ACHEUX BRITISH CEMETERY
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.07128, Longitude: 2.52444
Location Information
Acheux lies on the D938, the main road from Albert to Doullens, approximately 10 Kms out of Albert.
As you arrive in Acheux the church will be seen on your right and you will come to a crossroads. Turn left on to the D114 in the direction of Lealvillers and the cemetery will be found 800 metres further along on the right hand side of the road.
Historical Information
The VIII Corps Collection Station was placed at Acheux in readiness for the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and the graves of July, August and September 1916, in Row A and part of Row B, are the earliest in the cemetery. A few graves in Row B mark the period of eighteen months during which the field ambulances had moved eastwards and the cemetery was little used. The remaining graves cover the period April to August 1918, when the German offensives brought the Allied front line within 8 kilometres of Acheux.
There are now 180 First World War burials in the cemetery.
Casualty Details: United Kingdom 179, Canada 1. Total Burials: 180.
The cemetery was designed by N A Rew.
Cleaning 12-inch shells near Acheux, July 1916. © IWM Q 877
37210 Private
Percy Billing
7th Bn. East Yorkshire Regiment
16th June 1918, aged 19.
Plot I. E. 5.
Son of Charles and Margaret Billing, of 99, Carrhill Road, Mossley, nr. Manchester.
His headstone bears the inscription "What Greater Sacrifice Could He Give Than His Bright Young Life"
Percy Billing
7th Bn. East Yorkshire Regiment
16th June 1918, aged 19.
Plot I. E. 5.
Son of Charles and Margaret Billing, of 99, Carrhill Road, Mossley, nr. Manchester.
His headstone bears the inscription "What Greater Sacrifice Could He Give Than His Bright Young Life"
Lieutenant
Basil Vyas Clark
"A" Battery, 121st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
24th July 1918, aged 21.
Plot I. E. 42.
Son of Edward George Clark, A.M.I.C.E., and Margaret, his wife, of "The Hollies," Greenhill Road, Moseley, Birmingham.
His headstone bears the inscription "And So He Passed Over. And The Trumpet's Sounded On The Other Side"
Basil Vyas Clark
"A" Battery, 121st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
24th July 1918, aged 21.
Plot I. E. 42.
Son of Edward George Clark, A.M.I.C.E., and Margaret, his wife, of "The Hollies," Greenhill Road, Moseley, Birmingham.
His headstone bears the inscription "And So He Passed Over. And The Trumpet's Sounded On The Other Side"
235620 Private
Frederick J. Cross
7th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
27th May 1918, aged 27.
Plot I. D. 18.
Son of Herbert and Mary A. Cross, of 39, Winter Road, Norwich. Scoutmaster of the 17th Norwich B.P. Scouts.
His headstone bears the inscription "Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man Lay Down His Life For His Friends"
Frederick J. Cross
7th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
27th May 1918, aged 27.
Plot I. D. 18.
Son of Herbert and Mary A. Cross, of 39, Winter Road, Norwich. Scoutmaster of the 17th Norwich B.P. Scouts.
His headstone bears the inscription "Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man Lay Down His Life For His Friends"
32185 Private
Lawrence John Victor Greygoose
9th Bn. Essex Regiment
12th May 1918, aged 21.
Plot I. C. 23.
Native of Abridge, Essex. Son of Alfred and Annie Greygoose, of 44, Eastfield Road., Enfield Wash, Middx. His brother Leo Eric Greygoose also fell and is buried in Adanac Military Cemetery
Picture courtesy of Patrick Horgan
Lawrence John Victor Greygoose
9th Bn. Essex Regiment
12th May 1918, aged 21.
Plot I. C. 23.
Native of Abridge, Essex. Son of Alfred and Annie Greygoose, of 44, Eastfield Road., Enfield Wash, Middx. His brother Leo Eric Greygoose also fell and is buried in Adanac Military Cemetery
Picture courtesy of Patrick Horgan
74097 Private
Llewellyn Lewis Hughes
10th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
6th May 1918, aged 19.
Plot I. C. 21.
Son of Llewellyn and Margaret Hughes, of 11, Castle St., Tredegar, Monmouthshire.
Llewellyn Lewis Hughes
10th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
6th May 1918, aged 19.
Plot I. C. 21.
