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Yorkshire
Regiment War Graves, - Hermies Hill British Cemetery ( France, Pas de Calais) |
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Hermies Hill British Cemetery (1)
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)
Hermies was seized on the morning of the 9th April 1917, by a surprise attack of the 2nd and 3rd Australian Infantry Battalions. It was held against the advancing Germans on the 22nd March 1918, by the 17th Division, but evacuated on the following day; and it was retaken in September 1918. It was later "adopted", with Havrincourt, by the County Borough of Huddersfield.
The cemetery was begun in November 1917, and carried on by fighting units until March 1918, and further graves were added in the following September. These original burials comprise nearly the whole of Plot I; the remaining three Plots were added after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from a wide area round Hermies and from certain small cemeteries.
There are now over 1,000, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly 300 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 28 soldiers from the United Kingdom and 3 from Australia, known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 6 soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in two German Cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.
The cemetery covers an area of 3,629 square metres and is enclosed by a brick wall.
The cemetery contains the graves of 4 soldiers who served with the Yorkshire Regiment.
We are extremely grateful to Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) and Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>) who have generously provided the photographs 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 William Brown.
15770. 7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of Isabella Dixon (formerly Brown), of 5, Mitchell St., Walker, Newcastle-on-Tyne. Killed 18 January 1918. Born Bedlington (Northumberland), Enlisted Bedlington. Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Private Alfred MacDowell.
34829. 2nd/4th Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment), formerly 4340 the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Richard and Elizabeth MacDowell, of 1, Lumley Crescent, Shildon, Co. Durham. Killed 12 September 1918. Aged 21. Born Shildon (Durham), Enlisted Shildon. Photo : Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>) |
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2nd Lieutenant Cyril
Percy Maddox. Yorkshire Regiment, attached 2nd/4th Battalion KOYLI. Killed 20 November 1917. From Bob Coulson's Biographies of Yorkshire Regiment Officers;- Cyril Maddox served initially as a private with the Machine Gun Corps before gaining a commission with the Yorkshire Regiment. He was then attached to the 2/4th Battalion of the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) |
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Private Albert Taylor.
34909.
5th Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment), formerly 11593 the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Dalton and Emily Taylor, of Middlesbrough; husband of Johanna Taylor, of 38, Samuelson St., Middlesbrough. Died 13 September 1918. Aged 24. Born Loftus (Yorks), Enlisted Aldershot. "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN SWEET JESUS HAVE MERCY" Photo : Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>) |
Hermies Hill British Cemetery (2)
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)
The Special Memorial to 6 Soldiers Buried in German Cemeteries Whose Graves
Were Destroyed by Shell Fire.
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)
The Headstone for 2nd Lieut. F E Young, VC, in Hermies Hill British Cemetery
Photo : Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>)
Citation
An extract from "The London Gazette" No. 31067, dated 13th
Dec., 1918, records the following
"For most conspicuous bravery, determination and exceptional devotion to duty on 18th September, 1918, south-east of Havrincourt, when during an enemy counter-attack and throughout an extremely intense enemy barrage he visited all posts, warned the garrisons and encouraged the men. In the early stages of the attack he rescued two of his men who had been captured, and bombed and silenced an enemy machine gun. Although surrounded by the enemy, 2nd Lt. Young fought his way back to the main barricade and drove out a party of the enemy who were assembling there. By his further exertions the battalion was able to maintain a line of great tactical value, the loss of which would have meant serious delay to future operations. Throughout four hours of intense hand-to-hand fighting 2nd Lt. Young displayed the utmost valour and devotion to duty, and set an example to which the company gallantly responded. He was last seen fighting hand to hand against a considerable number of the enemy."
Hermies
Hill British Cemetery
Photo : Commonwealth
War Graves Commission