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Yorkshire
Regiment War Graves, - Vermelles British Cemetery (Pas de Calais, France) |
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Vermelles British Cemetery (1)
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)
Vermelles was in German hands from the middle of October 1914 to the beginning of December 1914, when it was recaptured by the French. The cemetery was begun in August 1915 (though a few graves are slightly earlier), and during the Battle of Loos, when the Chateau was used as a dressing station, Plot I was completed. It was laid out and fenced by the Pioneers of the 1st Gloucesters, and known for a long time as "Gloucester Graveyard". The remaining Plots were made by the Divisions (from the Dismounted Cavalry Division onwards) holding the line 1.6 kilometres East of the cemetery until April 1917, and they incorporated a few isolated French graves of October 1914. From April 1917, to the Armistice, the cemetery was closed; but after the Armistice some graves were re-grouped and others were brought in (to Plots II, IV and VI) from the battlefields to the East.
There are now over 2134 First World War casualties commemorated in this cemetery. Of these, 198 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to six soldiers from the United Kingdom, known to be buried among them. This cemetery also contains the graves of 11 casualties of other nationalities.
Amongst the graves are those of 25 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 the Yorkshire Regiment headstones.
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2nd Lieutenant Horace Acomb. 11th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, attached to the 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment. Son of William and Elizabeth Acomb, of 3, South Parade, York. Killed 21 August 1916. Aged 23. |
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Private Charles Walter Asquith.
23200. 13th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Henry and Mary Jane Asquith; husband of Elizabeth Asquith, of 30, Keetons Hill, Highfields, Sheffield. Killed 21 September 1916. Aged 39. Born Sheffield, Enlisted Sheffield, Resided Highfields (Sheffield). "FROM BATTLEFIELD
TO ETERNAL REST" |
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Private Alfred Avis. 33147.
10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 12402 Royal West Kent Regt. Only son of Mrs. E. M. Johnson, of 11, Taylor St., Southborough, Tunbridge Wells. Killed 22 October 1916. Aged 29. Born Southborough (Kent), Enlisted Tunbridge Wells, Resided Southborough. (On the Southborough War Memorial Private Avis is shown as serving with the Norfolk Regiment. On the Medal Rolls Index card he is shown as having previously served with the Northumberland Fusiliers.) |
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Lance Corporal David Bainbridge.
12349. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of William and Elizabeth Bainbridge, of 28, Wood St., Hebburn Colliery, Co. Durham. Killed 28 October 1916. Aged 20. Born South Shields, Enlisted Jarrow, Resided Hebburn Colliery. "JUST A HAND IN FAITH HE PLACES ON THE SAVIOUR'S PIERCED FEET" Photo by Dave Robson <daverobson33@blueyonder.co.uk> |
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Private Frederick Arthur Boyle. 34857. 9th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, formerly 5498 Yorkshire Regiment. Son of the late Thomas and Eliza Boyle, of Hull. Killed 22 December 1916. Aged 40. Born Hull, Enlisted Hull. "HE SLEEPS WITH ENGLAND'S HEROES IN THE WATCHFUL CARE OF GOD" |
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Private John Burnie. 19214. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Sarah Jane Bourne, of Byker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and the late Robert Bourne. Killed 25 November 1916. Aged 27. Born Byker (Newcastle), Enlisted Newcastle, Resided Byker. (The CWGC register lists this soldier as "John Bourne", and this is the name on the headstone. However the name is "John Burnie" in the SDGW, GH Gazette database, and medal rolls index. Richard Roberts, <richard.nsw@googlemail.com>, writes that a John Burnie married a Sarah Jame Robson in the Newcastle district in 1880. This either appears to be an error on the part of the CWGC register, or possibly Sarah Jane Burnie was remarried to Robert Bourne after John Burnie Snr died, and John Burnie Jnr became known as John Bourne.) |
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Private George Chatt. 16595. 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 19 September 1915. Born West Cornforth, Enlisted Sunderland, Resided West Cornforth. |
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CSM Wilfrid Clark. 7389. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Died 1 October 1915. Born Middlesbrough, Enlisted Stockton-on-Tees, Resided Middlesbrough. |
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Private Edward Cook, 26647. 10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed on 30 October 1916. Born Ulney hall (Yorks), Enlisted Skelton, Resided New Skelton. |
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Private Jonah Corbyn. 33174.