Son of Llewellyn and Margaret Hughes, of 11, Castle St., Tredegar, Monmouthshire.
1686 Private
Alexander Smith
89th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
5th July 1916, aged 22.
Plot 1. Row A. Grave 7.
Son of Wm. S. Smith, of 16, Kinneddar St., Lossiemouth, Morayshire, Scotland.
Alexander Smith
89th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
5th July 1916, aged 22.
Plot 1. Row A. Grave 7.
Son of Wm. S. Smith, of 16, Kinneddar St., Lossiemouth, Morayshire, Scotland.
Images in this gallery © Johan Pauwels
Troops of the 4th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment (29th Division) resting, on their way to the trenches, Acheux-en-Amiénois, 27 June 1916. Note wire cutters attached to rifles and the Bois de Warnimont wood in the background. © IWM Q 719
Shot at Dawn
14387 Private William Barry Nelson of the 14th Bn. Durham Light Infantry, executed for desertion on 11th August 1916, aged 22 and is buried in Plot I. B. 8. Son of Henry Nelson, of 10, Back Adelaide Row, Seaham Harbour and the late Alice.
He enlisted on 7 Sept 1914, arriving in France on 11 Sept 1915. Nelson was wounded at Loos, & returned to his battalion on 1 Dec 1915. On 24 Dec 1915, he went missing till 5 Jan 1916, receiving 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour, which on 6 Feb was suspended.
Nelson deserted again & was recaptured 6 days later on 21 Feb 1916, for which he received penal servitude for life, the sentence being commuted to 10 years’ imprisonment, & on 10 March, suspended.
On 15 July 1916 — 2 days after receiving 21 days’ Field Punishment No 1 for theft — Nelson was told to parade for the trenches at 2000 that night, but gave his escort the slip beforehand on his way to the canteen. On 18 July, Nelson was at the Divisional Stores, seeking a night’s sleep. He admitted desertion when questioned, & was arrested.
At trial, Nelson — having elected not to be represented — spoke on oath of various serious family troubles & denied an intention to desert, saying ‘I did not realise what I was doing when I left the camp’. At the stores, he thought it too late to surrrender, which he intended doing the next morning.
After trial, the CO wrote of Nelson’s bad character, & no different view was taken thereafter. (Corns, pp.343-347)
14387 Private William Barry Nelson of the 14th Bn. Durham Light Infantry, executed for desertion on 11th August 1916, aged 22 and is buried in Plot I. B. 8. Son of Henry Nelson, of 10, Back Adelaide Row, Seaham Harbour and the late Alice.
He enlisted on 7 Sept 1914, arriving in France on 11 Sept 1915. Nelson was wounded at Loos, & returned to his battalion on 1 Dec 1915. On 24 Dec 1915, he went missing till 5 Jan 1916, receiving 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour, which on 6 Feb was suspended.
Nelson deserted again & was recaptured 6 days later on 21 Feb 1916, for which he received penal servitude for life, the sentence being commuted to 10 years’ imprisonment, & on 10 March, suspended.
On 15 July 1916 — 2 days after receiving 21 days’ Field Punishment No 1 for theft — Nelson was told to parade for the trenches at 2000 that night, but gave his escort the slip beforehand on his way to the canteen. On 18 July, Nelson was at the Divisional Stores, seeking a night’s sleep. He admitted desertion when questioned, & was arrested.
At trial, Nelson — having elected not to be represented — spoke on oath of various serious family troubles & denied an intention to desert, saying ‘I did not realise what I was doing when I left the camp’. At the stores, he thought it too late to surrrender, which he intended doing the next morning.
After trial, the CO wrote of Nelson’s bad character, & no different view was taken thereafter. (Corns, pp.343-347)
Picture © Geerhard Joos
Images in this gallery © Geerhard Joos
Troops of the 4th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment (29th Division) marching to the trenches; Acheux-en-Amiénois, 27 June 1916. © IWM Q 717
Troops of the 4th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment (29th Division) resting, on their way to the trenches. Note wire cutters attached to rifles; Acheux-en-Amiénois, 27 June 1916. © IWM Q 718
Gunner of the Royal Marine Artillery cleaning 15-inch shells near Acheux, July 1916. © IWM Q 879
