FINS NEW BRITISH CEMETERY
Sorel-le-Grand
Somme
France
Location Information
Fins is a village on the road between Cambrai and Peronne. The British Cemetery is a little south-east of the village in the district of Sorel Le Grand on the right hand side of the road to Heudicourt.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to this cemetery is possible with some difficulty.
Historical Information
Fins and Sorel were occupied at the beginning of April 1917, in the German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line. They were lost on the 23 March 1918, after a stubborn defence of Sorel by the 6th K.O.S.B. and the staff of the South African Brigade; and they were regained in the following September.
The first British burials at Fins were carried out in the Churchyard and the Churchyard Extension, and the New British Cemetery was not begun until July 1917. It was used by fighting units (especially the 40th, 61st (South Midland) and 9th (Scottish) Divisions) and Field Ambulances until March, 1918, when it comprised about 590 graves in Plots I to IV. It was then used by the Germans, who added 255 burials, including 26 British, in Plots IV, V, and VI. In September and October 1918, about 73 British soldiers were buried by the 33rd and other Divisions, partly in Plots I and II, but mainly in Plots V and VI. Lastly, Plots VII and VIII were made, and other Plots completed, by the concentration of 591 graves after Armistice from the surrounding battlefields and from other smaller cemeteries, including:-
EQUANCOURT CHURCHYARD, where three soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried in 1917 and 1918.
FINS CHURCHYARD, in which nine soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried in April, 1917.
FINS CHURCHYARD EXTENSION, which was on the North side of the churchyard, within the enclosure of a house. It contained the graves of 121 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Canada, who fell in April July 1917, and one German soldier who fell in March 1918.
SOREL-LE-GRAND GERMAN CEMETERY, on the West side of the village, opposite the Communal Cemetery. Here were buried, some by the enemy and some by their comrades, 17 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1916-1918.
There are now 1553, First World War casualties commemorated in this site. Of these 208 are unidentified, and special memorials are erected to nine soldiers from the United Kingdom who are believed to be buried among them. Another special memorial records the name of a soldier from the United Kingdom, buried in Fins Churchyard Extension, whose grave could not be found on concentration. Nine graves in Plot VIII, Row E, identified as a whole but not individually, are marked by headstones bearing the words: "Buried near this spot." There are also 276 German burials here, 89 being unidentified.
Total Burials: 1553.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 991, Germany 187, South Africa 87, Canada 5, New Zealand 3. Total 1,273.
This cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker
Dedications
S/40275 Private Isaac McKellar, 7th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders, 30th December 1917, aged 20.
Remembered by his great, great nephew, Gary Moloney
30553 Private Percival Dennis Sprackling, 13th Bn. East Surrey Regiment, 18th July 1917, aged 34.
Remembered by brother Leslie Ernest Sprackling's daughter Mrs. Pearl Godsmark
Fins is a village on the road between Cambrai and Peronne. The British Cemetery is a little south-east of the village in the district of Sorel Le Grand on the right hand side of the road to Heudicourt.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to this cemetery is possible with some difficulty.
Historical Information
Fins and Sorel were occupied at the beginning of April 1917, in the German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line. They were lost on the 23 March 1918, after a stubborn defence of Sorel by the 6th K.O.S.B. and the staff of the South African Brigade; and they were regained in the following September.
The first British burials at Fins were carried out in the Churchyard and the Churchyard Extension, and the New British Cemetery was not begun until July 1917. It was used by fighting units (especially the 40th, 61st (South Midland) and 9th (Scottish) Divisions) and Field Ambulances until March, 1918, when it comprised about 590 graves in Plots I to IV. It was then used by the Germans, who added 255 burials, including 26 British, in Plots IV, V, and VI. In September and October 1918, about 73 British soldiers were buried by the 33rd and other Divisions, partly in Plots I and II, but mainly in Plots V and VI. Lastly, Plots VII and VIII were made, and other Plots completed, by the concentration of 591 graves after Armistice from the surrounding battlefields and from other smaller cemeteries, including:-
EQUANCOURT CHURCHYARD, where three soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried in 1917 and 1918.
FINS CHURCHYARD, in which nine soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried in April, 1917.
FINS CHURCHYARD EXTENSION, which was on the North side of the churchyard, within the enclosure of a house. It contained the graves of 121 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Canada, who fell in April July 1917, and one German soldier who fell in March 1918.
SOREL-LE-GRAND GERMAN CEMETERY, on the West side of the village, opposite the Communal Cemetery. Here were buried, some by the enemy and some by their comrades, 17 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1916-1918.
There are now 1553, First World War casualties commemorated in this site. Of these 208 are unidentified, and special memorials are erected to nine soldiers from the United Kingdom who are believed to be buried among them. Another special memorial records the name of a soldier from the United Kingdom, buried in Fins Churchyard Extension, whose grave could not be found on concentration. Nine graves in Plot VIII, Row E, identified as a whole but not individually, are marked by headstones bearing the words: "Buried near this spot." There are also 276 German burials here, 89 being unidentified.
Total Burials: 1553.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 991, Germany 187, South Africa 87, Canada 5, New Zealand 3. Total 1,273.
This cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker
Dedications
S/40275 Private Isaac McKellar, 7th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders, 30th December 1917, aged 20.
Remembered by his great, great nephew, Gary Moloney
30553 Private Percival Dennis Sprackling, 13th Bn. East Surrey Regiment, 18th July 1917, aged 34.
Remembered by brother Leslie Ernest Sprackling's daughter Mrs. Pearl Godsmark
14042 Serjeant
William Bassett
117th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry).
