ANCRE BRITISH CEMETERY
Beaumont-Hamel
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 50.0677, Longitude: 2.66791
Location Information
Ancre British Cemetery is about 2 Kms south of the village of Beaumont-Hamel, on the D50 between Albert and Achiet-le-Grand.
Visiting Information
The location or design of this site makes wheelchair access impossible.
Historical Information
The village of Beaumont-Hamel was attacked on 1 July 1916 by the 29th Division, with the 4th on its left and the 36th (Ulster) on its right, but without success. On 3 September a further attack was delivered between Hamel and Beaumont-Hamel and on 13 and 14 November, the 51st (Highland), 63rd (Royal Naval), 39th and 19th (Western) Divisions finally succeeded in capturing Beaumont-Hamel, Beaucourt-sur-Ancre and St. Pierre-Divion.
Following the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in the spring of 1917, V Corps cleared this battlefield and created a number of cemeteries, of which Ancre British Cemetery (then called Ancre River No.1 British Cemetery, V Corps Cemetery No.26) was one. There were originally 517 burials almost all of the 63rd (Naval) and 36th Divisions, but after the Armistice the cemetery was greatly enlarged when many more graves from the same battlefields and from the following smaller burial grounds:-
ANCRE RIVER BRITISH CEMETERY No.2 (V Corps Cemetery No.27), about 400 metres East of No.1, containing the graves of 64 officers and men from the United Kingdom (mainly 1st H.A.C., 11th Royal Sussex, and Hood Battalion) who fell in September and November 1916.
BEAUCOURT STATION CEMETERY, begun after the capture of Beaucourt by the R.N.D. on the 14th November 1916, and containing the graves of 85 officers and men from the United Kingdom who fell in November 1916 - March 1917. It was close to Beaucourt-Hamel station.
GREEN DUMP CEMETERY, on the South-West side of "Station Road", between Beaumont-Hamel and the station. It was used from November 1916, to March 1917, and it contained the graves of 45 soldiers and one Marine from the United Kingdom.
R.N.D. CEMETERY (V Corps Cemetery No.21), in the open country midway between Beaumont-Hamel and Hamel. It contained the graves of 336 officers and men from the United Kingdom, mainly of the Royal Naval Division.
SHERWOOD CEMETERY (V Corps Cemetery No.20), about 700 metres North-West of the R.N.D. Cemetery. It contained the graves of 176 officers and men from the United Kingdom, belonging chiefly to the 36th and Royal Naval Divisions, the 17th Sherwood Foresters and the 17th King's Royal Rifles.
STATION ROAD CEMETERY, on the South side of "Station Road", 500 metres West of the railway. This cemetery was used, from November 1916, to March 1917, for the burial of 82 officers and men from the United Kingdom.
"Y" RAVINE CEMETERY No. 2 (V Corps Cemetery No.18), about 300 metres South-East of the present "Y" Ravine Cemetery. Here were buried 140 officers and men from the United Kingdom and two from Newfoundland, who fell in July, September and November 1916.
The majority of those buried in the cemetery died on 1 July, 3 September or 13 November 1916.
There are now 2,540 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 1,335 of the graves are unidentified, but special memorials commemorate 43 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. There are also special memorials to 16 casualties know to have been buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.
The ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION MEMORIAL for the capture of Beaumont-Hamel is a stone obelisk erected beside the main road from Arras to Albert, at Beaucourt-sur-Ancre.
Total Burials: 2,543.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 1,179, Canada 24, New Zealand 2, Germany 1. Total 1,206.
Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 1,316, Canada 18, South Africa 1. Total 1,335.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and Noel Ackroyd Rew
Ancre British Cemetery is about 2 Kms south of the village of Beaumont-Hamel, on the D50 between Albert and Achiet-le-Grand.
Visiting Information
The location or design of this site makes wheelchair access impossible.
Historical Information
The village of Beaumont-Hamel was attacked on 1 July 1916 by the 29th Division, with the 4th on its left and the 36th (Ulster) on its right, but without success. On 3 September a further attack was delivered between Hamel and Beaumont-Hamel and on 13 and 14 November, the 51st (Highland), 63rd (Royal Naval), 39th and 19th (Western) Divisions finally succeeded in capturing Beaumont-Hamel, Beaucourt-sur-Ancre and St. Pierre-Divion.
