Yorkshire Regiment War Graves, - Sissonne British Cemetery, Aisne

Sissonne British Cemetery (1)
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)

The village of Sissonne was in German hands during almost the whole of the 1914-1918 War.

The British Cemetery was made after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the nearby Chemin-des-Dames battlefield and from smaller burial grounds and German military cemeteries.

There are now 291 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-18 war commemorated in this site. Of these, 127 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to four United Kingdom soldiers, buried in LA MALMAISON GERMAN CEMETERY and CHATEAU-PORCIEN COMMUNAL CEMETERY, whose graves could not be found. A few of those buried here fell in 1914, but the great majority in 1918.

The cemetery covers an area of 1,135 square metres and is enclosed by a rubble wall.

13 burials in Sissonne British Cemetery are those of soldiers who served with the Yorkshire Regiment.

We are very grateful to Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>) for having taken the photos of the cemetery and of the Yorkshire Regiment headstones.
In addition, Richard Roberts (<richard.nsw@googlemail.com>) has photographed the headstone of a soldier who was formerly in the Yorkshire Regiment.
Richard has provided photographs which show the adjoining German Military Cemetery. Richard has also included a photograph of the headstone, together with notes, of an unusual British casualty.

Click on the thumbnail image of a headstone for a larger version of the photo which opens in a new window.

		Private John William Blagg. 30008. 5th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 34057 Notts & Derby Regt. Killed 27 May 1918. Born Mansfield, Enlisted Mansfield.

		Private Frank Ford. 3/8327. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Died 24 July 1918. Born North Ormesby, Enlisted Middlesbrough, Resided North Ormesby.

		Private Edward Hayes, 35748. 5th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 238906 12th Yeomanry Cyclists Battn. Killed 1 June 1918. Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham.

		Private Francis Thomas Lester. 48229. 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly TR/5/110108 87th T R Battn. Son of Thomas Lester, of 145, North St., Wolverhampton. Killed 29 July 1918. Aged 18. Born Wolverhampton, Enlisted Wolverhampton.

		Private Edgar Lewis. 139800. Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), formerly 21225 Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Mrs. Emily Lewis, of 9, Davison St., Middlesbrough. Killed 30 July 1918. Aged 22. Born Middlesbrough, Enlisted Middlesbrough. "THY WILL BE DONE" Photo : Richard Roberts / Tom Wheeldon

		Private Edgar Markham. 22766. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 28 August 1918. Born South Bank (Yorks), Enlisted Middlesbrough, Resided South Bank.

		Private Walter Percival. 34874. 5th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of John and Jane Percival, of 42, Stratford St., Dewsbury Rd., Leeds. Born at Thornton Rust, Aysgarth, Yorks. Killed 30 July 1918. Aged 19. Born Aysgarth (Yorks), Enlisted Leeds. "HE IS NOT DEAD BUT SLEEPETH"

		Private Sydney George Pridmore. 43321. 5th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 10 July 1918. Born Preston, Enlisted Ilkeston, Resided Long Eaton.

		Private Robert Savage. 203674. 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Henry and Isabella Savage; husband of Annie Savage, of 23, Church St., Aberdovey, Merioneth. Born at Clitheroe, Lancs. Killed 8 July 1918. Aged 32. Born Clitheroe (Lancs), Enlisted Clitheroe. "THY WILL BE DONE"

		Private William Hubert Smith. 34705. 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 2946 Yorks Dragoons. Killed 4 June 1918. Born Ashton (Yorks), Enlisted Sheffield, Resided Swallownest.

		Private Thomas Edward Harold Upton. 35604. 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 71479 Berkshire Regt. Son of Alfred and Annie Upton, of 297, Fishponds Rd., Eastville, Bristol. Born at Bristol. Killed 31 August 1918. Aged 19. Born Stapleton, Enlisted Bristol.

		Private Alfred Edmund Watson. 26620. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of John S. Watson and Elizabeth Watson, of 52A, Waterloo Rd., Middlesbrough. A School Master and Artist. Died 1 August 1918. Aged 32. Born Middlesbrough, Enlisted Middlesbrough. "HE DIED FOR ENGLAND'S SAKE"

Corporal Frank Ellis Whittred. 242237. 2nd/5th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Mrs. Emma Whittred; husband of Bertha Elizabeth Whittred, of 5, White Hill, Hitchin, Herts. Killed 25 July 1918. Aged 29. Born Ringstead (Norfolk), Enlisted Hitchin (Herts). "SAFE IN GOD'S KEEPING"

Sissonne British Cemetery (2)
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)

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The Adjoining German Military Cemetery

Richard Roberts commented;-
"In the adjoining German Military Cemetery where almost 15,000 soldiers are buried. The crosses seem to go on as far as the eye can see and, remarkably, each cross represents the burial place of four men.

The Adjoining German Military Cemetery - 1
Photo : Richard Roberts & Tom Wheeldon

The Adjoining German Military Cemetery - 2
Photo : Richard Roberts & Tom Wheeldon

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The Headstone for Driver Francis William Bond Graves

Click on the thumbnail image of the headstone for a larger version of the photo which opens in a new window.

Richard Roberts comments;-
Driver F W B Graves was one of six men who served with the British Ambulance Committee and who lost their lives in the war. The extract below is from the Rutland Remembers website which tells his story.
"Francis William Bond Graves was posthumously awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm and Silver Star for his work as a driver with a French ambulance unit. Francis was the son of William and Louisa Graves of 19 South Street, Oakham. He worked as a chauffeur and when he joined up on 4 May 1917 he became an ambulance driver serving with the British Ambulance Committee. Francis was attached to Section Sanitaire Anglais No. 2 run by the French Red Cross Society when he was killed less than a month before the war ended. The citation to his medal says: "He always displayed great courage and untiring devotion to duty. He has often distinguished himself in most difficult and perilous situations. He was mortally wounded by a shell burst on 19 October 1918, while undertaking the evacuation of wounded men from an advanced Poste de Secours [First Aid Post]." Francis is buried at Sissonne British Cemetery, grave M.7, and is remembered on Oakham's war memorial."

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