BAPAUME POST MILITARY CEMETERY
Albert
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 50.01182, Longitude: 2.67388
Location Information
The town of Albert is in the Department of the Somme. Bapaume Post Military Cemetery is about 2 Kms north-east of the town on the right-hand side of the main road, D929, to Bapaume.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access is possible with some difficulty.
Historical Information
Bapaume Post Military Cemetery lies on the west side of "Tara Hill," and south-west of "Usna Hill," and at times it was called by those names.
In June 1916, the front line crossed the Bapaume road between the site of this cemetery and the village of La Boisselle. The attack on La Boisselle on 1 July was not successful, and several days passed before the village was taken. The cemetery was begun almost at once by the divisions engaged in this sector and 152 graves in Plot I, Rows B to I, were made before the end of January 1917, when the cemetery was closed.
On 26 March 1918, the cemetery, with the town of Albert, fell into German hands, but it was recovered towards the end of August. After the Armistice, graves from the battlefields east and west of the cemetery were brought in, including many of the 34th (Tyneside) Division, which attacked along the Bapaume road on 1 July 1916, and some of the 38th (Welsh) Division, which recaptured Usna Hill on 23 August 1918.
The cemetery now contains 410 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 181 of the burials are unidentified, but there are special memorials to three casualties believed to be buried among them.
Total Burials: 410.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 146, Canada 64, Australia 18, South Africa 1. Total 229.
Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 181.
The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden and William Harrison Cowlishaw
The town of Albert is in the Department of the Somme. Bapaume Post Military Cemetery is about 2 Kms north-east of the town on the right-hand side of the main road, D929, to Bapaume.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access is possible with some difficulty.
Historical Information
Bapaume Post Military Cemetery lies on the west side of "Tara Hill," and south-west of "Usna Hill," and at times it was called by those names.
In June 1916, the front line crossed the Bapaume road between the site of this cemetery and the village of La Boisselle. The attack on La Boisselle on 1 July was not successful, and several days passed before the village was taken. The cemetery was begun almost at once by the divisions engaged in this sector and 152 graves in Plot I, Rows B to I, were made before the end of January 1917, when the cemetery was closed.
On 26 March 1918, the cemetery, with the town of Albert, fell into German hands, but it was recovered towards the end of August. After the Armistice, graves from the battlefields east and west of the cemetery were brought in, including many of the 34th (Tyneside) Division, which attacked along the Bapaume road on 1 July 1916, and some of the 38th (Welsh) Division, which recaptured Usna Hill on 23 August 1918.
The cemetery now contains 410 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 181 of the burials are unidentified, but there are special memorials to three casualties believed to be buried among them.
Total Burials: 410.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 146, Canada 64, Australia 18, South Africa 1. Total 229.
Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 181.
The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden and William Harrison Cowlishaw
Cemetery images below © Johan Pauwels
Burial of Major Edward Lewin Knight, commander of the Eatons Motor Machine Gun Battery (Canadian Machine Gun Corps). Major Knight was killed on 26 September 1916. Now buried in Plot I. G. 18. © IWM CO 879
Image in this gallery © Geerhard Joos
Battle of Albert. Bandsmen of the 12th Royal Scots outside their hut in Happy Valley (near Albert) 12th July 1916. © IWM Q 147
3463 Sergeant
Wallace Chapman
13th Coy. Australian Machine Gun Corps
8th August 1916
Plot I. C. 20.
Son of Isaac and Sarah Chapman. Native of West Devonport, Tasmania.
Wallace Chapman enlisted on 4 August 1915 and embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Ascanius on 10 November 1915. He was promoted to corporal on 11 May 1916 in France and then to Sergeant (Sgt) on 1 June 1916 in Egypt. He was later transferred to the 52nd Battalion. Sgt Chapman was killed in action on 8 August 1916 at Mouquet Farm, France, whilst serving with the 13th Machine Gun Company.
Wallace Chapman
13th Coy. Australian Machine Gun Corps
8th August 1916
Plot I. C. 20.
Son of Isaac and Sarah Chapman. Native of West Devonport, Tasmania.
Wallace Chapman enlisted on 4 August 1915 and embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Ascanius on 10 November 1915. He was promoted to corporal on 11 May 1916 in France and then to Sergeant (Sgt) on 1 June 1916 in Egypt. He was later transferred to the 52nd Battalion. Sgt Chapman was killed in action on 8 August 1916 at Mouquet Farm, France, whilst serving with the 13th Machine Gun Company.
85717 Acting Bombardier
Thomas James Gorman
12th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery
12th October 1916.
Plot I. H. 12.
Born April 25th 1892 at Saint John, News Brunswick, Canada.
Enlisted 2nd December 1914 at Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Pictures courtesy of Paul O.Neil and Veterans Affairs Canada
Thomas James Gorman
12th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery
12th October 1916.
Plot I. H. 12.
Born April 25th 1892 at Saint John, News Brunswick, Canada.
Enlisted 2nd December 1914 at Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Pictures courtesy of Paul O.Neil and Veterans Affairs Canada
4205A Private
George Mervyn Hawkins
2nd Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
25th July 1916, aged 19.
Plot I. F. 13.
Son of George and Susan Mulbry Hawkins. Native of Millthorpe, New South Wales.
