BLIGHTY VALLEY CEMETERY
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 50.03329, Longitude: 2.66828
Location Information
Authuile (now Authuille) and Aveluy are villages 4 kilometres north-east of the town of Albert. The Cemetery is situated in a valley half way between these two villages on the D151 (Cemetery is signposted on exit of Aveluy direction Authuille). The Cemetery is on the eastern side of the road D151 and access is 500 metres by grass pathway (unfit for cars).
Historical Information
Blighty Valley was the name given by the Army to the lower part of the deep valley running down South-Westward through Authuile Wood to join the river between Authuile and Aveluy; a railway was carried along it soon after July, 1916, and it was for some time an important (though inevitably a dangerous) route. The upper part of the valley was called Nab Valley. Blighty Valley Cemetery is almost at the mouth of the valley, a little way up its northern bank. It is partly in either commune.
Blighty Valley Cemetery was begun early in July 1916, at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, and used until the following November. At the Armistice it contained 212 graves but was then greatly enlarged when 784 graves were brought in from the battlefields and small cemeteries to the east. Most of these concentrated graves were of men who died on 1 July 1916.
The cemetery now contains 1,027 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 533 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 24 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to five others buried by the Germans in Bécourt German Cemetery in the spring of 1918, whose graves could not be found on concentration.
Total Burials: 1,027.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 488, Australia 2, Canada 1. Total 491.
Unidentified Casualties: 536.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and Arthur James Scott Hutton

7566 Private
D. Bowditch
1st Bn. Dorsetshire Regiment
1st July 1916
Special Memorial 3.
D. Bowditch
1st Bn. Dorsetshire Regiment
1st July 1916
Special Memorial 3.

12740 Company Serjeant Major
Benjamin Burnley
8th Bn. York & Lancaster Regiment
1st July 1916
Plot IV. F. I.
Born 11 May 1887 at Pontefract, son of Tom and Mary Burnley, husband of Elizabeth Burnley (nee Holdem), of 7 Oak Street, Grovetown, Pontefract.
Benjamin, along with his younger brothers Tom and Walter, joined ‘D’ Company of the 8th (Service) Btn York and Lancaster Regiment at Pontefract Barracks on 2nd September 1914. The 8th Btn formed part of the 70th Infantry Brigade, 23rd Division of the 3rd New Army (K3) On 24th/25th September 1915 the Division took part in the Battle of Loos and on 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, as part of the 8th Division, the 70th Infantry Brigade led the divisional attack on the German trenches outside Ovillers as part of the Battle of Albert. The battalion took 703 officers and men over the parapet, only 68 returned, Benjamin was not amongst the survivors but his brother Walter was. His other brother, Tom, had previously been sent back to England when it was discovered he was under-age.
Picture courtesy of great nephew, Eric Jackson
Benjamin Burnley
8th Bn. York & Lancaster Regiment
1st July 1916
Plot IV. F. I.
Born 11 May 1887 at Pontefract, son of Tom and Mary Burnley, husband of Elizabeth Burnley (nee Holdem), of 7 Oak Street, Grovetown, Pontefract.
Benjamin, along with his younger brothers Tom and Walter, joined ‘D’ Company of the 8th (Service) Btn York and Lancaster Regiment at Pontefract Barracks on 2nd September 1914. The 8th Btn formed part of the 70th Infantry Brigade, 23rd Division of the 3rd New Army (K3) On 24th/25th September 1915 the Division took part in the Battle of Loos and on 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, as part of the 8th Division, the 70th Infantry Brigade led the divisional attack on the German trenches outside Ovillers as part of the Battle of Albert. The battalion took 703 officers and men over the parapet, only 68 returned, Benjamin was not amongst the survivors but his brother Walter was. His other brother, Tom, had previously been sent back to England when it was discovered he was under-age.
Picture courtesy of great nephew, Eric Jackson

8028 Driver
Robert Bede Cochrane
6th A. F. A. Brigade, Australian Field Artillery
3rd August 1916, aged 26.
Plot I. B. 24.
Inscription "Agnus Dei Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi Dona Eis Requiem"
Son of Robert Mitchell Cochrane and Emily Cochrane, of 125, Walcott St., Mount Lawley, Perth, Western Australian. Native of Brisbane, Queensland.
Robert Bede Cochrane
6th A. F. A. Brigade, Australian Field Artillery
3rd August 1916, aged 26.
Plot I. B. 24.
Inscription "Agnus Dei Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi Dona Eis Requiem"
Son of Robert Mitchell Cochrane and Emily Cochrane, of 125, Walcott St., Mount Lawley, Perth, Western Australian. Native of Brisbane, Queensland.

Lieutenant
Sydney Dawson
8th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
1st July 1916, aged 22.
Plot V. C. 36.
Son of John William and Annie M. Dawson, of 189, Hyde Park Rd., Leeds.
Sydney Dawson
8th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
1st July 1916, aged 22.
Plot V. C. 36.
Son of John William and Annie M. Dawson, of 189, Hyde Park Rd., Leeds.

