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Yorkshire
Regiment War Graves, - Bienvillers Military Cemetery (France, Pas de Calais) |
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Bienvillers
Military Cemetery - 1
Photo : Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>)
Bienvillers Military Cemetery was begun in September 1915 by the 37th Division, carried on by other Divisions in the line until March 1917, reopened from March to September 1918, when the village was again near the front line, and completed in 1922-24 when a number of graves, mainly of 1916, were brought in from the battlefields of the Ancre.
Its twenty-one plots show a remarkable alternation of original burials in regimental or divisional groups, and groups of concentrated graves. The cemetery now contains 1,605 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 425 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to two casualties known or believed to be buried among them.
The 16 Second World War burials all date from the early months of the war, before the German invasion in May 1940 forced the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from France.
Amongst the graves in this cemetery are those of 4 soldiers who served with the Yorkshire Regiment. The grave of Lieutenant Colonel W Brodie VC MC is also to be found in the cemetery.
We are extremely grateful to Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>) who has generously provided the photographs of the cemetery and the headstones on this page.
Click on the thumbnail image of a headstone for a larger version of the photo which opens in a new window.
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Private Thomas Craven Bartram.
6510.
4th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, formerly 3109 Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Emanuel and Elizabeth Bartram, of Pickhill, Thirsk. Native of Sinderby, Thirsk. Killed 5 October 1916. Aged 25. Born Pickhill (Thirsk - Yorks), Enlisted Pickhill. "THY WILL BE DONE"
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Lance Corporal George William Greensmith.
325654. 1st/9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, formerly 30609 the Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of Violet Helen Greensmith, of 42, Warwick St., Hulme, Manchester. Killed 2 June 1918. Aged 34. Born Reddick, Enlisted Richmond (Yorks). |
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Private Reginald Harrison, 25294.
2nd/4th Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment), formerly 44921 the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Mr. J. T. Harrison, of Hurworth-on-Tees, Darlington. Killed 17 April 1918. Aged 21. Born Hurworth (Durham), Enlisted Darlington, Resided Hurworth-on-Tees. |
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Private Charlie Haslam, 92929.
1st/9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, formerly 43406 the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Mrs. E. A. Haslam, of 11, Quoit Green, Dronfield, Sheffield. Killed 3 June 1918. Born Dronfield, Enlisted Chesterfield, Resided Dronfield. |
Bienvillers
Military Cemetery - 2
Photo : Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>)
Bienvillers
Military Cemetery - 3
Photo : Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>)
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Lieutenant Colonel Walter Lorrain
Brodie, V C, M C, Twice Mentioned in Despatches. 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry. Son of John Wilson Brodie, of 23, Belgrave Crescent, Edinburgh; husband of Grace Mary Brodie. Killed 23 August 1918. Aged 34. Citation An extract from the "London Gazette," No. 29005, dated 12th Dec., 1914, records the following "For conspicuous gallantry near Becelaere on the 11th November,
in clearing the enemy out of a portion of our trenches which they
had succeeded in occupying. Heading the charge, he bayoneted several
of the enemy, and thereby relieved a dangerous situation. As a result
of Lt. Brodie's promptitude, 80 of the enemy were killed and 51 taken
prisoners." |