From Garra, NSW. A labourer before enlisting in September 1915, Pte Hawkins left Australia for Egypt with the 13th Reinforcements in December 1915, and was transferred to the 2nd Battalion with the serial number 4205A as part of the 'doubling-up' of the AIF in February 1916. Arriving in France for service on the Western Front in March 1916, he was wounded in action at Pozieres and died at the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance Dressing Station on 25 July 1916, aged 19.
George Mervyn Hawkins
2nd Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
25th July 1916, aged 19.
Plot I. F. 13.
Son of George and Susan Mulbry Hawkins. Native of Millthorpe, New South Wales.
From Garra, NSW. A labourer before enlisting in September 1915, Pte Hawkins left Australia for Egypt with the 13th Reinforcements in December 1915, and was transferred to the 2nd Battalion with the serial number 4205A as part of the 'doubling-up' of the AIF in February 1916. Arriving in France for service on the Western Front in March 1916, he was wounded in action at Pozieres and died at the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance Dressing Station on 25 July 1916, aged 19.
Major
John Simon Lewis
87th Bn. Canadian Infantry
18th November 1916, aged 42.
Plot I. I. 3.
Son of John Simon Lewis and Harriet Boyle Lewis.
John Simon Lewis
87th Bn. Canadian Infantry
18th November 1916, aged 42.
Plot I. I. 3.
Son of John Simon Lewis and Harriet Boyle Lewis.
7282 Driver
Errol Sheridan St. John Macken
13th Bty. 5th Bde. Australian Field Artillery
23rd August 1916, aged 21.
Plot I. E. 18.
Son of James Joseph and Alice Macken, of Pitt St., Sydney, New South Wales.
A farmer with four years service in senior cadets and one year with a Citizens Military Force (CMF) field artillery unit in Wagga Wagga, Dvr Macken enlisted with his younger brother 7283 Dvr Neville Aloysius Macken in October 1915. Both men left Australia with the 13th Battery for Egypt in November 1915, and were sent to France after spending three months in Alexandria. Dvr Errol Macken was killed in action at Pozieres on 23 August 1916, age 21.
Errol Sheridan St. John Macken
13th Bty. 5th Bde. Australian Field Artillery
23rd August 1916, aged 21.
Plot I. E. 18.
Son of James Joseph and Alice Macken, of Pitt St., Sydney, New South Wales.
A farmer with four years service in senior cadets and one year with a Citizens Military Force (CMF) field artillery unit in Wagga Wagga, Dvr Macken enlisted with his younger brother 7283 Dvr Neville Aloysius Macken in October 1915. Both men left Australia with the 13th Battery for Egypt in November 1915, and were sent to France after spending three months in Alexandria. Dvr Errol Macken was killed in action at Pozieres on 23 August 1916, age 21.
3070 Private
James Angus McConchie
6th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
15th August 1916, aged 34.
Plot II. D. 5.
Son of David and Mary McConchie, of 28. Kelso St., Richmond, Victoria, Australia.
From Richmond, Vic. Pte McConchie enlisted on 14 July 1915 and embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Osterley on 29 September 1915. He was killed in action on 15 August 1916 at Albert, France. His cousin, 118 Sapper Arthur Raymond McConchie, also served with the AIF and was awarded the Military Medal (MM).
James Angus McConchie
6th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
15th August 1916, aged 34.
Plot II. D. 5.
Son of David and Mary McConchie, of 28. Kelso St., Richmond, Victoria, Australia.
From Richmond, Vic. Pte McConchie enlisted on 14 July 1915 and embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Osterley on 29 September 1915. He was killed in action on 15 August 1916 at Albert, France. His cousin, 118 Sapper Arthur Raymond McConchie, also served with the AIF and was awarded the Military Medal (MM).
2707 Sapper
Daniel Small
Daniel Small was buried while sleeping in a trench at Pozieres by the effects of a High Explosive shell. One man managed to crawl to safety but Sapper Small and at the other man were suffocated.
Daniel Small
- 7th Field Coy. Australian Engineers
- 7th August 1916, aged 32.
- Plot I. B. 20.
Daniel Small was buried while sleeping in a trench at Pozieres by the effects of a High Explosive shell. One man managed to crawl to safety but Sapper Small and at the other man were suffocated.
3522 Private
William Ernest Whiffen
13th Coy. Australian Machine Gun Corps
8th August 1916
Plot I. C. 19.
Pte Whiffen enlisted on 4 August 1915, aged 18 and embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Ascanius on 10 November 1915. He was killed in action on 8 August 1916 in France, whilst serving with the 13th Company, Machine Gun Corps.
William Ernest Whiffen
13th Coy. Australian Machine Gun Corps
8th August 1916
Plot I. C. 19.
Pte Whiffen enlisted on 4 August 1915, aged 18 and embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Ascanius on 10 November 1915. He was killed in action on 8 August 1916 in France, whilst serving with the 13th Company, Machine Gun Corps.
Timber stacked by the side of the Albert - La Boisselle road for road-making purposes, September 1916. © IWM Q 1351
Battle of Albert. Troops of the 13th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers resting on the Albert-Bapaume road near Albert after the attack on La Boisselle on 7th July 1916. © IWM Q 776
Battle of Albert. A stretcher case seen in silhouette being brought in from La Boisselle, 3rd July 1916. © IWM Q 771
Wounded awaiting transportation to base hospitals near Albert, 12th September 1916. © IWM Q 1217
Troops of the British West Indies Regiment cleaning their rifles on the Albert - Amiens road, September 1916. © IWM Q 1201
