CONTAY BRITISH CEMETERY
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 49.99871, Longitude: 2.48277
© Johan Pauwels
Location Information
Contay is a village on the main road, Amiens to Arras. The Cemetery lies on the left (north east) side of the road to Franvillers. There is a CWGC road sign next to the church and square of the village and next to the D23, Franvillers - Corbie, sign. The distance from the CWGC sign to the Cemetery is approximately 650 metres.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to this cemetery with some difficulty.
Historical Information
The site was chosen in August 1916 for burials from the 49th Casualty Clearing Station, which arrived at Contay at the end of August. It was joined by the 9th CCS in September. All the burials in Plots I to IV and the majority of those in Plots VII and VIII (the plot numbers V and VI were not used) cover the period August 1916 to March 1917. Most of them were made from these two clearing stations.
The German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in the spring of 1917 brought the medical units further east and it was not until April 1918, when the Germans advanced to Albert, that the 38th and other Divisions used the cemetery again, completing Plots VII and VIII and forming the two rows in Plot IX. The last burial took place in August 1918.
Contay British Cemetery contains 1,133 First World War burials.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 686, Canada 414, Australia 29, South Africa 1. Total 1,130.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and John Reginald Truelove
Contay is a village on the main road, Amiens to Arras. The Cemetery lies on the left (north east) side of the road to Franvillers. There is a CWGC road sign next to the church and square of the village and next to the D23, Franvillers - Corbie, sign. The distance from the CWGC sign to the Cemetery is approximately 650 metres.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to this cemetery with some difficulty.
Historical Information
The site was chosen in August 1916 for burials from the 49th Casualty Clearing Station, which arrived at Contay at the end of August. It was joined by the 9th CCS in September. All the burials in Plots I to IV and the majority of those in Plots VII and VIII (the plot numbers V and VI were not used) cover the period August 1916 to March 1917. Most of them were made from these two clearing stations.
The German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in the spring of 1917 brought the medical units further east and it was not until April 1918, when the Germans advanced to Albert, that the 38th and other Divisions used the cemetery again, completing Plots VII and VIII and forming the two rows in Plot IX. The last burial took place in August 1918.
Contay British Cemetery contains 1,133 First World War burials.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 686, Canada 414, Australia 29, South Africa 1. Total 1,130.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and John Reginald Truelove
November 1916: Panoramic group photograph, a Brigade Signal Unit comprised principally of Royal Engineers near Contay, November 1916.
© IWM (Q 1549)
Images in this gallery © Werner Van Caneghem
3459 Sapper
Thomas William Albury
6th Field Coy. Australian Engineers
9th April 1918.
Plot VII. E. 10.
Son of Thomas William and Edith Amelia Albury. Native of Hobart, Tasmania.
Thomas William Albury
6th Field Coy. Australian Engineers
9th April 1918.
Plot VII. E. 10.
Son of Thomas William and Edith Amelia Albury. Native of Hobart, Tasmania.
420592 Private
Alexander Angus
16th Bn. Canadian Infantry
11th September 1916, aged 32.
Plot I. B. 26.
Son of Mrs. Rose Ann Angus, of 28, Carmelite Street, Banff, Scotland. Served in the South African Campaign.
Alexander Angus
16th Bn. Canadian Infantry
11th September 1916, aged 32.
Plot I. B. 26.
Son of Mrs. Rose Ann Angus, of 28, Carmelite Street, Banff, Scotland. Served in the South African Campaign.
437276 Private
William Arnold
1st Bn. Canadian Infantry
10th September 1916
Plot I. B. 29.
William Arnold
1st Bn. Canadian Infantry
10th September 1916
Plot I. B. 29.
3756 Private
Thomas Perriam Arthur
24th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
29th August 1916.
Plot I. A. 6.
Son of Georgina and the late Thomas Perriam Arthur, of 43, Tranmere Avenue, Murrumbeena, Victoria. Native of Traralgon, Victoria. His brother Charles Edmund Perriam Arthur also fell and is buried at Beach Cemetery, Anzac.
Thomas Perriam Arthur
24th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
29th August 1916.
