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General Directions:
St Sever
Cemetery and extension is a large communal cemetery situated on the eastern
edge of the southern Rouen suburbs of Le Grand Quevilly and Le Petit
Quevilly. If approaching Rouen from the north, head for the centre of town
and cross over the river Seine, following signs for Caen. Follow this route
until you get to the 'Rond Point des Bruyeres' roundabout (next to the
football stadium), then take the first exit into the Boulevard Stanislas
Girardin. The cemetery is 150 metres down this road on the left. If
approaching Rouen from the south, follow the N138 (Avenue des Canadiens)
towards the centre of town. At the 'Rond Point des Bruyeres' roundabout
(next to the football stadium), take the fourth exit into the Boulevard
Stanislas Girardin. The cemetery is 150 metres down this road on the left.
If arriving on foot, take the metro to St Sever Metro Station, then follow
the Avenue de Caen until you get to the Avenue de la Liberation, then take
this road and follow this, which will become the Boulevard du 11 Novembre.
At the end of this road is the 'Rond Point des Bruyeres' roundabout. Take
the first exit from this into the Boulevard Stanislas Girardin. The cemetery
is 150 metres down this road on the left.
During the First
World War, Commonwealth camps and hospitals were stationed on the southern
outskirts of Rouen. A base supply depot and the 3rd Echelon of General
Headquarters were also established in the city. Almost all of the hospitals
at Rouen remained there for practically the whole of the war. They included
eight general, five stationary, one British Red Cross and one labour
hospital, and No. 2 Convalescent Depot. A number of the dead from these
hospitals were buried in other cemeteries, but the great majority were taken
to the city cemetery of St. Sever. In September 1916, it was found necessary
to begin an extension, where the last burial took place in April 1920.
During the Second World War, Rouen was again a hospital centre and the
extension was used once more for the burial of Commonwealth servicemen, many
of whom died as prisoners of war during the German occupation.
Victoria Cross:
The Rev. Theodore Bailey, VC, DSO, MC, Chaplain 4th Class, Army Chaplains'
Dept. Attached 8th Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment, died 18/10/1918, plot S. V. J.
1.
Shot at
Dawn: Gunner W E Lewis, 124 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, executed for
mutiny 29/10/1916, plot O. 1. M. 8.
Private J Braithwaite, 2nd Bn. Otago
Regiment (New Zealand), executed for mutiny 29/10/1916, plot O. 1. K. 10.
Coolie F Y Wan, Chinese Labour Corps, executed 15/02/1919 for murder, plot
S. 1. E. 2.
Coolie C M Hei, Chinese Labour Corps, executed for murder
21/02/1920, plot S. 1. F. 1.
Coolie C H K'hung, Chinese Labour
Corps, executed 21/02/1920 for murder, plot S. 1. F. 6.
More
views of this cemetery 1
2 3
(This image shows the chapel within the cemetery)
Casualty Details: UK 6754, Canada 321, Australia 782,
New Zealand 134, South Africa 84, India 271, Total Burials: 8346
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163257
Sergeant
Joseph Smith
75th Bn.
Canadian Infantry
(Central
Ontario Regiment)
Died of
wounds 02/12/1916,
aged 26
Plot O.
III. K. 2
Son of
Joseph H. and Marie Louise L'Amy Smith; husband of Laura Dorothy Smith,
of 259, Macpherson Avenue, Toronto.
His grandson Jesse T. Smith adds:
He was a Sergeant with the 75th Battalion (Jolly
75th), #163257. He was born January 11th, 1890 in St. Helier, Jersey,
Channel Islands. He moved to Canada in 1911, Married Laura Smith and
had a son (my Grandfather) in 1914. He was severely wounded on
November 18th 1916 during an attack on Desire Trench. He was
moved to the No. 1 Australian General Hospital in Rouen where he died
of his wounds December 2nd, 1916.
Thanks to Jesse T. Smith of
Vancouver B. C. Canada, for supplying the photo |

11328 Lance
Corporal
George
Saxby
1st Bn. The
Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
Formerly
4014, 17th Lancers.
Died of
wounds 08/11/1916, received 3rd/4th/11/1916.
Plot O. I.
H. 4.


