CERISY-GAILLY FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 49.90532, Longitude: 2.63341
Cerisy-Gailly French National Cemetery
Location Information
Cerisy is a village 10 kilometres south-west of Albert.
From Albert take the D42 in the direction of Morlancourt and Moreuil. After passing Morlancourt you arrive at Sailly-Laurette. Continue until reaching a crossroads where you turn left onto the D71 in the direction of Cerisy. Continue on the D71 until you approach a group of bungalows on your left. Turn left at the end of this group of bungalows when you will then approach Cerisy-Gailly French National Cemetery. The Commonwealth war graves will be found at the rear of the cemetery.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to site possible, but may be by alternative entrance.
Historical Information
Gailly was the site of the 39th and 13th Casualty Clearing Stations during the early part of 1917, and of the 41st Stationary Hospital from May 1917 to March 1918. The villages were then captured by the Germans, but were retaken by the Australian Corps in August 1918.
Cerisy-Gailly French National Cemetery was begun by a clearing hospital of the French Tenth Army in February 1916. The Commonwealth plots are on the western side of it, and were made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields of the Somme and from BUIRE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION. The great majority of these soldiers died in the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
The cemetery now contains 393 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 296 of which are unidentified.
Casualty Details: UK 344, Canada 4, Australia 44, New Zealand 1, Total Burials: 393
The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens & George Hartley Goldsmith
Cerisy is a village 10 kilometres south-west of Albert.
From Albert take the D42 in the direction of Morlancourt and Moreuil. After passing Morlancourt you arrive at Sailly-Laurette. Continue until reaching a crossroads where you turn left onto the D71 in the direction of Cerisy. Continue on the D71 until you approach a group of bungalows on your left. Turn left at the end of this group of bungalows when you will then approach Cerisy-Gailly French National Cemetery. The Commonwealth war graves will be found at the rear of the cemetery.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to site possible, but may be by alternative entrance.
Historical Information
Gailly was the site of the 39th and 13th Casualty Clearing Stations during the early part of 1917, and of the 41st Stationary Hospital from May 1917 to March 1918. The villages were then captured by the Germans, but were retaken by the Australian Corps in August 1918.
Cerisy-Gailly French National Cemetery was begun by a clearing hospital of the French Tenth Army in February 1916. The Commonwealth plots are on the western side of it, and were made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields of the Somme and from BUIRE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION. The great majority of these soldiers died in the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
The cemetery now contains 393 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 296 of which are unidentified.
Casualty Details: UK 344, Canada 4, Australia 44, New Zealand 1, Total Burials: 393
The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens & George Hartley Goldsmith
13th August 1918; Members of the 3rd Australian Pioneer Battalion on the Somme Canal, repairing a bridge which had been blown up by the Germans in their retreat. The battalion were issued orders to rebuild the steel girder bridge between Cerisy and Chipilly. Seated on the bridge wearing a white shirt, hat and leggings is 2067 Private (Pte) Sidney Frank Flenley. Pte Flenley referred to the photograph in his diary, writing "[w]e started erecting a big iron bridge that was blown up at Cerisey [sic], the Official photographer took our photos on it."
Pictures in gallery below © Geerhard Joos
Dead British soldiers near Chipilly, August 1918. © IWM Q 23561
British soldiers searching a dead British soldier for identification. Near Chipilly, 10 August 1918. © IWM (Q 23562)
38512 Gunner
Charles Alfred Kedge
14th Bde. Australian Field Artillery
16th September 1918, aged 23.
Plot I. D. 13.
Son of Charles Elliott Kedge and Adelaide Catherine Kedge, of "Buire," Canberra St., West Brunswick, Victoria, Australia. Born at Bendigo, Victoria.
A school teacher prior to enlisting, he embarked from Melbourne aboard SS Indarra on 26 November 1917.
Charles Kedge along with two other men, Baxter and King were sleeping in a cellar when an enemy aeroplane dropped a bomb, killing all three. Gunner Kedge was hit in the forehead but died 15 minutes later without regaining consciousness.
Charles Alfred Kedge
14th Bde. Australian Field Artillery
16th September 1918, aged 23.
Plot I. D. 13.
Son of Charles Elliott Kedge and Adelaide Catherine Kedge, of "Buire," Canberra St., West Brunswick, Victoria, Australia. Born at Bendigo, Victoria.
A school teacher prior to enlisting, he embarked from Melbourne aboard SS Indarra on 26 November 1917.
Charles Kedge along with two other men, Baxter and King were sleeping in a cellar when an enemy aeroplane dropped a bomb, killing all three. Gunner Kedge was hit in the forehead but died 15 minutes later without regaining consciousness.
4906 Private
Robert James Pont
5th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
23rd September 1918.
Plot I. D. 5.
A spinner from Geelong, Vic prior to enlistment, Pte Pont embarked with the 15th Reinforcements from Melbourne on HMAT Wiltshire on 7 March 1916. On 23 September 1918 he was killed in action at Roisel.
Robert James Pont
5th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
23rd September 1918.
Plot I. D. 5.
A spinner from Geelong, Vic prior to enlistment, Pte Pont embarked with the 15th Reinforcements from Melbourne on HMAT Wiltshire on 7 March 1916. On 23 September 1918 he was killed in action at Roisel.
Captain
Herbert Thompson
7th Bn. Durham Light Infantry
28th March 1918, aged 27.
Plot II. A. 1.
Husband of Evelyn Jeannie Thompson, of "Ignaucourt", 9, Adolphus Terrace, Whitburn, Sunderland.
Picture courtesy of Noel Herbert Thompson (known as Tucker) Grandson of this officer.
Herbert Thompson
7th Bn. Durham Light Infantry
28th March 1918, aged 27.
Plot II. A. 1.
Husband of Evelyn Jeannie Thompson, of "Ignaucourt", 9, Adolphus Terrace, Whitburn, Sunderland.
Picture courtesy of Noel Herbert Thompson (known as Tucker) Grandson of this officer.
Pictures in gallery below © Nicholas Philpot
Ruins of the churchyard and church at Cerisy, which was completely destroyed. Cerisy was the scene of a charge by the Scots Grey and 12th Lancers on 27 August 1914. © IWM Q 69973
Cerisy, Somme, 1920. © IWM Q 37182