Plot I. A. 6.
Son of Georgina and the late Thomas Perriam Arthur, of 43, Tranmere Avenue, Murrumbeena, Victoria. Native of Traralgon, Victoria. His brother Charles Edmund Perriam Arthur also fell and is buried at Beach Cemetery, Anzac.
Captain
Jack Best
34th Coy. Machine Gun Corps
15th May 1918.
Plot VIII. A. 19.
Jack Best
34th Coy. Machine Gun Corps
15th May 1918.
Plot VIII. A. 19.
21545 Private
John Binns
9th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)
2nd October 1916.
Plot I. F. 12.
Husband of Katie Binns.
John Binns
9th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)
2nd October 1916.
Plot I. F. 12.
Husband of Katie Binns.
86246 Driver
Frederick William Blackmore
2nd Div. Ammunition Col., Canadian Field Artillery
27th October 1916, aged 40.
Plot III. D. 20.
Son of Robert Blackmore, of 27, Church Rd., Upper Weston, Bath.
Frederick William Blackmore
2nd Div. Ammunition Col., Canadian Field Artillery
27th October 1916, aged 40.
Plot III. D. 20.
Son of Robert Blackmore, of 27, Church Rd., Upper Weston, Bath.
152294 Private
James E. Blatchley
1st Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion
16th September 1916.
Plot II. B. 4.
James E. Blatchley
1st Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion
16th September 1916.
Plot II. B. 4.
436231 Private
Lorne Alexander Clark
46th Bn. Canadian Infantry
12th November 1916, aged 33.
Plot IV. D. 5.
Son of Neil and Emma Victoria Clark, of Cannington, Ontario.
Lorne Alexander Clark
46th Bn. Canadian Infantry
12th November 1916, aged 33.
Plot IV. D. 5.
Son of Neil and Emma Victoria Clark, of Cannington, Ontario.
46308 Private
Jos Alyre Garon
14th Bn. Canadian Infantry
11th October 1916.
Plot IV. B. 17.
Pictures courtesy of Gilles Desy
Jos Alyre Garon
14th Bn. Canadian Infantry
11th October 1916.
Plot IV. B. 17.
Pictures courtesy of Gilles Desy
Images in this gallery © Johan Pauwels
4553 Private
George Henry Albert Mazey
52nd Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
4th September 1916, aged 19.
Plot I. A. 22.
Son of George Finn Mazey and Agnes Mazey. Native of Tasmania.
Picture courtesy of Carole Allie, great niece of this soldier
G. Chapman, the Chaplain of 49th Casualty Clearing Station wrote;
"He was admitted here on 3rd September and died on 4th September and buried the same day. There was no operation and he must have died from the sheer shock of his serious wound (Gun Shot Wound Right Arm) and would therefore have very little pain and would be scarcely conscious. His grave is in the British Military Cemetery at Contay and the number is 22A, Plot 1. The cemetery is beautifully situated on the slope of a small hill and a cross has been erected at the head of the grave with his name and other items of identification."
George Henry Albert Mazey
52nd Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
4th September 1916, aged 19.
Plot I. A. 22.
Son of George Finn Mazey and Agnes Mazey. Native of Tasmania.
Picture courtesy of Carole Allie, great niece of this soldier
G. Chapman, the Chaplain of 49th Casualty Clearing Station wrote;
"He was admitted here on 3rd September and died on 4th September and buried the same day. There was no operation and he must have died from the sheer shock of his serious wound (Gun Shot Wound Right Arm) and would therefore have very little pain and would be scarcely conscious. His grave is in the British Military Cemetery at Contay and the number is 22A, Plot 1. The cemetery is beautifully situated on the slope of a small hill and a cross has been erected at the head of the grave with his name and other items of identification."
12665 Private
Stephen Parkinson
7th Bn. King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
17th November 1916, aged 21.
Plot IV. D. 30.
Son of William and Mary Hannah Parkinson, of 35, Charles St., Blackpool.
Picture courtesy of nephew, Frank and Penny Parkinson
Stephen Parkinson
7th Bn. King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
17th November 1916, aged 21.