17153 Private
Harry Gardiner
13th Bn. Cheshire Regiment
5th September 1916
Special Memorial 10.
Son of William and Sarah Gardiner of Hollingworth, Hyde, Cheshire.
Picture courtesy of Eddie Gardiner
Harry Gardiner
13th Bn. Cheshire Regiment
5th September 1916
Special Memorial 10.
Son of William and Sarah Gardiner of Hollingworth, Hyde, Cheshire.
Picture courtesy of Eddie Gardiner

13022 Lance Corporal
Albert (Bert) Jenkins
1st Bn. Dorsetshire Regiment
2nd July 1916, aged 18.
Plot II. B. 9.
Son of Mr and Mrs H. Jenkins
Formerly employed by the Dorset and Somerset milk factory at Springhead.
Served in the Dardanelles where he was wounded and invalided home before re-joining his regiment in France.
Albert (Bert) Jenkins
1st Bn. Dorsetshire Regiment
2nd July 1916, aged 18.
Plot II. B. 9.
Son of Mr and Mrs H. Jenkins
Formerly employed by the Dorset and Somerset milk factory at Springhead.
Served in the Dardanelles where he was wounded and invalided home before re-joining his regiment in France.

31134 Private
Francis John Maskell
6th Bn. Royal Berkshire Regiment
6th February 1917, aged 19.
Plot III. L. 3.
Frank was born in 1898, growing up, going to school and working as a farm labourer in the small village of West Ilsley in Berkshire, England. On 7th June 1916, he left the village for the first time in his life, travelling to the nearby town of Wantage to enlist in the army, joining the Royal Berkshire Regiment. After basic training, he served in France with both the 2nd & 6th Battalions. He's seen above, posing for a photo to be sent to his family, just before his embarkation for France in 1916.
From the War Diary of 6th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, 27th January 1917: “Moved by route march to WARWICK HUTS - arrive 12.30PM. 4PM - Relieved 1st Bedfords in subsector between SIXTEEN Rd incl to STUMP Rd (R16c5.5 to R15c5.3) A on right - B on left - C in support, D in reserve. Relief complete 7.45PM. Casualties - B Coy 2 killed 13 wounded - shell landed bang in the dug out entrance during relief. Quiet night - no patrols sent out."
Uncle Frank was one of the 13 wounded and he died of his wounds on 6th February 1917, aged just 19.
Picture courtesy of great nephew, Steve Maskell
Francis John Maskell
6th Bn. Royal Berkshire Regiment
6th February 1917, aged 19.
Plot III. L. 3.
Frank was born in 1898, growing up, going to school and working as a farm labourer in the small village of West Ilsley in Berkshire, England. On 7th June 1916, he left the village for the first time in his life, travelling to the nearby town of Wantage to enlist in the army, joining the Royal Berkshire Regiment. After basic training, he served in France with both the 2nd & 6th Battalions. He's seen above, posing for a photo to be sent to his family, just before his embarkation for France in 1916.
From the War Diary of 6th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, 27th January 1917: “Moved by route march to WARWICK HUTS - arrive 12.30PM. 4PM - Relieved 1st Bedfords in subsector between SIXTEEN Rd incl to STUMP Rd (R16c5.5 to R15c5.3) A on right - B on left - C in support, D in reserve. Relief complete 7.45PM. Casualties - B Coy 2 killed 13 wounded - shell landed bang in the dug out entrance during relief. Quiet night - no patrols sent out."
Uncle Frank was one of the 13 wounded and he died of his wounds on 6th February 1917, aged just 19.
Picture courtesy of great nephew, Steve Maskell

13317 Corporal
S. Morris
8th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
1st July 1916
Plot V. E. 11.
Picture courtesy of Mel Morris
S. Morris
8th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
1st July 1916
Plot V. E. 11.
Picture courtesy of Mel Morris

4235 Private
Henry Isaac Tranter
1st/5th Bn. Gloucestershire Regiment, (Stretcher Bearer)
Died of wounds on 28th August 1916, aged 19.
Plot I. D. 18.
Born 3/1897 Stockend Harescombe Gloucestershire
Son of Henry and Adelaide Tranter nee Brooks of 25 Adelaide Street, Gloucester, England
Younger brother of Joseph, Killed in Action on 1st October 1918 and commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France.
Picture and information courtesy of his nephew Royce J. Tranter.
Henry Isaac Tranter
1st/5th Bn. Gloucestershire Regiment, (Stretcher Bearer)
Died of wounds on 28th August 1916, aged 19.
Plot I. D. 18.
Born 3/1897 Stockend Harescombe Gloucestershire
Son of Henry and Adelaide Tranter nee Brooks of 25 Adelaide Street, Gloucester, England
Younger brother of Joseph, Killed in Action on 1st October 1918 and commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France.
Picture and information courtesy of his nephew Royce J. Tranter.

5420 Private
Daniel Ward
9th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
1st July 1916, aged 37.
Plot V. A. 9.
Husband of Winifred Ward, of 14, Gunson Row, Ossett, Yorks.
Daniel Ward
9th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
1st July 1916, aged 37.
Plot V. A. 9.
Husband of Winifred Ward, of 14, Gunson Row, Ossett, Yorks.

c. 1921 - Image of Mrs Lizzie Livesey at the grave of her son, Matthew in Blighty Valley Cemetery. In 1920, Lizzie had travelled to the Somme to try and find Matthew's grave, he had originally been buried by a roadside after he was killed by shell fire. She was unsuccessful, however, Matthew's body was found later in 1920 and Lizzie returned to the battlefields the following year to visit his grave.