CROIX-DU-BAC BRITISH CEMETERY
Steenwerck
Nord
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.66707, Longitude: 2.7979
Location Information
Steenwerck is a village approximately 5 kilometres south-west of Armentières and a similar distance north-east of Estaires.
Croix-du-Bac is a hamlet 3.5 kilometres south of Steenwerck. Leave Croix-du-Bac on the D10 and head south east. The Cemetery is 1 kilometre from the church on the right hand side of the D10.
Visiting Information
The location or design of this site makes wheelchair access impossible.
Historical Information
The cemetery was begun in July 1916 and used by field ambulances and fighting units until March 1918. On 10 April 1918, Croix-du-Bac was in German hands but was retaken by the 23rd Lancashire Fusiliers on 2 September, and a few further burials were made in the cemetery in October.
After the Armistice, Plot I was completed, and Plots III and IV formed, by the concentration of 328 British graves from the battlefields and from the German Plot (II); the German graves were removed to other cemeteries, as well as one Portuguese grave.
There are now 554 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 263 of the graves are unidentified, but special memorials commemorate 140 casualties known to be buried among them. The cemetery also contains two French war graves.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and Noel Ackroyd Rew
Total Burials: 556.
World War One Commonwealth Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 276, Australia 11, New Zealand 4. Total 291.
World War One Commonwealth Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 262, New Zealand 1. Total 263.
Other Nationalities: France 2.
Dedications
29468 Corporal Walter Tomlinson, 11th Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers, Killed in action, 10th April 1918, aged 28. Special Memorial E. 12.
"Sadly missed" Remembered by John Tomlinson
Cemetery images in gallery below © Werner Van Caneghem
203281 Private
Clifford Ashworth
9th Bn. The LoyalNorth Lancashire Regiment
10th April 1918, aged 20.
Special Memorial A. 10.
Son of Abraham and Betty Ashworth, of 160, Montague St., Blackburn.
His headstone bears the inscription "Their Glory Shall Not Be Blotted Out"
Clifford Ashworth
9th Bn. The LoyalNorth Lancashire Regiment
10th April 1918, aged 20.
Special Memorial A. 10.
Son of Abraham and Betty Ashworth, of 160, Montague St., Blackburn.
His headstone bears the inscription "Their Glory Shall Not Be Blotted Out"
Lieutenant
Terence Kennet James Baldwin
5th Bn. King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
20th March 1918, aged 25.
Plot I. H. 5.
Son of F. J. A. Baldwin, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., L.S.A., and Emily Lydia, his wife; husband of Addie Baldwin (nee Stansfield).
Terence Kennet James Baldwin
5th Bn. King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
20th March 1918, aged 25.
Plot I. H. 5.
Son of F. J. A. Baldwin, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., L.S.A., and Emily Lydia, his wife; husband of Addie Baldwin (nee Stansfield).
4747 Private
Edwin James Bishop
56th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
3rd August 1916, aged 29.
Plot I. A. 6.
Native of Sussex, England.
His headstone bears the inscription "A True And Noble Friend"
From Croydon, NSW. Brother of Mrs Ida Goodayle of Framfield, West Uckfield, Sussex, England. A labourer prior to enlisting, he embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Star of England (A15) on 8 March 1916. He died of wounds on 3 August 1916 in France.
Edwin James Bishop
56th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
3rd August 1916, aged 29.
Plot I. A. 6.
Native of Sussex, England.
His headstone bears the inscription "A True And Noble Friend"
From Croydon, NSW. Brother of Mrs Ida Goodayle of Framfield, West Uckfield, Sussex, England. A labourer prior to enlisting, he embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Star of England (A15) on 8 March 1916. He died of wounds on 3 August 1916 in France.
20960 Rifleman
George Herbert Booth
4th Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th February 1917
Plot I. B. 2.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. G. Booth, of Tuakau, Auckland, New Zealand.
His brother, Private Benjamin Bland Booth wounded in battle, died on 11th October 1916 and was laid to rest in the Botley Cemetery in Oxfordshsire, England.
George Herbert Booth
4th Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th February 1917
Plot I. B. 2.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. G. Booth, of Tuakau, Auckland, New Zealand.
His brother, Private Benjamin Bland Booth wounded in battle, died on 11th October 1916 and was laid to rest in the Botley Cemetery in Oxfordshsire, England.
8/1222 Lance Corporal
John Cameron Crawford
1st Bn. Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
31st January 1917, aged 34.
Plot I. B. 5.
