CAMBRIN CHURCHYARD EXTENSION
Pas De Calais
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.51013, Longitude: 2.74138
Location Information
Cambrin is a village about 24 kilometres north of Arras and about 8 kilometres east of Bethune, on the road to La Bassee. Cambrin Churchyard Extension is on the south side of the main road, 200 metres from the Mairie. The Commonwealth plot will be found behind the church.
Visiting Information
Cambrin Churchyard Extension is open during working hours (08:00 - 18:00). If visitors find the gates locked during these times, please contact the Marie de Cambrin at:
94 bis boulevard Louis Lesage
62149 CAMBRIN
Tel: +33 (0) 321 63 26 63
Wheelchair access to this churchyard is possible, but may be by alternative entrance.
Historical Information
At one time, the village of Cambrin housed brigade headquarters but until the end of the First World War, it was only about 800 metres from the front line trenches. The village contains two cemeteries used for Commonwealth burials; the churchyard extension, taken over from French troops in May 1915, and the Military Cemetery "behind the Mayor's House."
The churchyard extension was used for front line burials until February 1917 when it was closed, but there are three graves of 1918 in the back rows. The extension is remarkable for the very large numbers of graves grouped by battalion, the most striking being the 79 graves of the 2nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and 15 of the 1st Cameronians (Row C), the 35 of the 2nd Royal Welch Fusiliers and 115 of the 1st Middlesex (Row H), all dating from 25 September 1915, the first day of the Battle of Loos.
Cambrin Churchyard Extension contains 1,211 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 8 being unidentified. There are also 98 French, 3 German and 1 Belgian burials here.
Total Burials: 1,313.
Commonwealth Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 1,201, India 1. Total 1,202.
Commonwealth Unidentified Casualties: 9.
Other Nationalities: France 98, Germany 3, Belgium 1. Total 102.
The cemetery was designed by Charles Henry Holden and Captain Wilfred Clement Von Berg M. C.
Captain
John Christie Aitken, M. C.
2nd Bn. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
25th September 1915, aged 22.
Row B. 16.
Son of Col. and Mrs. Aitken, Murrayfield, Lockerbie, Dumfries-shire.
John Christie Aitken, M. C.
2nd Bn. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
25th September 1915, aged 22.
Row B. 16.
Son of Col. and Mrs. Aitken, Murrayfield, Lockerbie, Dumfries-shire.
S/1942 Private
Kenneth Baker
2nd Bn. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
27th September 1915
Row C. 4.
Kenneth Baker
2nd Bn. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
27th September 1915
Row C. 4.
SD/322 Private
Percy Hall
11th Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment
9th July 1916, aged 23.
Row O. 23.
Son of George and Mary Ann Hall. Of Five Ashes, Tunbridge Wells
Percy Hall
11th Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment
9th July 1916, aged 23.
Row O. 23.
Son of George and Mary Ann Hall. Of Five Ashes, Tunbridge Wells
9592 Corporal
George Brown
"B" Coy. 2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment
7th October 1915, aged 26.
Row K. 29.
Son of George and Elizabeth Brown, of 25, Chase St., Luton, Beds.
George Brown
"B" Coy. 2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment
7th October 1915, aged 26.
Row K. 29.
Son of George and Elizabeth Brown, of 25, Chase St., Luton, Beds.
SD/1093 Private
Charles Alfred Piper
11th Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment
8th July 1916, aged 23.
Row O. 22.
Son of Thomas and Harriett Piper, of Ward Brooke, Ticehurst, Sussex.
Charles Alfred Piper
11th Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment
8th July 1916, aged 23.
Row O. 22.
Son of Thomas and Harriett Piper, of Ward Brooke, Ticehurst, Sussex.
55416 Gunner
A. Read
"Z" 33rd Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
27th June 1916.
Row O. 16.
A. Read
"Z" 33rd Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
27th June 1916.
Row O. 16.
Major
Gilbert Horsman Soames
1st Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)
9th January 1917 aged 37.
Row. T. 18.
Served in South African War in Lancashire Fusiliers. Mentioned in Despatches. Second son of Arthur W. Soames, M.P., of 18, Park Crescent, Portland Place, London; husband of Rose Eveline Soames, of 2, Petersham Terrace, Gloucester Rd., South Kensington, London. His brother Maurice Gordon Soames also fell. (His Brother is buried in Heilly Station Cemetery,
Picture courtesy of Michael Vane-Hunt
Gilbert Horsman Soames
1st Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)
9th January 1917 aged 37.
Row. T. 18.
Served in South African War in Lancashire Fusiliers. Mentioned in Despatches. Second son of Arthur W. Soames, M.P., of 18, Park Crescent, Portland Place, London; husband of Rose Eveline Soames, of 2, Petersham Terrace, Gloucester Rd., South Kensington, London. His brother Maurice Gordon Soames also fell. (His Brother is buried in Heilly Station Cemetery,
Picture courtesy of Michael Vane-Hunt
14611 Private
Robert Young
16th Bn. Highland Light Infantry
16th August 1916, aged 28.
Row Q. 8.
Husband of Sarah McGhie Gow (formerly Young), of 48, Cornwall St., Glasgow.
Picture courtesy of Angela Hendrie
Robert Young
16th Bn. Highland Light Infantry
16th August 1916, aged 28.
Row Q. 8.
Husband of Sarah McGhie Gow (formerly Young), of 48, Cornwall St., Glasgow.
Picture courtesy of Angela Hendrie
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Original grave at Cambrin Churchyard Extension of 13106 Private, L. G. Docker, 2nd Bn. Coldstream Guards, 7th July 1915, aged 19. Son of Oliver Docker, of 20, Grosvenor Rd., Rugby. He is now buried in Row E. 25. © Jeremy Gordon-Smith
Original graves at Cambrin Churchyard Extension, c.1920. © Jeremy Gordon-Smith
