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Yorkshire
Regiment War Graves, - Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension France, Somme |
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Abbeville
Communal Cemetery Extension - 1
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)
For much of the First World War, Abbeville was headquarters of the Commonwealth lines of communication. No.3 BRCS, No.5 and No.2 Stationary Hospitals were stationed there variously from October 1914 to January 1920.
The communal cemetery was used for burials from November 1914 to September 1916, the earliest being made among the French military graves.
The extension was begun in September 1916. During the early part of the Second World War, Abbeville was a major operational aerodrome, but the town fell to the Germans at the end of May 1940. On 4 June, an attempt was made by the 51st Division, in conjunction with the French, to break the German bridgehead, but without success. Towards the end of 1943, eight large ski shaped buildings appeared near Abbeville. These proved to be storage units for flying bomb components an they were heavily bombed by Commonwealth air forces. Abbeville was retaken on 4 September 1944 by Canadian and Polish units.
Abbeville Communal Cemetery contains 774 Commonwealth burials of First World War and 30 from the Second. The Extension contains 1,754 First World War burials and 348 from the Second.
12 soldiers who served with the Yorkshire Regiment are buried in the Communal Cemetery Extension.
We are very grateful to Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) who has provided photos of the cemetery and the headstones.
Select the thumbnail image of a headstone for a larger version of the photo which opens in a new window.
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Private Edwin Atkinson.
26638. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Rose and the late Thomas Atkinson, of Brompton, Northallerton, Yorks. Killed 26 April 1917. Aged 26. Born Brompton (Yorks), Enlisted Northallerton, Resided Brompton. "HE RESTS IN PEACE"
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Private William Beecroft.
27531.
10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Sylvester and Amelia Ann Beecroft, of Bradford, Yorks. Killed 4 October 1916. Aged 26. Born Bradford, Enlisted Bradford. "AGE 26 HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE" |
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Private John Coulson.
3/8628. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of Elizabeth A. Coulson, of 29, Stainton St., West Hartlepool. Killed 22 November 1916. Aged 36. Born Jarrow, Enlisted West Hartlepool, Resided 25 Dover Street, West Hartlepool. |
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Private Leonard Flatt.
33141. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 2026 Norfolk Regt. Killed 25 April 1917. Born Mendham (Harleston - Suffolk), Enlisted Harleston. |
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Private George Herbert
Gibson. 5376. 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of George Wetherall Gibson and the late Sarah Gibson. Killed 26 September 1916. Aged 22. Born Melsonby (Yorks), Enlisted Northallerton, Resided Barton (Yorks). "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS" |
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Captain William Harold
Haynes, DSO. 151st Squadron RAF, formerly the Yorkshire Regiment. Nephew of William C. Cadman, of Hirst House, Torquay. Killed 26 September 1918. Aged 23. Born Norton-on-Tees, Resided Wath-on-Dearne. The following notes were provided by Robert Coulson on Captain Haynes;- William Haynes was a South Yorkshireman originally from the Wath on Dearne area. (Note by EMN: William Haynes was born in Norton-on-Tees, and in the 1901 Census was living in Stockton-on-Tees with his family. His father was a surgeon. His mother was born in Wath-upon-Dearne, so it is likely that on the death of his father he moved with his mother to Wath-upon-Dearne.) William Haynes was a serving territorial 2nd Lt with the 6th Battalion at the onset of war, but when the battalion sailed for Gallipoli in 1915 he had transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. Originally with 44th squadron, in May 1918 he was posted to 151st squadron of the recently formed Royal Air Force. Captain Haynes died in tragic circumstances. He was taxiing his Sopwith Camel on the aerodrome at night when he accidently overturned the machine into a ditch. He was uninjured and went round to the front of the machine to inspect the damage when his mechanic, who had run over, accidently triggered the guns killing Captain Haynes instantly on September 26th 1918 at the age of 23. Captain William Harold Haynes DSO was the nephew of William Cadman of Hirst House, Torquay in Devon. |
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Private George William
Hutton, 235616. 13th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 3125 York Dragoons. Son of Elizabeth Hudson, of 33, Bolton St., Sheffield; husband of Olive Hutton, of 15, Water Lane, Selby, Yorks. Served in the South African Campaign, and was with the Q.O. Yorkshire Dragoons in 1914. Killed 27 November 1917. Aged 35. Born Bridlington. "AT REST" |
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Private Leonard Llantaff
Miller. 235312. 13th Battalion The King's (Liverpool Regiment), formerly 242930 the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Henry Robert and Louisa Miller; husband of Kate E. Miller, of 15, Ross St., Mill Road, Cambridge. Born at Cambridge. Killed 30 September 1918. Aged 30. Born Cambridge, Enlisted Cambridge, Resided Cambridge. |
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Private Arthur Rex.
19692. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Hannah Rex, of Ling Farm, Fimber, York; husband of Alice Rex, of Spring Cottage, High St., Thornton-le-Dale, Pickering, Yorks. Died 11 April 1917. Aged 39. Born Thornton-le-Dale, Enlisted Malton, Resided Rillington. "SUNSHINE PASSES SHADOWS FALL BUT LOVING REMEMBRANCE OUTLASTS ALL" |
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Private Albert Edward
Vasey. 3095. 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Edward and Annie Vasey, of Skinningrove, Yorks. Killed 25 September 1916. Aged 20. Enlisted Saltburn, Resided Skinningrove. |
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Private Alfred Walker. 144828.
50th Battalion Machine Gun Corps, formerly 243796 the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Lizzie Hardy, of 4, Waterloo St., Clay Cross; husband of Alice Walker, of Clay Cross, Chesterfield. Killed 24 October 1918. Aged 20. Born Clay Cross (Derby), Enlisted Clay Cross. "EVER IN OUR THOUGHTS
FROM LOVING WIFE & SON ALSO MOTHER & FATHER SISTERS AND BROTHERS" |
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Private Harry Whitehead.
21025. 9th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, formerly 10635 the Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of Ada Whitehead, of 5, William St., Scarborough. Killed 10 October 1916. Born Scarborough (Yorks), Enlisted Scarborough. |
Abbeville
Communal Cemetery Extension - 2
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)
Abbeville
Communal Cemetery Extension - 3
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)