BANCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY
Bancourt
Pas de Calais
France
General Directions: Bancourt is a village which lies approximately 4 kilometres due east of Bapaume on the north side of the D7, Bapaume to Bertincourt road. Bancourt British Cemetery is situated east of Bancourt village, 300 metres off the D7 on the north side. The CWGC direction signs on the D7 indicate the best approach to the cemetery.
Bancourt was occupied by Commonwealth forces in March 1917. It was lost a year later during the German offensive in the spring of 1918 but recaptured by the New Zealand Division (in particular, the 2nd Auckland Battalion) on 30 August 1918. The cemetery was begun by the New Zealand Division in September 1918; the original cemetery is now Plot I, Rows A and B. The remainder of the cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields east and south of Bancourt and from certain Allied and German cemeteries. The great majority of these graves dated from the winter of 1916-1917, the retreat of March 1918, or the advance of August-September 1918.
Victoria Cross: Serjeant David Jones, VC, 12th Bn. The King's Liverpool Regiment, died 07/10/1916, plot. V. F. 20
Shot at Dawn: Private W Clarke, 2nd Bn. Durham Light Infantry, executed for desertion on 09/02/1918, plot 1. D. 18.
Casualty Details: UK 2040, Canada 13, Australia 249, Newfoundland 1, New Zealand 177, Total Burials: 2480
474 Private
Michael Byrne
B Coy.
29th Bn. Australian Infantry Force. Killed in action 02/03/1917,
aged 24.
Plot VII. F. 16.
Michael was killed March 2nd 1917, in an attack by the 29th Battalion to take Sunray Trench from the 8th Bavarian Regiment. Michael was born in Harbour Grace Newfoundland in 1893. He was the son of John William and Elizabeth Byrne of Harbour Grace, and one of five siblings. Although listed by the CWGC as an Australian casualty, Michael was actually a Newfoundlander and the casualty statistics above have been altered to show this.
Image courtesy John Michael Byrne, Michael Byrne's Great nephew.
S/34613 Rifleman
Robert Howell
13th Bn. Rifle Brigade
01/10/1918, aged 20.
Plot I. C. 5.
Born in Bromley, Kent
Son of Robert & Susan Howell (nee Fuller), of 37, Star Lane, Canning Town, London. They had 14 children:
Florence Alice Howell (b. 1878), William Robert Howell (b. 1879), Harriet Susan (Doll) Howell (b. 1881), Alfred George Howell (b. 1883), Albert Edward Howell (b. 1885), Henry John C Howell (b. 1887), Charles Robert Howell (b. 1889), Mary Louisa Howell (b. 1891), Rebecca Howell (b. 1892), Ada Elizabeth (b. 1895), Edward Thomas Howell (b. 1896), Robert George Howell (b. 1898), Rosina Winifred Howell (b. 1900), Jessie May Howell (b. 1904)
Resident of Canning Town, Essex.
Enlisted at Stratford, Essex.
Information provided by Bill (nephew of Robert) & Hazel Howell
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