BOIS-GRENIER COMMUNAL CEMETERY
Nord
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.64756, Longitude: 2.8756
Location Information
Bois-Grenier is a village in the department of the Nord, 3.5 kilometres south of Armentieres. The Communal Cemetery is at the southern end of the village.
From the church take the D22 towards Fromelles/La Bassee.
Visiting Information
The register is available in the Mairie from Monday Tuesday Wednesday from 8.00 to 12.00 and from 13.30 to 17.30
Thursday Friday from 8.00 to 12.00 and from 13.30 to 17.00
Historical Information
Bois-Grenier remained in British hands, though close to the front line, from October 1914 to April 1918, and the earliest British burials were made in the Communal Cemetery.
There are now 121 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-18 war commemorated in this site. Of these, 8 are unidentified; three in Row K, were brought in after the Armistice, from the North side of the village. There are also 4 unidentified French burials here.
The British plots cover an area of 431 square metres.
The Communal plot was designed by Arthur James Scott Hutton
Total Burials: 125.
World War One Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 111, Canada 2. Total 113.
World War One Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 8, France 4. Total 12.
Images in gallery below © Werner Van Caneghem
11207 Private
J. Albert E. Amos
1st Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
2nd February 1915
Row C. 7.
J. Albert E. Amos
1st Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
2nd February 1915
Row C. 7.
55108 Gunner
Charles Baker
"B" Battery, 103rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
24th November 1915.
Row K. 2.
Charles Baker
"B" Battery, 103rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
24th November 1915.
Row K. 2.
8663 Private
John Brisbois
2nd Bn. Canadian Infantry
2nd March 1915, aged 24.
Row K. 11.
Son of Isaac Brisbois and his wife Alexina Laurin of Hearst, Ontario. Born at Sudbury, Ontario.
His headstone bears the inscription "Canadiens Qui Passez A Genoux Priez Pour L'Ame De L'Un Des Votres"
John Brisbois
2nd Bn. Canadian Infantry
2nd March 1915, aged 24.
Row K. 11.
Son of Isaac Brisbois and his wife Alexina Laurin of Hearst, Ontario. Born at Sudbury, Ontario.
His headstone bears the inscription "Canadiens Qui Passez A Genoux Priez Pour L'Ame De L'Un Des Votres"
2217 Private
James P. Duff
1/5th Bn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
27th May 1915.
Row I. 9.
James P. Duff
1/5th Bn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
27th May 1915.
Row I. 9.
Second Lieutenant
William Vernon Fenton
8th Bn. Yorkshire Regiment
16th September 1915, aged 21.
Row I. 6.
Eldest son of Mr. W. H. Fenton, J.P., and E. M. Fenton, of Heston House, Heston, Middx.
His headstone bears the inscription "His Memory Ever Loved His Sacrifice Ever Honoured"
William Vernon Fenton
8th Bn. Yorkshire Regiment
16th September 1915, aged 21.
Row I. 6.
Eldest son of Mr. W. H. Fenton, J.P., and E. M. Fenton, of Heston House, Heston, Middx.
His headstone bears the inscription "His Memory Ever Loved His Sacrifice Ever Honoured"
Second Lieutenant
Walter George Fletcher, Twice Mentioned In Despatches
"B" Company, 2nd Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers
20th March 1915, aged 27.
Row A. 2.
Son of Charles Robert Leslie Fletcher and Katharine Fletcher, of Norham End, Oxford. Served in France from 13th Aug., 1914. His brother Reginald William Fletcher was killed in Belgium and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.
His headstone bears the inscription "Remember His Brother Regie, 2nd Lieut. R. F. A. Gheluvelt, Oct. 31. 1914"
Walter George Fletcher, Twice Mentioned In Despatches
"B" Company, 2nd Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers
20th March 1915, aged 27.
Row A. 2.
Son of Charles Robert Leslie Fletcher and Katharine Fletcher, of Norham End, Oxford. Served in France from 13th Aug., 1914. His brother Reginald William Fletcher was killed in Belgium and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.
