FRANVILLERS COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 49.96495, Longitude: 2.51103
Location Information
Franvillers is a village and district in the Department of the Somme, and stands on high ground above the River Ancre. It is 19 Kms from Amiens and 10 Kms from Albert on the D929 road.
The Communal Cemetery and Extension are south-east of the village on the C201 road.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to this cemetery is possible with some difficulty.
Historical Information
The COMMUNAL CEMETERY at Franvillers was used at intervals from May 1916 to May 1918. It contains eight Commonwealth burials of the First World War.
The adjoining EXTENSION was used from April to August 1918 by units and field ambulances engaged in the defence of Amiens. It contains 248 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and five German graves.
Casualty Details: UK 113, Australia 134, New Zealand 1, Germany 5; Total Burials: 253
The extension was designed by W C Von Berg.
Franvillers is a village and district in the Department of the Somme, and stands on high ground above the River Ancre. It is 19 Kms from Amiens and 10 Kms from Albert on the D929 road.
The Communal Cemetery and Extension are south-east of the village on the C201 road.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to this cemetery is possible with some difficulty.
Historical Information
The COMMUNAL CEMETERY at Franvillers was used at intervals from May 1916 to May 1918. It contains eight Commonwealth burials of the First World War.
The adjoining EXTENSION was used from April to August 1918 by units and field ambulances engaged in the defence of Amiens. It contains 248 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and five German graves.
Casualty Details: UK 113, Australia 134, New Zealand 1, Germany 5; Total Burials: 253
The extension was designed by W C Von Berg.
2196 Private
Alexander Alexander
34th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
6th May 1918.
Plot I. A. 7.
Son of James and Mary Ann Alexander. Native of Rockville, Victoria, Australia.
Alexander Alexander
34th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
6th May 1918.
Plot I. A. 7.
Son of James and Mary Ann Alexander. Native of Rockville, Victoria, Australia.
1683 Private
William Johnson
54th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
11th July 1918, aged 30.
Plot II. A. 1.
Son of Robert and Hannah Johnson, of Wigston St., Countesthorpe, Leicester, England. Native of Wilby, Suffolk, England.
William Johnson
54th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
11th July 1918, aged 30.
Plot II. A. 1.
Son of Robert and Hannah Johnson, of Wigston St., Countesthorpe, Leicester, England. Native of Wilby, Suffolk, England.
Lieutenant
Charles Proctor Kelsall
17th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
14th May 1918, aged 30.
Plot I. B. 1.
Son of Charles Proctor Kelsall and Elizabeth Jane Kelsall; husband of Dorothy Kelsall, of Sackville St., Albury, New South Wales. Native of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.
Charles Proctor Kelsall
17th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
14th May 1918, aged 30.
Plot I. B. 1.
Son of Charles Proctor Kelsall and Elizabeth Jane Kelsall; husband of Dorothy Kelsall, of Sackville St., Albury, New South Wales. Native of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.
2718 Private
Henry Gordon Packer
50th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
12th June 1918, aged 30.
Plot I. E. 25.
Son of Henry and Harriet Ann Packer, of Mount Barker, South Australia. Native of Mundalla. South Australia.
Henry Gordon Packer
50th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
12th June 1918, aged 30.
Plot I. E. 25.
Son of Henry and Harriet Ann Packer, of Mount Barker, South Australia. Native of Mundalla. South Australia.
3228A Private
John Frederick Page
56th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
8th July 1918, aged 23.
Plot I. G. 18.
Son of Richard James and Margaret Jane Page, of Canley Vale, New South Wales, Australia.
John Frederick Page
56th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
8th July 1918, aged 23.
Plot I. G. 18.
Son of Richard James and Margaret Jane Page, of Canley Vale, New South Wales, Australia.
Second Lieutenant
William Thomas Piddington
55th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
4th July 1918
Plot I. G. 11.
Born 1894 – Garra, NSW, Australia. he was he son of Henry Charles Piddington and Emma Packham Piddington. He died 4 July 1918, leading 40 men in a raid against enemy lines in the Sailly-le-Sec sector of the Western Front, during the Battle of Le Hamel.
He was 6'2" tall, fair and handsome with bright blue eyes.
Picture courtesy of Yvonne Piddington
William Thomas Piddington
55th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
4th July 1918
Plot I. G. 11.
Born 1894 – Garra, NSW, Australia. he was he son of Henry Charles Piddington and Emma Packham Piddington. He died 4 July 1918, leading 40 men in a raid against enemy lines in the Sailly-le-Sec sector of the Western Front, during the Battle of Le Hamel.
He was 6'2" tall, fair and handsome with bright blue eyes.
Picture courtesy of Yvonne Piddington
Lieutenant
Arthur William Savours
6th Bn. attd. 11th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
2nd August 1918, aged 24.
Plot II. B. 1.
Son of John Miles Savours, of Rhoose, Cardiff. Joined up 1914.
His headstone nears the inscription; "Son of J. R. Savours, Rhoose, Nr. Cardiff."