156635 Gunner
William
James Spalding
69th Siege
Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.
11/11/1918,
aged 26.
Son of
Richard and Louisa Spalding, of 62, Richmond Park Rd.,
Kingston-on-Thames.
Plot S. II. GG. 3.
Picture Courtesy of Mike Spalding, great nephew of this soldier. |
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127141 Private
John Henry
Alderton
38th Bn.
Machine Gun Corps. (Infantry)
18/09/1918,
aged 19.
R. III. L.
24.
The only son of Charles & Edith Annie Alderton
(Nee Chittock) of Ilford, Essex, UK. Edith having been widowed after
only two years later married James Jennings. Edith was my Great Aunt.
Picture
courtesy of Derek Miller
|

36687
Corporal
Joe E.
Peters D C M
8th Bn.
Royal Berkshire Regiment
05/11/1918,
aged 29.
Plot S.
III. H. 27.
Joe Peters was born in 1887 at Cammers Green, Berrow, and pre-war worked as a carpenter
making carts and building houses, he built his own house at Cammers
Green and a relative still lives in the property
making carts in Birtsmorton, Worcs. He was married to Ellen on 2nd
November, 1909 and they ran the Post Office, which was located at his
house. He joined the Worcestershire Regiment before war broke out and
originally travelled to France as part of the 7th Bn. He was later
transferred to the 8th Bn. Royal Berkshire Regiment as part of a draft
of 80 men, this happened sometime before December 1917. By 1918 he was serving in “D”
Company, 8/Royal Berks. when the German offensive started on 21 March.
The unit were at La Guingette Farm, 6 miles south of La Quentin when he
earned his DCM. The citation [published LG 3 Sept. 1918] reads:
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He volunteered to
accompany an officer over the top of the trench to tackle an enemy
sniper who was doing much execution amongst our men. Under heavy fire he
rushed the sniper and took him back to the trench”.
The Battalion War Diary amplifies this:
12 March. Bn. takes over front line trenches, B and C Companies in
the front line, A Company along the St. Quentin Road, and D Company in
the Quarry.
20 March. Notice of impending attack received during the evening.
21 March. The enemy put down a heavy barrage which included much
gas shelling. All communications were destroyed almost immediately. At
11.00 the enemy advanced in a thick line to attack the trench west of
Bn. HQ. Owing to the mist they were able to reach 50 yards from our
trench, but were then shot down almost to a man. One sniper, in a shell
hole about 50 yards in front, was particularly active. Lieut. N.
Williams, having located him, climbed over the parapet, accompanied by
his servant 36678 Pte. J.E. Peters, rushed him with the bayonet and took
him prisoner. When returning to the trench this Officer was killed. By
this great act of gallantry he undoubtedly saved many lives. About this
time the mist began to lift and the leading enemy troops were seen
advancing towards la Fontaine. The remainder of the battalion was
ordered to withdraw down Seine alley, towards the Battle Zone.
26 July L.-Cpl. J. E. Peters, “C” Company, who was awarded the DCM
in May, was presented with the medal ribbon by the Corps Commander
He was not destined to survive the war, however, as he was wounded
on 23 October, serving with “C” Company. The battalion had assembled for
an attack in the railway cutting north of the Halt near Le Cateau: Cpl.
Peters was amongst the many such casualties from enemy artillery fire
during the assembly. [source: Battalion War Diary] He died of his wounds
13 days later, and was buried in St. Sever Extension in Plot III, Row H,
Grave 27.
His widow remarried in 1921.
Picture and text courtesy of Philip
Wadley, grandson of this soldier |
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