10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 1915 Norfolk Regt. Son of Henry and Martha Corbyn, of Mill Farm House, Hoveton, Norfolk. Killed 8 November 1916. Aged 22. Born Balaugh (Wroxham - Norfolk), Enlisted Coltishall. "THERE IS A LINK
DEATH CANNOT SEVER LOVE AND REMEMBRANCE WILL LAST FOR EVER" |
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Private Frederick Cowley. 36139.
10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Died 22 October 1916. Born Gillingham, Enlisted Middlesbrough. |
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Lance Corporal Horace Walter Fox.
33177. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 3261 Norfolk Regt. Son of Frederick and Mary Ann Elizabeth Fox, of Barford, Wynmondham, Norfolk. Killed 25 November 1916. Aged 31. Enlisted Norwich, Resided Barford (Norwich). |
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Private Frank Hepper, 36362. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Joseph and Mary Hepper, of Brighouse, Yorks. Killed 27 October 1916. Aged 33. Born Brighouse (Yorks), Enlisted Halifax, Resided Brighouse. |
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Lance Corporal Ralph Cuthbert Hutchinson, 13888.
10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 28 October 1916. Aged 23. Born Whitburn (Durham), Enlisted Sunderland. |
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Lieutenant Colonel Bertram Henry Leatham, DSO.
2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, attached to 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment. Son of S. G. and A. G. Leatham, of Hemsworth Hall, Wakefield; husband of Everil G. Leatham, of 30, Frenchgate, Richmond, Yorks. Killed 26 September 1915. Aged 34. "HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY
HIS SOUL WITH GOD" |
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Private Michael Molloy. 26481.
10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 30 October 1916. Born South Bank (Yorks), Enlisted South Bank. |
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Private Caleb Pearson. 33128.
10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 12661 Royal West Kent Regt. Son of Mr. C. Pearson, of 42, Holden Park Rd., Southborough, Kent. Killed 24 November 1916. Aged 35. Born Croydon (Surrey), Enlisted Tunbridge Wells, Resided Southborough (Kent). " IN HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE TITUS 1. - 2." |
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Corporal William Pratt. 8408. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Mary Pratt, of Black Swan Yard, Northallerton. Killed 1 October 1915. Aged 28. Born Bedale (Yorks), Enlisted Northallerton. "EVER REMEMBERED BY ALL"
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Private Thomas Ridsdale. 26405. 10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 20 February 1917. Born Stockton (Durham), Enlisted Stockton. For a photo of Thomas Ridsdale's headstone taken by his great-nephew Gary Ridsdale (<jagridsdale@btinternet.com>), select the thumbnail image below;- 
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Private Daniel Shine. 29613.
13th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 30624 Notts & Derby Regt. Son of Cornelius and Hannah Shine, of Cork. Killed 22 September 1916. Aged 28. Born St. Anne's (Cork), Enlisted Cork (Ireland). |
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Private Frederick James Slaney.
33091. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, formerly 5262 Northumberland Fus. Son of John and Sarah Ann Slaney, of 258, Mansfield Rd., Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottingham. Killed 12 November 1916. Aged 34. Born Sutton-in-Ashfield, Enlisted Sutton-in-Ashfield. |
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Lance Corporal Arthur Stamp. 25300. 10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Stamp, of 6, Oxham Crescent, Spital Tongues, Newcastle-on-Tyne. Died 25 November 1916. Aged 23. Born Newcastle, Enlisted Middlesbrough. "IN LOVING MEMORY
OF OUR DEAR SON EVER REMEMBERED BY ALL" |
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Private Albert Victor Steadman.
36388. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 11 October 1916. Born Scarborough, Enlisted Huddersfield, Resided Aspley. |
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Private Thomas James Welsh.
16485. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 27 September 1916. Aged 27. Born Greenhithe (London), Enlisted Durham. |
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Private John E Wilson. 29486.
14th Battalion Highland Light Infantry, formerly 23464 the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 13 August 1916. Born London, Enlisted Dewsbury (Yorks), Resided Huddersfield (Yorks). |
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Thomas
Ridsdale's Headstone in Vermelles British Cemetery (Third from the left)
Photo : Gary Ridsdale (<jagridsdale@btinternet.com>)
Vermelles British Cemetery (2)
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)
Vermelles British Cemetery (3)
Photo : Chris Weekes (<weebex12@hotmail.com>)