Ox. & Bucks. Light Infantry
1
     
Identified burials
213
     
Unidentified UK burials:
44
     
Unidentified Canadian burials:
4
     
Wholly Unidentified burials
2
     
Total Unidentified burials
50
     
Total burials
263
     

Those with awards in this cemetery

Sgt. Henry George Punter D.C.M., Bronze Medal for Military Valour (Italy)
7th Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regt.). Died 18th Nov. 1916, aged 27. A.37

Sgt. Arthur Tyrrell M.M. and Bar. 7th Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regt.) Killed in action 18th Nov. 1916, aged 26. A.41


Also buried in this cemetery

Pte. Thomas Charles Austin. 13th Bn. Cheshire Regt. Killed in action 21st Oct. 1916, aged 19. Son of the postmaster at Westbury, Salop. Enlisted Nov. 1915 in Shropshire Yeomanry. B.24