Plot IV. D. 30.
Son of William and Mary Hannah Parkinson, of 35, Charles St., Blackpool.
Picture courtesy of nephew, Frank and Penny Parkinson
3846 Private
Edgar Hogben Smith
7th Bn. Black Watch, (Royal Highlanders)
3rd December 1916, aged 24.
Plot VIII. C. 24.
Son of John and Christina Smith, Lochore Fife.
Picture courtesy of nephew, Robert Smith
Edgar Hogben Smith
7th Bn. Black Watch, (Royal Highlanders)
3rd December 1916, aged 24.
Plot VIII. C. 24.
Son of John and Christina Smith, Lochore Fife.
Picture courtesy of nephew, Robert Smith
3466 Private
John William Sparrow
13th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
2nd September 1916, aged 27.
Plot I. A. 17.
Son of John and Honora Sparrow, of Bungendore, New South Wales.
A blacksmith prior to enlisting, he embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Port Lincoln (A17) on 13 October 1915. He died of wounds on 2 September 1916 in France, aged 27.
John Sparrow was in the trenches at Mouquet Farm when he was caught by a shell blast, he was badly wounded in the arm, knee and right foot.
He was taken to 49th Casualty Clearing Station at Contay where the Chaplain, G. Chapman wrote;
"He was severely wounded in the leg and arm, an operation was necessary on the leg. The wound had, however, been poisoned and he succumbed to gas gangrene, i.e. accuse blood poisoning on 2nd September and buried the following day. He is buried in the British Military Cemetery at Contay and the number of his grave is 17A, plot 8. I went to the cemetery this morning and verified the number of the grave, a cross has been erected at the head and I found a small vessel at the foot of the cross with a few flowers in, evidently the love token of some friend.
Those who die of gas gangrene have practically no pain as it produces a kind of stupor. His friends may therefore be sure there was little pain."
John William Sparrow
13th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
2nd September 1916, aged 27.
Plot I. A. 17.
Son of John and Honora Sparrow, of Bungendore, New South Wales.
A blacksmith prior to enlisting, he embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Port Lincoln (A17) on 13 October 1915. He died of wounds on 2 September 1916 in France, aged 27.
John Sparrow was in the trenches at Mouquet Farm when he was caught by a shell blast, he was badly wounded in the arm, knee and right foot.
He was taken to 49th Casualty Clearing Station at Contay where the Chaplain, G. Chapman wrote;
"He was severely wounded in the leg and arm, an operation was necessary on the leg. The wound had, however, been poisoned and he succumbed to gas gangrene, i.e. accuse blood poisoning on 2nd September and buried the following day. He is buried in the British Military Cemetery at Contay and the number of his grave is 17A, plot 8. I went to the cemetery this morning and verified the number of the grave, a cross has been erected at the head and I found a small vessel at the foot of the cross with a few flowers in, evidently the love token of some friend.
Those who die of gas gangrene have practically no pain as it produces a kind of stupor. His friends may therefore be sure there was little pain."
121288 Gunner
Joseph Charles Trull
160th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
9th April 1918, aged 34.
Plot VII. E. 13.
Husband of Bessie Trull, of Elcombe Valley, nr. Dursley, Glos.
Picture courtesy of great nephew, John Eeley
Joseph Charles Trull
160th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
9th April 1918, aged 34.
Plot VII. E. 13.
Husband of Bessie Trull, of Elcombe Valley, nr. Dursley, Glos.
Picture courtesy of great nephew, John Eeley
Images in this gallery © Geerhard Joos
27th September 1917: A large collection of shells at a shell dump at Contay with a several trucks visible in the background.
Officers of the 2nd K.O.S.B. Contay, 4 December 1918. © IWM (Q 9749)
Troops of the Australian Army returning from the trenches near Contay, August 1916. © IWM Q 1046
British cyclist patrol on the Toutencourt-Contay road, 13 April 1918. ©IWM Q 369
Pre-1938 ©CWGC
Pre-1938 ©CWGC
July 1966 ©CWGC
July 1966 ©CWGC
July 1966 ©CWGC
