BULLS ROAD CEMETERY
Flers
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 50.04935, Longitude: 2.82842
Location Information
Flers is a village in the Department of the Somme, about 8 kilometres north-east of Albert. From the D929, direction Bapaume-Albert, leave Bapaume and after 1.3 kilometres follow the signs for Ligny Thilloy. Continue through the village until you give way to the D10, then turn right and follow signs for Flers. 200 metres into the village of Flers is a sign for Bulls Road Cemetery. Follow the winding route off to the left for 500 metres and the cemetery is on the right hand side, 20 metres off the road.
Historical Information
Flers was captured on 15 September 1916 in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, when it was entered by the New Zealand and 41st Divisions behind tanks, the innovative new weapons that were used here for the first time. The village was lost during the German advance of March 1918 and retaken at the end of the following August by the 10th West Yorks and the 6th Dorsets of the 17th Division.
The cemetery was begun on 19 September 1916 and was used by fighting units (mainly Australian) until March 1917. The 154 burials made during these months now form Plot I. Plot II, Row A, Graves 1-17 were added in September 1918 by the 17th Division burial officers. The rest of the cemetery consists of graves (mainly of September 1916, or August 1918) brought in after the Armistice from the fields between Flers and Longueval.
There are now 776 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 296 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 15 casualties known or believed to be buried among them.
Total Burials: 776.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 234, Australia 155, New Zealand 85. Total 474.
Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 257, New Zealand 37, Unknown 2. Total 296.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and Arthur James Scott Hutton
Flers is a village in the Department of the Somme, about 8 kilometres north-east of Albert. From the D929, direction Bapaume-Albert, leave Bapaume and after 1.3 kilometres follow the signs for Ligny Thilloy. Continue through the village until you give way to the D10, then turn right and follow signs for Flers. 200 metres into the village of Flers is a sign for Bulls Road Cemetery. Follow the winding route off to the left for 500 metres and the cemetery is on the right hand side, 20 metres off the road.
Historical Information
Flers was captured on 15 September 1916 in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, when it was entered by the New Zealand and 41st Divisions behind tanks, the innovative new weapons that were used here for the first time. The village was lost during the German advance of March 1918 and retaken at the end of the following August by the 10th West Yorks and the 6th Dorsets of the 17th Division.
The cemetery was begun on 19 September 1916 and was used by fighting units (mainly Australian) until March 1917. The 154 burials made during these months now form Plot I. Plot II, Row A, Graves 1-17 were added in September 1918 by the 17th Division burial officers. The rest of the cemetery consists of graves (mainly of September 1916, or August 1918) brought in after the Armistice from the fields between Flers and Longueval.
There are now 776 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 296 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 15 casualties known or believed to be buried among them.
Total Burials: 776.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 234, Australia 155, New Zealand 85. Total 474.
Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 257, New Zealand 37, Unknown 2. Total 296.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and Arthur James Scott Hutton
5650 Private
Francis Reginald Blake
2nd Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
5th November 1916, aged 21.
Plot I. B. 14.
Son of Michael and Margaret Ellen Blake, of Fairfield, Cassilis, New South Wales.
A school teacher of Cassilis, NSW, prior to enlistment, he embarked on 3 June 1916 with the 18th Reinforcements on HMAT Kyarra (A55). Pte Blake was killed in action in France on 5 November 1916, aged 21.
Francis Reginald Blake
2nd Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
5th November 1916, aged 21.
Plot I. B. 14.
Son of Michael and Margaret Ellen Blake, of Fairfield, Cassilis, New South Wales.
A school teacher of Cassilis, NSW, prior to enlistment, he embarked on 3 June 1916 with the 18th Reinforcements on HMAT Kyarra (A55). Pte Blake was killed in action in France on 5 November 1916, aged 21.
2638 Private
George Ditton
45th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
20th January 1917, aged 24.
Plot I. A. 38.
Son of James and Catherine Ann Ditton, of Moss Vale, New South Wales.
George Ditton enlisted at Moss Vale on the 8th June 1916 along with Jack Huxley and Bill Lidbetter. He was 24 years of age, the son of James and Catherine Ditton of Moss Vale, and listed his occupation as a farm worker. He embarked on the HMAT Ceramic from Sydney with Huxley on the 7th October 1916. Both were assigned to the 45th Battalion, the 8th reinforcement of that battalion.
He entered the war in the field on the 18th January 1917, where the 45th was holding the line at Flers in Grease Trench. Aggressive raiding was being undertaken by both sides, the Germans appearing to suffer the worst of this action. Relief parties were re-supplying the line and extending the trench system – all unremarkable work if you consider being constantly shelled, machine gunned and sniped to be normal.
45th Battalion casualties between January 17-24th were three dead and 11 wounded. George was one of the three losses, being killed on January 20th after only two days in the field. Unfortunately, there are no details as to how he met his death.
George Ditton is honoured on both the Kangaroo Valley and Moss Vale War Memorials.
Picture courtesy of Terri Baker, George was her great grandmothers brother.
George Ditton
45th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
20th January 1917, aged 24.
Plot I. A. 38.
Son of James and Catherine Ann Ditton, of Moss Vale, New South Wales.
George Ditton enlisted at Moss Vale on the 8th June 1916 along with Jack Huxley and Bill Lidbetter. He was 24 years of age, the son of James and Catherine Ditton of Moss Vale, and listed his occupation as a farm worker. He embarked on the HMAT Ceramic from Sydney with Huxley on the 7th October 1916. Both were assigned to the 45th Battalion, the 8th reinforcement of that battalion.
