Dury Mill British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France (CWGC)

DURY MILL BRITISH CEMETERY

Pas De Calais

France

GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 50.23885, Longitude: 2.99855

Location Information

Dury is a village in the Department of the Pas-de-Calais, 1 kilometre north of the straight main road (D939) from Arras to Cambrai. Approximately 16 kilometres from Arras travelling towards Cambrai on the D939 is the Canadian Forces Memorial at Dury. 300 metres after the Memorial the Cemetery is signposted to the left towards Dury village. It is located in open fields, and is approached along an unsurfaced track about 500 metres long.

Historical Information

In August, 1918, Dury was behind the German defence system known as the Drocourt-Queant line; but on the 2nd September this line was broken by the Canadian and XVII Corps, and Dury village and the hill just South of it (Mont Dury, or Dury Ridge) were captured. The Mill (Moulin Damiens) stood beside the road from Dury to Villers-les-Cagnicourt, and was destroyed.

The cemetery was begun by Canadian units on the 5th September, 1918, and closed sixteen days later.

There are now 335 First World War casualties buried in this cemetery. Of these12 are unidentified.

Total Burials: 335.

Identified Casualties: Canada 314, United Kingdom 9. Total 323.

Unidentified Casualties: Canada 10, United Kingdom 2. Total 12.

This cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and William Harrison Cowlishaw

Cemetery image in gallery below © Werner Van Caneghem

Battle of the Drocourt-Queant Line. Dead German soldiers in sunken road that was strongly held by machine guns but was taken by the 4th Division. Near Dury, 2 September 1918. © IWM (Q 7030)

138116 Private
Lawrence Ashton
75th Bn. Canadian Infantry
2nd September 1918
Plot II. B. 38.

651607 Private
Clifford William Bell
78th Bn. Canadian Infantry
2nd September 1918, aged 22.
Plot I. B. 17.

651959 Private
Norval Delbert Bell
78th Canadian Infantry
2nd September 1918, aged 25.
Plot I. B. 35.

Sons of Mr. and Mrs. William A. Bell, of Kincardine, Ontario.

Four brothers who entered the war together, but only 2 made it home to Canada. The other 2 are buried at Dury Mill, both falling the same day within minutes of each other on Sept. 2nd, 1918.

The contributor of the pictures above, wishes to remain anonymous

234228 Private
Camiel Bintien
78th Canadian Infantry
2nd September 1918
Plot I. B. 4.

922627 Lance Corporal
Robert Brewster
78th Canadian Infantry
2nd September 1918
Plot I. B. 19.

2181328 Private
John William Brown
78th Canadian Infantry
2nd September 1918, aged 39.
Plot I. B. 20.

Son of the late Robert and Elizabeth Brown, of 3, Fenwick Grove, Morpeth, England; husband of Ruby May Brown, of 211, Arizona Avenue, Santa Monica, Califomia, U.S.A.

His headstone has the following inscription; "To Die Thus Is Immortality."

1030225 Private
Douglas Burbridge
78th Canadian Infantry
2nd September 1918, aged 18.
Plot I. B. 14.

Son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Burbridge, of Bathurst, New Brunswick.

His headstone has the following inscription; "Lead Thou Me On The Night Is Dark And I Am Far From Home. Still Lead Thou Me On."

335031 Driver
Clifford Minto Harrison
4th Canadian Light Trench Mortar Battery
2nd September 1918, aged 20.
Plot II. D. 30.

Son of Thomas and Margaret Harrison, of Harriston, Ontario.

Submitted by his grand-nephew, Mitchell Harrison Taylor, Never Forgotten…

282952 Sergeant
George Robert Whitman
85th Bn. Canadian Infantry
2nd September 1918, aged 35.
Plot I. A. 35.

Husband of Henrietta T. Whitman, of Arcadia, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

His headstone bears the inscription "Greater Love Hath No Man Than This"

Click on image to enlarge

Images courtesy of John B Grattan, Retired Petty Officer Royal Canadian Navy Submarine Service