31st January 1918, aged 29.
Plot IV. A. 19.
Photos courtesy of his Granddaughter, Janet Thomas of Australia
William Bassett
117th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry).
31st January 1918, aged 29.
Plot IV. A. 19.
Photos courtesy of his Granddaughter, Janet Thomas of Australia
55745 Private
Reginald Percy Knowles
8th Bn. Devonshire Regiment, transf. to (103460), 173rd Coy. Labour Corps.
10th December 1917, aged 26.
Plot III. A. 12.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Job Knowles, of Town Mills, Honiton, Devon;
husband of Amy Knowles, of 40, Bolsover St., Great Portland St., London, W.1.
Picture courtesy of Patrick Kenney, Reginald was his grandmother's first husband
Reginald Percy Knowles
8th Bn. Devonshire Regiment, transf. to (103460), 173rd Coy. Labour Corps.
10th December 1917, aged 26.
Plot III. A. 12.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Job Knowles, of Town Mills, Honiton, Devon;
husband of Amy Knowles, of 40, Bolsover St., Great Portland St., London, W.1.
Picture courtesy of Patrick Kenney, Reginald was his grandmother's first husband
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151577 Gunner
Luke William Mather
294th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
21st March 1918.
Plot IV. D. 12.
Son of Luke William and Elizabeth (nee Highfield) Mather father of Ronald James, Dora Elizabeth, William Ernest Luke and Marjorie Ethel.
Picture courtesy of Grandson John Leonard Mather who would be happy to hear from any relatives
Luke William Mather
294th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
21st March 1918.
Plot IV. D. 12.
Son of Luke William and Elizabeth (nee Highfield) Mather father of Ronald James, Dora Elizabeth, William Ernest Luke and Marjorie Ethel.
Picture courtesy of Grandson John Leonard Mather who would be happy to hear from any relatives
34072 Private
Frank Minniss
1st Bn. Worcestershire Regiment
4th March 1917, aged 26.
Plot VII. E. 22.
Son of Richard and Annie Minniss, of 15, Sand St., Burnley.
Frank Minniss
1st Bn. Worcestershire Regiment
4th March 1917, aged 26.
Plot VII. E. 22.
Son of Richard and Annie Minniss, of 15, Sand St., Burnley.
Tank "Hilda" of H Battalion (in which General Biles led the six-mile line of 350 tanks at the Battle of Cambrai) on a railway truck at railhead at Fins, after the battle. 6 December 1917. © IWM (Q 7289)
18459 Private
Philip George Newham
9th Bn. Machine Gun Corps., (Infantry)
21st March 1918, aged 25.
Plot IV. D. 20.
Son of Francis and Honora Newham, of 61, Graylands Rd., Peckham, London
Picture courtesy of Dave Sellens
Philip George Newham
9th Bn. Machine Gun Corps., (Infantry)
21st March 1918, aged 25.
Plot IV. D. 20.
Son of Francis and Honora Newham, of 61, Graylands Rd., Peckham, London
Picture courtesy of Dave Sellens
25827 Private
Milton Frank Parsons 7th Bn. Somerset Light Infantry 12th October 1917, aged 33. Plot I. F. 16. Son of James and Eliza Parsons of Westbury on Trym, Bristol. Husband of Ethel Parsons and father of Iris, Gladys Myrtle and Alfred. Milton was accidentally shot by one of his own comrades whilst returning from a routine patrol. |
Click on image to enlarge
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Second Lieutenant
Thomas V. Tyrwhitt-Drake
1st Bn. Rifle Brigade
29th January 1917
Plot VII. G. 19.
Thomas V. Tyrwhitt-Drake
1st Bn. Rifle Brigade
29th January 1917
Plot VII. G. 19.
55504 Private
Frederick Willis
7th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
20th September 1918, aged 39.
Plot VI. D. 18.
Son of John Willis, of 10, Agar Terrace, Girlington, Bradford, Yorks; husband of Catherine Willis, of 63, Marrowbone Lane, Cork St., Dublin.
Picture courtesy of his granddaughter Pauline of Bristol, England
Frederick Willis
7th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
20th September 1918, aged 39.
Plot VI. D. 18.
Son of John Willis, of 10, Agar Terrace, Girlington, Bradford, Yorks; husband of Catherine Willis, of 63, Marrowbone Lane, Cork St., Dublin.
Picture courtesy of his granddaughter Pauline of Bristol, England
Shot at Dawn
6565 Private, Harry James Knight, 1st Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment,) executed for desertion 6th October 1918. Son of Mrs. Ellen Elizabeth Knight, of 2, Lower Addiscombe Road, West Croydon, Surrey. Plot VI. E. 20.
One of the earliest volunteers, he had served for over 3 years; but Knight had a series of previous convictions
for disobedience (& also had been wounded). (Putkowski, p. 261)
6565 Private, Harry James Knight, 1st Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment,) executed for desertion 6th October 1918. Son of Mrs. Ellen Elizabeth Knight, of 2, Lower Addiscombe Road, West Croydon, Surrey. Plot VI. E. 20.
One of the earliest volunteers, he had served for over 3 years; but Knight had a series of previous convictions
for disobedience (& also had been wounded). (Putkowski, p. 261)
Tanks of the 2nd Brigade on railway trucks at the railhead returning from the battle. Fins, 6 December 1917. © IWM (Q 7288)