His headstone bears the inscription "Remember His Brother Regie, 2nd Lieut. R. F. A. Gheluvelt, Oct. 31. 1914"
An aerial view of Corner Fort, a prominent feature in the German frontline trenches, south of the village of Bois Grenier, British Military Map reference, 36.N.6. In this photograph the British held territory comes from the top of the photograph down to the frontline trenches with Corner Fort, the smaller of the two protrudings into no-mans-land, in the German frontline trenches on the very bottom of this photograph. The relative absence of shell craters suggests this photograph might have been taken before the British attacks during the Battle of Loos in September 1915, when the British 8th Division attacked German position in this area. In 1916 this part of the British frontline in front of Armentieres was held by I Anzac Corps. On the night of 30 June-1 July 1916 a raiding party of an officer and 10 men from the 4th Battalion were to mount a raid on the German positions to assess the effect of gas to be released by one of the Special Units of the Royal Engineers. However, the wind was unsuitable and the raid cancelled. On 17 December 1916 a party of four officers and 182 men from the 4th Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade, successfully raided the German trenches at Corner Fort capturing a number of German prisoners. This sector of the British frontline is where Australians first saw action in France.
Officers of the 'C' Company, 1st Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) taking a tea break in the trenches at Grande Flamengrie Farm on the Bois-Grenier sector of the line in May 1915. © IWM (Q 51632)
8101 Private
Robert Ross Herman
2nd Bn. Canadian Infantry
2nd March 1915.
Row K. 12.
Robert Ross Herman
2nd Bn. Canadian Infantry
2nd March 1915.
Row K. 12.
Captain
Harold Hirst
1st/4th Bn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
24th June 1915, aged 24.
Row I. 17.
Son of Joseph and Ann Hirst, of Dewsbury; husband of Gladys L. Hirst, of Rufford Lodge, Dewsbury, Yorks.
His headstone bears the inscription "Until The Day Breaks And The Shadows Flee Away"
Harold Hirst
1st/4th Bn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
24th June 1915, aged 24.
Row I. 17.
Son of Joseph and Ann Hirst, of Dewsbury; husband of Gladys L. Hirst, of Rufford Lodge, Dewsbury, Yorks.
His headstone bears the inscription "Until The Day Breaks And The Shadows Flee Away"
7699 Private
John Lyon
8th Bn. Highland Light Infantry, attached to 8th Bn. Royal Scots
4th January 1915, aged 19.
Row L. 2.
Son of Mrs. Margaret Lyon, of 2, Drumlaurig Square, Hawick, Roxburghshire.
His headstone bears the inscription "Sleep On Dear Son And Take Thy Rest"
John Lyon
8th Bn. Highland Light Infantry, attached to 8th Bn. Royal Scots
4th January 1915, aged 19.
Row L. 2.
Son of Mrs. Margaret Lyon, of 2, Drumlaurig Square, Hawick, Roxburghshire.
His headstone bears the inscription "Sleep On Dear Son And Take Thy Rest"
8699 Private
John Henry Seymour
1st Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
9th February 1915.
Row C. 6.
John Henry Seymour
1st Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
9th February 1915.
Row C. 6.
Lieutenant
Christopher Babington Sugden
4th Bn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
25th May 1915, aged 22.
Row I. 11.
Son of Thomas Babington Sugden and Edith Constance Sugden, of St. John's Lodge, Wakefield.
Christopher Babington Sugden
4th Bn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
25th May 1915, aged 22.
Row I. 11.
Son of Thomas Babington Sugden and Edith Constance Sugden, of St. John's Lodge, Wakefield.
Captain
Thomas Todrick, Mentioned in Despatches
8th Bn. Royal Scots
14th December 1914, aged 34.
Row L. 1.
Son of Robert Todrick, of Haddington, East Lothian; husband of Emma Brenda Todrick, of 30, Regent Terrace, Edinburgh. Writer to the Signet.
His headstone bears the inscription "Psalm 144"
Thomas Todrick, Mentioned in Despatches
8th Bn. Royal Scots
14th December 1914, aged 34.
Row L. 1.
Son of Robert Todrick, of Haddington, East Lothian; husband of Emma Brenda Todrick, of 30, Regent Terrace, Edinburgh. Writer to the Signet.
His headstone bears the inscription "Psalm 144"
Second Lieutenant
Walter Victor Patrick Charles Whittle
1st Bn. Worcestershire Regiment
13th April 1915.
Row D. 11.
Walter Victor Patrick Charles Whittle
1st Bn. Worcestershire Regiment
13th April 1915.
Row D. 11.