Following the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in the spring of 1917, V Corps cleared this battlefield and created a number of cemeteries, of which Ancre British Cemetery (then called Ancre River No.1 British Cemetery, V Corps Cemetery No.26) was one. There were originally 517 burials almost all of the 63rd (Naval) and 36th Divisions, but after the Armistice the cemetery was greatly enlarged when many more graves from the same battlefields and from the following smaller burial grounds:-
ANCRE RIVER BRITISH CEMETERY No.2 (V Corps Cemetery No.27), about 400 metres East of No.1, containing the graves of 64 officers and men from the United Kingdom (mainly 1st H.A.C., 11th Royal Sussex, and Hood Battalion) who fell in September and November 1916.
BEAUCOURT STATION CEMETERY, begun after the capture of Beaucourt by the R.N.D. on the 14th November 1916, and containing the graves of 85 officers and men from the United Kingdom who fell in November 1916 - March 1917. It was close to Beaucourt-Hamel station.
GREEN DUMP CEMETERY, on the South-West side of "Station Road", between Beaumont-Hamel and the station. It was used from November 1916, to March 1917, and it contained the graves of 45 soldiers and one Marine from the United Kingdom.
R.N.D. CEMETERY (V Corps Cemetery No.21), in the open country midway between Beaumont-Hamel and Hamel. It contained the graves of 336 officers and men from the United Kingdom, mainly of the Royal Naval Division.
SHERWOOD CEMETERY (V Corps Cemetery No.20), about 700 metres North-West of the R.N.D. Cemetery. It contained the graves of 176 officers and men from the United Kingdom, belonging chiefly to the 36th and Royal Naval Divisions, the 17th Sherwood Foresters and the 17th King's Royal Rifles.
STATION ROAD CEMETERY, on the South side of "Station Road", 500 metres West of the railway. This cemetery was used, from November 1916, to March 1917, for the burial of 82 officers and men from the United Kingdom.
"Y" RAVINE CEMETERY No. 2 (V Corps Cemetery No.18), about 300 metres South-East of the present "Y" Ravine Cemetery. Here were buried 140 officers and men from the United Kingdom and two from Newfoundland, who fell in July, September and November 1916.
The majority of those buried in the cemetery died on 1 July, 3 September or 13 November 1916.
There are now 2,540 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 1,335 of the graves are unidentified, but special memorials commemorate 43 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. There are also special memorials to 16 casualties know to have been buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.
The ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION MEMORIAL for the capture of Beaumont-Hamel is a stone obelisk erected beside the main road from Arras to Albert, at Beaucourt-sur-Ancre.
Total Burials: 2,543.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 1,179, Canada 24, New Zealand 2, Germany 1. Total 1,206.
Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 1,316, Canada 18, South Africa 1. Total 1,335.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and Noel Ackroyd Rew
Battle of the Ancre. 13 - 18 November 1916. German barbed wire entanglement at Beaucourt-sur-Ancre after the village was captured on 14 November 1916, by 63rd (Royal Naval) Division during the closing phase of the Battle of the Somme. © IWM Q 4593
C/4146 Rifleman
Lawrence Assenheim
17th Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps.
3rd September 1916, aged 26.
Plot II. D. 42.
Son of Solomon and Betsy Assenheim.
Picture courtesy of Brian Harrison
Lawrence Assenheim
17th Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps.
3rd September 1916, aged 26.
Plot II. D. 42.
Son of Solomon and Betsy Assenheim.
Picture courtesy of Brian Harrison
Second Lieutenant
Bertram Thorold Chippindall
3rd Bn. Somerset Light Infantry
18th November 1916, aged 39.
Plot VI. F. 50.
Son of the Rev. William Chippindall, formerly vicar of Tilton-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire. Engaged in Tea and Rubber planting in Ceylon when he volunteered for active service and returned to England in 1915.
Bertram Thorold Chippindall
3rd Bn. Somerset Light Infantry
18th November 1916, aged 39.
Plot VI. F. 50.
Son of the Rev. William Chippindall, formerly vicar of Tilton-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire. Engaged in Tea and Rubber planting in Ceylon when he volunteered for active service and returned to England in 1915.
