Aubers Ridge British Cemetery, Nord, France

AUBERS RIDGE BRITISH CEMETERY

Aubers

Nord

France

GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.58937, Longitude: 2.8364

Picture © Werner Van Caneghem

Location Information

Aubers is a village about 8 Kms north of La Bassee and 3 Kms north-west of the main road from La Bassee to Lille.

From Aubers take the RD173 at the 'T' junction. Turn left towards Fromelles and continue 500 metres to the next junction. Turn right towards Herlies and follow the road for 500 metres when Aubers Ridge British Cemetery can be found on the left hand side.

Visiting Information

Wheelchair access is possible with some difficulty.

Historical Information

Aubers village was taken by the 9th Brigade on the 17th October, 1914, with Herlies and part of the Ridge, and on the 19th the 2nd Royal Irish took Le Pilly. These gains, however, were lost within a few days, and the Ridge, in spite of repeated attacks, was not captured by British forces for three years. Early in October, 1918, it was secured by the 47th (London) Division.

The cemetery was made after the Armistice, by the concentration of graves from the battlefields on all sides of Aubers and the following smaller burial grounds:-

CHATEAU-DU-FLANDRE BRITISH CEMETERY, BEAUCAMPS, at the Eastern exit of the great park between Beaucamps and Radinghem. Here were buried 17 men of the 47th (London) Division, who fell in the occupation of Beaucamps on the 4th October, 1918, or immediately after it.
WINCHESTER POST MILITARY CEMETERY, RUE-DU-BACQUEROT, LAVENTIE, on the East side of "Winchester Road", which lead from the Rue-du-Bacquerot to Mauquissart. This was one of the many cemeteries made by Indian Corps behind the line from Neuve-Chapelle North-Eastwards. It stood in front of a farm building ("Winchester Post") used as a Dressing Station and Battalion Headquarters. It contained the graves of 120 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one German prisoner, in two plots. It was begun by the 2nd Devons in November, 1914, and used until February, 1916; and three graves were added in 1918.

Plot I of Aubers Ridge British Cemetery consists almost entirely of the graves of unidentified Australian soldiers, killed in the Attack at Fromelles on the 19th-20th July, 1916, and Plot II almost entirely of the graves of soldiers of the 61st (South Midland) Division, killed in the same engagement. The succeeding Plots cover also the fighting in October, 1914 (the Battles of La Bassee and Armentieres); the Battle of Neuve-Chapelle (March, 1915); the Battles of Aubers Ridge and Festubert (May, 1915); and the final advance in October, 1918. The last graves (from WINCHESTER POST MILITARY CEMETERY) were brought here in 1925.

There are 719, 1914-18 and 3, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 444 from the 1914-18 War are unidentified and a special memorial is erected to one soldier from the United Kingdom who is believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery covers an area of 2,476 square metres and is enclosed by a low curb.

The cemetery was designed by Charles Henry Holden and William Harrison Cowlishaw

Total Burials: 722.

World War One Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 258, Australia 16, India 1. Total 275.

World War One Unidentified Casualties: 444.

World War Two Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 2, Poland 1. Total 3.

Dedications

6259 Private John Andrew Pemberton, 3rd Bn. Coldstream Guards, 28th January 1916, aged 31. Left behind a wife Rachel

Remembered by Anne Piff

Cemetery images in gallery below © Werner Van Caneghem

Z/2601 Rifleman
John Dickinson
2nd Bn. Rifle Brigade
5th June 1915, aged 23.
Plot VI. C. 19.

4782 Private
William Reid Fitton
59th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
19th July 1916, aged 20.
Plot I. A. 14.

Son of Frederick G. and Olyampe Fitton, of 144, Burnley St., Richmond, Victoria, Australia. Native of Omeo.

A grocer from Heyfield, Vic prior to enlistment, Pte Fitton embarked with the 15th Reinforcements aboard HMAT Wiltshire in Melbourne on 7 March 1916. After transferring to the 59th Battalion, he was killed in action on 19 July 1916 at Fleurbaix.

3110 Private
Charles Clapham Gregory
59th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
19th July 1916, aged 31.
Plot I. E. 10.

Son of John B. and Alice Gregory, of 184, Inkerman St., St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia.

4522 Private
Albert Henry John Jackson
59th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
19th July 1916
Plot IV. D. 4.

A woodcutter before enlisting on 13 August 1915, Pte Jackson embarked from Melbourne on 28 January 1916 on HMAT Themistocles with the 14th Reinforcements. His brother-in-law, 4511 Francis Leopold Haynes, embarked with him. On 3 April 1916 they were transferred to the 59th Battalion. Pte Jackson was killed in action on 19 July 1916 during the battle of Fromelles, in no man's land opposite Pettin near Armentieres. He was 20 years old.

2118 Private
J. Pomery
1st/5th Bn. Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
19th July 1916, aged 20.
Plot III. C. 19.

Nephew of Mrs. T. Sweet, of Poole Cottage, Mount, Bodmin, Cornwall.

Battle of Aubers Ridge. Men of the 2nd Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), preparing battle kit outside a dugout behind Cellar Farm at 0515 hours on 9 May 1915. © IWM (Q 51623)