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Yorkshire
Regiment War Graves, - Orival Wood Cemetery, Flesquieres ( France, Nord) |
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Orival
Wood Cemetery, Flesquieres
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)
Flesquieres was attacked by the 51st (Highland) Division, with tanks, on the 20th November 1917, in the battle of Cambrai, but held for a time by a German officer with a few men; it was captured on the 21st. It was lost in the late stages of the battle, and retaken on the 27th September 1918, by the 3rd Division.
The Bois d'Orival is a small wood on the road from Flesquieres to Fontaine-Notre Dame, cleared by the 2nd Grenadier Guards on the 27th September 1918. The Cemetery was begun in November 1917, during the Battle of Cambrai; used again in September-October 1918; and enlarged in 1930 by the transfer of graves from the other cemeteries.
There are now nearly 300, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, ten are unidentified and others, identified collectively but not individually, are marked by headstones bearing the superscription, "Buried near this spot". Special memorials record the names of two United Kingdom soldiers, buried in Flesquieres Chateau Cemetery, whose graves could not be found. There are also 20 German burials here.
We are extremely grateful to Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) who has 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 Benjamin Billings.
63872. 1/8th Battalion Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment), formerly 46493 Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 27 September 1918. Born South Shields, Enlisted Sunderland. |
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2nd Lieutenant James
Goodway. 7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Mrs. Matilda Grant (formerly Goodway), of 4, Shrub Place, Edinburgh. Killed 27 December 1917. Aged 27. "TOO DEARLY LOVED
TO BE FORGOTTEN" |
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Private John William
Harrington. 105691. 1st Battalion King's (Liverpool Regiment), formerly 23887 Yorkshire Regiment. Died 29 September 1918. Born Middlesbrough (Yorks), Enlisted Middlesbrough, Resided Middlesbrough. |
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Serjeant Samuel Kirk,
19008. 7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 19693 K O Y L I. Son of Mrs. E. A. Kirk, of 7, Lord St., Oldham. Killed 27 December 1917. Born Oldham, Enlisted Bridgend, Resided Bardsley (Near Oldham). |
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Lieutenant Ewart Alan
Mackintosh, MC. 5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. A noted war poet, his poems "A Highland Regiment" and "War, The Liberator" were published in 1917 and 1918 respectively. Killed 21 November 1917. Aged 24. |
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The headstone for a Chinese
casualty. |
The
Headstones for Private Kirk and Lieutenant Goodway in Orival Wood Cemetery,
Flesquieres
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)
The
Headstones for Riflemen Billings (63872), Pullan (62793), Bradshaw (459020,
Feather (62316), Taylor (307647), and Shepherd (58765) in Orival Wood Cemetery,
Flesquieres
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)