34818 Private
Sydney Ewart Holmes
7th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
13th November 1916, aged 24.
Plot III. E. 20.
Son of Francis and Ellen Holmes, of "Pomfret," 59, Colliers Water Lane, Thornton Heath, Surrey. Born at Leicester.
Sydney Ewart Holmes
7th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
13th November 1916, aged 24.
Plot III. E. 20.
Son of Francis and Ellen Holmes, of "Pomfret," 59, Colliers Water Lane, Thornton Heath, Surrey. Born at Leicester.
5004 Private
J. C. Judson
16th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
3rd September 1916.
Plot I. B. 41.
J. C. Judson
16th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
3rd September 1916.
Plot I. B. 41.
10089 Private
Richard Parsons
7th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
Killed in action on 13th November 1916, aged 24.
Plot IV. E. 44.
Richard grew up in Bethnal Green, London, England. He had 8 siblings. His brother James was killed in action one month prior to his death, also in France. His sister Elizabeth said that he had a "straight and serious personality". He was never married. Richard was planning on becoming a Minister when the war finished. An aspiration never to be realised.
Image and text courtesy of Dianne Parsons (Great Great Niece)
Richard Parsons
7th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
Killed in action on 13th November 1916, aged 24.
Plot IV. E. 44.
Richard grew up in Bethnal Green, London, England. He had 8 siblings. His brother James was killed in action one month prior to his death, also in France. His sister Elizabeth said that he had a "straight and serious personality". He was never married. Richard was planning on becoming a Minister when the war finished. An aspiration never to be realised.
Image and text courtesy of Dianne Parsons (Great Great Niece)
25825 Private
Charles Titmuss
7th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
13th November 1916, aged 20.
Plot III. A. 28.
Son of John and Annie Titmuss, of 123, Southbridge Rd., Croydon.
Charles Titmuss
7th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
13th November 1916, aged 20.
Plot III. A. 28.
Son of John and Annie Titmuss, of 123, Southbridge Rd., Croydon.
22168 Private
William Wilkin
4th Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment
13th November 1916.
Plot I. A. 36.
Born in 1896 in Godmanchester the son of George & Rhoda Wilkin, and resident in Leagrave, Luton, Beds.
Picture courtesy of his nephew George Wilkin
William Wilkin
4th Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment
13th November 1916.
Plot I. A. 36.
Born in 1896 in Godmanchester the son of George & Rhoda Wilkin, and resident in Leagrave, Luton, Beds.
Picture courtesy of his nephew George Wilkin
Shelters, soldier cooking and others cleaning rifles at an old block across the railway line between Beaucourt and Hamel, 24 November 1916. © IWM Q 5840
Images in this gallery © Geerhard Joos
29th March 1918. A view of the valley of Ancre and the villages which featured in the Australian operations against German forces in March and early April 1918, during the German push towards Amiens. A railway line, probably the Albert-Amiens railway, runs across the countryside and several damaged buildings are visible beside the line.
Images in this gallery © Johan Pauwels
A railway waggon destroyed by shell fire near Beaucourt, November 1916. © IWM Q 1571
A ration party of a Scottish regiment passing along a muddy road through the ruins of Beaucourt, 26 May 1917. © IWM Q 2245
Battle of the Ancre. Two soldiers of the 8th (Service) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment examine captured machine guns outside a badly damaged German dugout at Beaucourt-sur-Ancre. © IWM Q 4522
The man on the left has been extricated from the mud into which he had sunk up to the arm pits. The soldier on the right is thought to be serving in the South Staffordshire Regiment, Beaumont Hamel, November 1916. © IWM (Q 1563)
Aerial vertical view showing trench lines of Beaumont Hamel, 10 October 1916. British trenches are on the bottom left. © IWM (Q 61479)
British troops, two corporals, near Beaumont Hamel, November 1916. © IWM (Q 1562)
A shell bursting amongst the barbed wire entanglements on the battlefield at Beaumont Hamel, December 1916. © IWM (Q 1688)
The night sky is lit up by the bombardment of Beaumont-Hamel. © IWM (Q 751)
Battle of the Somme. British artillery bombarding the German trenches (Schwaben Redoubt), 1st July 1916. © IWM Q 8
Three images of Ancre British Cemetery taken in 1939. ©CWGC