Son of James and Mary Crawford, of 151, Nelson Crescent, Napier, New Zealand. Also served at Gallipoli. Born at Dunedin.
John Cameron Crawford
1st Bn. Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
31st January 1917, aged 34.
Plot I. B. 5.
Son of James and Mary Crawford, of 151, Nelson Crescent, Napier, New Zealand. Also served at Gallipoli. Born at Dunedin.
Image above © Werner Van Caneghem
27164 Private
Horace Hugh Whatty Gibson
Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
6th February 1917, aged 20.
Plot I. B. 1.
Son of Mr. E. G. and Eliza Gibson, of Paenga, Ariki, Nelson, New Zealand. Born at Blenheim, New Zealand.
Horace Hugh Whatty Gibson
Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
6th February 1917, aged 20.
Plot I. B. 1.
Son of Mr. E. G. and Eliza Gibson, of Paenga, Ariki, Nelson, New Zealand. Born at Blenheim, New Zealand.
2/593 Second Lieutenant
Arthur Jones
13th Bty. 3rd Bde. New Zealand Field Artillery
12th November 1916
Plot I. A. 10.
Husband of Hilda Lewis Jacobs (formerly Jones), of I05, Eye St., Invercargill, New Zealand.
Arthur Jones
13th Bty. 3rd Bde. New Zealand Field Artillery
12th November 1916
Plot I. A. 10.
Husband of Hilda Lewis Jacobs (formerly Jones), of I05, Eye St., Invercargill, New Zealand.
Lieutenant
Vyvyn Charles Lowry
5th Bn. East Surrey Regiment
9th April 1918, aged 29.
Plot III. E. 5.
Only child of Arthur Stephen Lowry, a wine merchant, and Clara (née Cooper) Lowry
of 43 Manor Road, Beckenham in Kent.
Vyvyn Charles Lowry
5th Bn. East Surrey Regiment
9th April 1918, aged 29.
Plot III. E. 5.
Only child of Arthur Stephen Lowry, a wine merchant, and Clara (née Cooper) Lowry
of 43 Manor Road, Beckenham in Kent.
35265 Private
Frederick Tinsworth
1st/5th Bn. Yorkshire Regiment
11th April 1918
Special Memorial E. 7.
Son of Mrs. Tinsworth 89 East Road, Cambridge
His headstone bears the inscription "Their Glory Shall Not Be Blotted Out"
Frederick Tinsworth
1st/5th Bn. Yorkshire Regiment
11th April 1918
Special Memorial E. 7.
Son of Mrs. Tinsworth 89 East Road, Cambridge
His headstone bears the inscription "Their Glory Shall Not Be Blotted Out"
4669 Corporal
Frederick Nicholas Weller
59th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
21st July 1916, aged 25.
Plot I. A. 4.
Son of George Alfred and Emily Weller, of 16, Boronia St., Canterbury, Victoria, Australia. Native of Coburg,. Victoria.
His headstone bears the inscription "He That Liveth And Believeth In Me Shall Never Die"
Cpl Weller enlisted in Melbourne on 13 July 1915 and embarked for overseas service on 28 January 1916. He was killed in action during the Battle of Fromelles, France, on 21 July 1916.
Frederick Weller was admitted to No.8 Field Ambulance, France on 20th July 1916 with multiple shrapnel wounds to his back, legs and feet, he died of these wounds at 2 a.m., on 21st July 1916.
Frederick Nicholas Weller
59th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
21st July 1916, aged 25.
Plot I. A. 4.
Son of George Alfred and Emily Weller, of 16, Boronia St., Canterbury, Victoria, Australia. Native of Coburg,. Victoria.
His headstone bears the inscription "He That Liveth And Believeth In Me Shall Never Die"
Cpl Weller enlisted in Melbourne on 13 July 1915 and embarked for overseas service on 28 January 1916. He was killed in action during the Battle of Fromelles, France, on 21 July 1916.
Frederick Weller was admitted to No.8 Field Ambulance, France on 20th July 1916 with multiple shrapnel wounds to his back, legs and feet, he died of these wounds at 2 a.m., on 21st July 1916.
6th March 1918; Plotting reference: 36G 6. Key feature: Croix du Bac
May 1916; An elderly lady serves coffee to British troops at a French estaminet behind the lines at Croix-du-Bac, near Armentières. The estaminets of the Western Front, which provided the same sort of service as an English pub, were one of the first ports of call for troops just out of the trenches. © IWM (Q 635)