Arthur William Savours
6th Bn. attd. 11th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
2nd August 1918, aged 24.
Plot II. B. 1.
Son of John Miles Savours, of Rhoose, Cardiff. Joined up 1914.
His headstone nears the inscription; "Son of J. R. Savours, Rhoose, Nr. Cardiff."
5068 Private
John Cook Smith
27th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
7th June 1918.
Plot I. E. 12.
Son of James Sydney and Kate Grannan Smith. Native of Darling River, New South Wales.
John Cook Smith
27th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
7th June 1918.
Plot I. E. 12.
Son of James Sydney and Kate Grannan Smith. Native of Darling River, New South Wales.
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c biplane of the RFC flying over the mill at Franvillers, 25 August 1916. Troops of the Royal Engineers with piled arms in the foreground. © IWM (Q 4154)
c. Feb 1919. The grave of 1667 Lieutenant Joseph Arnold Blacket, age twenty four years, 27th Battalion, of Norwood, SA, killed in action 10 June 1918, in Franvillers Communal Cemetery Extension. In the background is the cross bearing the name of 132260 Lance Corporal Joseph James Francis, 160th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, who died on 20 July 1918, age 22; 4776 Private Keith William Evans, 56th Battalion, enlisted Balmain, NSW, killed in action 18 July 1918. This image is one of a set of photographs of the original graves of some members of the 27th Battalion. The Battalion funded the purchase of the camera through its adjutant Captain (Capt) Southon for 5541 Pte G R Barrington to photograph the graves. The camera and negatives were then acquired by Major John L Treloar on behalf of the Australian War Museum, reimbursing costs for the camera to Capt Southon.
A fellow soldier of the battalion lays some flowers on the grave of 4208 Private Roland Allan Shawyer of the 27th Battalion, of Riverton, SA, who died of wounds 21 May 1918, in Franvillers Communal Cemetery Extension, Corbie. Behind is the grave of 568A Pte Benjamin John Tomkins, 5th Battalion, Australian Machine Gun Corps, of Pallallawa, NSW, killed in action (KIA) 20 June 1918. At right is the grave of 3866A Pte Leslie Vincent Leman (incorrectly inscribed as Lemon), 20th Battalion, of Marrickville, NSW, KIA 20 May 1918. This image is one of a set of photographs of the original graves of some members of the 27th Battalion. c. Feb 1919.
The grave of 258 Private (Pte) Benjamin Blinkhorn, 27th Battalion, of Sydney, NSW, killed in action (KIA) 9 June 1918, in Franvillers Communal Cemetery Extension. Left to right, is the grave of 75901 Pte Hickson, 4th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, KIA 9 June 1918; 323 Pte George Albert Kent, 28th Battalion, of Glenferrie, Melbourne, Vic, date of death 1 June 1918 and 6056 Pte Victor Albert Clark, 28th Battalion, of Bordertown, SA, KIA 1 June 1918; 4979 Pte Edwin Middleton Gilbert, 28th Battalion, enlisted Broomehill, WA, KIA 1 June 1918 and 6543 Pte Albert Henry Boxall, 28th Battalion, of Port Elliot, SA, KIA 1 June 1918; 4287 Pte William Routledge, 28th Battalion, of Kanowna, SA, KIA 1 June 1918 and 5372 Pte Askel Hasvold, 28th Battalion, of Fremantle, WA (originally of Oslo, Norway), KIA 1 June 1918; 3119 Pte William George Howell, 28th Battalion, of Wickepin, WA, KIA 1 June 1918 and 4737 Pte James Gibson, 28th Battalion, of Balmain, NSW, KIA 1 June 1918; 250406 Gunner A Stewart, 407th Battery, 96th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, KIA 29 May 1918. This image is one of a set of photographs of the original graves of some members of the 27th Battalion.
The grave of 5068 Private (Pte) John Cook Smith of Darling River, NSW, 27th Battalion, killed in action (KIA) 7 June 1918, in Franvillers Communal Cemetery Extension. Left to right is the grave of 3862 Pte Horace Pearce of Richmond, NSW, 20th Battalion, KIA 5 June 1918; 4851A Corporal Gerald Saville Maxwell of Bendigo, Vic, 28th Battalion, KIA 1 June 1918; 1942 Sapper Frederick Lawrence Green of Kyneton, Vic, 7th Field Company Australian Engineers, KIA 27 May 1918 (deceased's uncle and four cousins were killed in action); 6176 Pte Frederick William Masson (Frederick William Deakin Masson) of Northam, WA, 28th Battalion, KIA 1 June 1918; 3608 Lance Corporal (L Cpl) Albert Parrish of Gerringong, NSW, 2nd Australian Pioneers, KIA 27 May 1918 (brother of 3607 L Cpl Thomas Lindsay Parrish, 2nd Australian Pioneers, who died of wounds 25 September 1917); 6649 (Roll of Honour shows 6640) Pte John Reid, enlisted Claremont, WA, 28th Battalion, KIA 1 June 1918.
