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Yorkshire
Regiment War Graves, - Guilllemont Road Cemetery, Guillemont (France, Somme) |
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Guilllemont
Road Cemetery, Guillemont - 1
Photo : Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>)
Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 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 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.
The 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, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after
the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought
in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village and certain smaller
cemeteries.
Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations
of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are
special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among
them.
Amongst the graves in this cemetery are those of 3 soldiers who served with the Yorkshire Regiment.
We are extremely grateful to Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>) and Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) who have 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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Lance Corporal John William Bell, 33501. 7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 31 January 1917. Aged 34. Born Stranton (West Hartlepool), Enlisted West Hartlepool, Resided 4 Dalton Street, West Hartlepool. (Photo : Christopher Weekes, <weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Private Harry Spoors. 7994. 71st Battalion Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), formerly 24153 the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 15 September 1916. Born Leeds, Enlisted Leeds. Photo : Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>) |
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Private Richard Mark Stubbs,
24531. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of James Adam Stubbs and Margaret Ann Stubbs, of 13, Wheelgate, Malton, Yorks. Killed 23 July 1916. Aged 22. Born Malton, Enlisted Malton. "HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR OTHERS (Photo : Christopher Weekes, <weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
Guilllemont
Road Cemetery, Guillemont - 2
Photo : Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>)
Guilllemont
Road Cemetery, Guillemont - 3
Photo : Christopher Weekes, (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)