He entered the war in the field on the 18th January 1917, where the 45th was holding the line at Flers in Grease Trench. Aggressive raiding was being undertaken by both sides, the Germans appearing to suffer the worst of this action. Relief parties were re-supplying the line and extending the trench system – all unremarkable work if you consider being constantly shelled, machine gunned and sniped to be normal.
45th Battalion casualties between January 17-24th were three dead and 11 wounded. George was one of the three losses, being killed on January 20th after only two days in the field. Unfortunately, there are no details as to how he met his death.
George Ditton is honoured on both the Kangaroo Valley and Moss Vale War Memorials.
Picture courtesy of Terri Baker, George was her great grandmothers brother.
4973 Private
Andrew Halvorsen
50th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
23rd February 1917, aged 26.
Plot I. A. 42.
A labourer prior to enlistment from Port Pirie, SA. Pte Halvorsen embarked with the 10th Battalion from Adelaide aboard RMS Mongolia on 9 March 1916. While serving in France Pte Halvorsen was killed in action, aged 26, on 23 February 1917, and buried at the Bulls Road Cemetery, Flers.
Andrew Halvorsen
50th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
23rd February 1917, aged 26.
Plot I. A. 42.
A labourer prior to enlistment from Port Pirie, SA. Pte Halvorsen embarked with the 10th Battalion from Adelaide aboard RMS Mongolia on 9 March 1916. While serving in France Pte Halvorsen was killed in action, aged 26, on 23 February 1917, and buried at the Bulls Road Cemetery, Flers.
Second Lieutenant
John Joseph Langford
18th Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps
15th September 1916.
Plot II. C. 8
John Joseph Langford
18th Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps
15th September 1916.
Plot II. C. 8
1495 Gunner
Athol Eric Charles Percy
13th Bde. Australian Field Artillery
16th November 1916, aged 19.
Plot II. E. 16.
Athol was the eldest son of Florance Theodore and Eva Ethel Percy. He was born in Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia. He enlisted on 23rd November 1914 and lied about his age to do so.
He landed at Gallipoli and three months later he was wounded at Lone Pine and sent to Cairo to recover. He then re-joined his fellow soldiers in France where he was killed near a little village called Le Transloy when a shell exploded near to where he was, it was his 19th Birthday. He is buried in the Bulls Road Cemetery, Flers.
Uncle Athol was my grandmother’s oldest brother.
Picture courtesy of Vicki Reedy
Athol Eric Charles Percy
13th Bde. Australian Field Artillery
16th November 1916, aged 19.
Plot II. E. 16.
Athol was the eldest son of Florance Theodore and Eva Ethel Percy. He was born in Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia. He enlisted on 23rd November 1914 and lied about his age to do so.
He landed at Gallipoli and three months later he was wounded at Lone Pine and sent to Cairo to recover. He then re-joined his fellow soldiers in France where he was killed near a little village called Le Transloy when a shell exploded near to where he was, it was his 19th Birthday. He is buried in the Bulls Road Cemetery, Flers.
Uncle Athol was my grandmother’s oldest brother.
Picture courtesy of Vicki Reedy
5193 Private
Eric Vial
3rd Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
3rd November 1916, aged 23.
Plot I. A. 14.
Son of William John and Janet Vial, of Carthage St., Tamworth, New South Wales.
enlisted on 7 August 1915 and embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Makarini on 1 April 1916. He was killed in action on 3 November 1916 in France, aged 23 years.
Eric Vial
3rd Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
3rd November 1916, aged 23.
Plot I. A. 14.
Son of William John and Janet Vial, of Carthage St., Tamworth, New South Wales.
enlisted on 7 August 1915 and embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Makarini on 1 April 1916. He was killed in action on 3 November 1916 in France, aged 23 years.
6118 Private
Ivan Arthur Williams
14th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
29th January 1917, aged 20.
Special Memorial 2.
Son of Richard John and Mary Williams, of 28, Park St., Newtown, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
A 19 year old clerk from West Geelong prior to enlisting on 27 March 1916, he embarked for overseas with the 19th Reinforcements from Melbourne on 1 August 1916 aboard HMAT Miltiades (A28). Following further training in England, he joined the 14th Battalion in France on 19 January 1917. Pte Williams was killed in action near Flers, France on 29 January 1917 and is buried in the Bulls Road Cemetery, Flers.
Ivan Arthur Williams
14th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
29th January 1917, aged 20.
Special Memorial 2.
Son of Richard John and Mary Williams, of 28, Park St., Newtown, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
A 19 year old clerk from West Geelong prior to enlisting on 27 March 1916, he embarked for overseas with the 19th Reinforcements from Melbourne on 1 August 1916 aboard HMAT Miltiades (A28). Following further training in England, he joined the 14th Battalion in France on 19 January 1917. Pte Williams was killed in action near Flers, France on 29 January 1917 and is buried in the Bulls Road Cemetery, Flers.
Despatch riders of the 9th Hodson's Horse (Bengal Lancers), Indian Army, coming in from Flers, 17th September 1916. © IWM Q 1226
A dead German soldier in the trenches at Flers.
© IWM (Q 1285)
Images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
The Battle of Flers Courcelette 15 -22 September: Men of the 2nd Auckland Battalion (New Zealand) in a switch trench near Flers. © IWM Q 194
The Battle of Flers Courcelette. The Mark I tank (D 17) surrounded by some of the infantry from 122nd Brigade whom it led into eastern part of Flers on 15 September 1916. Photograph taken on 17 September 1916. © IWM Q 5578
Battle of Flers-Courcelette. Reinforcements crossing the old German front line during the advance towards Flers, 15 September 1916. © IWM Q 188
On the Lesboeufs Road, outside Flers, November 1916. Soldiers mounted on horses up to their knees in mud. © IWM Q 2982
1954 - ©CWGC
1963 - ©CWGC
