WW1 Cemeteries.com - A photographic guide to over 4000 military cemeteries and memorials
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Belgium
    • Commonwealth Cemeteries in Belgium in Alphabetical Order
    • Commonwealth Cemeteries in Belgium >
      • HAINAUT
      • WEST-VLAANDEREN
      • OTHER BELGIAN DEPARTMENTS
    • BELGIAN MILITARY CEMETERIES
    • BELGIAN MEMORIALS
  • France
    • Commonwealth Cemeteries in France in Alphabetical Order
    • Commonwealth Cemeteries in France >
      • AISNE
      • MARNE
      • NORD
      • OISE
      • PAS DE CALAIS
      • SEINE-ET-MARNE
      • SEINE-MARITIME
      • SOMME
      • OTHER FRENCH DEPARTMENTS
    • FRENCH CEMETERIES WORLDWIDE
    • French Memorials
  • Gallipoli
  • Other CWGC Countries
  • GERMAN CEMETERIES
  • OTHER WAR AND MILITARY CEMETERIES
  • Architects
  • Shot at Dawn
  • Victoria Cross
  • Miscellaneous
  • Regimental Badges
  • "Silent Cities" Revisited

GOMMECOURT WOOD NEW CEMETERY 

​Foncquevillers
​​​
​Pas De Calais

​France


Location Information

Foncquevillers is a village about 18 kilometres south-west of Arras on the D3. Gommecourt Wood New Cemetery is situated a little way south-east along the D6. A CWGC signpost indicating the road is situated at the junction near the post office in Foncquevillers and the Cemetery is on the right hand side of the road just before arriving at Gommecourt.

​
Visiting Information

The location or design of this site makes wheelchair access impossible.


Historical Information

Foncquevillers was in British hands in 1915 and 1916. On 1 July 1916, Gommecourt Wood was attacked by the 46th (North Midland) Division, and the Southern part of the village by the 56th (London) Division. The attack met with temporary success, but could not be sustained; and Gommecourt remained a salient in the German line until 27 February 1917, when it was evacuated. It was never retaken by the Germans; at the end of their offensive of March 1918, it was just within the British lines. Gommecourt was later "adopted" by the County Borough of Wolverhampton.

Gommecourt Wood New Cemetery was made, after the Armistice, when graves were brought in from the battlefields of July 1916, March 1917, and March, April and August 1918, and from certain smaller burial grounds, including:-

BASTION CEMETERY, FONCQUEVILLERS, in the old German line North of the Wood, where 55 men (nearly all unidentified) of the 46th Division were buried.

BRETENCOURT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY, on the West side of the bridge between Bretencourt and Blamont Mill, in the commune of RIVIERE. Here were buried 233 French soldiers and 38 from the United Kingdom; three men of the Indian Labour Corps; and one German prisoner.

GOMMECOURT CHATEAU CEMETERY, at the North-East corner of the Chateau park, begun by the Germans. Here were buried 55 soldiers from New Zealand, who fell in July and August, 1918, and 14 from the United Kingdom.

GOMMECOURT WOOD CEMETERY No.1, or THE SAP CEMETERY, FONCQUEVILLERS, between the old front lines, in which were buried 111 men of the 46th Division, almost all unidentified.

GOMMECOURT WOOD CEMETERY No.4, or LITTLE Z CEMETERY (from a strong point on the old German front line), FONCQUEVILLERS, which contained the graves of 22 men of the 46th Division and one other.

GOMMECOURT WOOD CEMETERY No.5, on the North-West side of the Wood, contained the graves of 27 men of the 46th Division.

GOMMECOURT WOOD CEMETERY No.6, close to No.5, contained the graves of 40 men, almost all of the 46th Division.

GOMMECOURT WOOD CEMETERY No.8, FONCQUEVILLERS, between the old front lines, contained the graves of 46 men of the 46th Division.

POINT 75 BRITISH CEMETERY, FONCQUEVILLERS, on the old German front line, contained the graves of 35 men of the 46th Division.

There are now nearly 750, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly two-thirds are unidentified and special memorials are erected to ten soldiers from the United Kingdom, known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery covers an area of 2,690 square metres and is enclosed by a rubble wall.


Casualty Details: UK 692, Australia 1, New Zealand 56, Total Burials: 749
Picture
22695 Lieutenant
Frederick James Beechey
2nd Bn. Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
​25th July 1918, aged 35.
Plot III. B. 27.

Son of J. M. and Elizabeth Beechey.

Picture
45031 Second Lieutenant 
Cyril Lloyd Phipps Black
2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
30th July 1918
Plot IV. B. 1.
​


Picture
265391 Private
Herbert Peet Burman
1st/7th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
1st July 1917, aged 20.
Plot II. E. 5.

Son of Samuel and Violet Burman, of 5, Florence St., Hazel Grove, Hucknall, Notts. Native of Old Brampton, Chesterfield.

His headstone bears the inscription; "Beloved Son Of Samuel & Violet Burman. His Name Liveth For Ever."


Picture
34789 Privater
Francis Joseph Butler
"D" Coy. 2nd Bn. Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
18th July 1918, aged 24.
Plot IV. C. 15.

Son of Mrs. M. A. Butler, of Round Hill, Colac Bay, New Zealand.


Picture
51557 Private
Peter MacKay Cowan
1st Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
20th July 1918, aged 33.

Plot III. C. 5.

Son of James and Agnes Cowan, of Hunua; husband of May Cowan of Hunua, New Zealand.



Picture
14590 Private
Arthur Cross

1st Bn. Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
18th July 1918
Plot III. D. 3.



Picture
69943 Private
Joseph Ellison
​1st Bn. Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
24th July 1918, aged 26.
Plot III. C. 11.


Son of William and Jane Ellison, of Westhoughton, Lancs, England.

Picture
27876 Private
William Walter Garbett
1st Bn. Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
25th July 1918, aged 24.
​
Plot III. C. 8.

Son of Thomas and Harriett Mary Garbett.


Picture
52191 Private
Richard Gates
​1st Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
20th July 1918, aged 22.
Plot III. C. 3.


Son of George Gates, of Totara North, New Zealand.

Picture
240535 Private
Joseph Hayes
6th Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment
1st July 1916, aged 22.
Plot II. D. 27.

Son of Richard and Ellen Hayes, of 10, Short St., Uttoxeter.


Picture
8830 Serjeant
Sydney Hibbett
5th Bn. South Staffordshire Regiment
1st July 1916, aged 22.
Sp. Mem. B. 5.

Son of Arthur and Mary Neal Hibbett, of "Cotlands," Foden Rd., Walsall.

His headstone bears the inscription; "Thy Will Be Done."


Picture
6/4064 Lance Corporal
David Howatson
2nd Bn. Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
17th July 1918
Plot III. D. 1.


Picture
British 9.45-inch Heavy Trench Mortar and its crew in an old German trench in Pigeon Wood. It is snowing, and one of the men has placed a cover over the end of the barrel to protect it from the weather. Gommecourt, March 1917. © IWM (Q 4922)
Picture
Second Lieutenant
John Reginald Lilly Hunt
5th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
1st July 1916, aged 19.
Plot II. E. 4.

Son of John Aspinall Hunt and Minnie Beatrice Hunt, of Woodstock, Shalford, Surrey.


Picture
60127 Private
Robert Hutchinson
​​
1st Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
15th August 1918
Plot III. B. 24.



Picture
5774 Private
Reginald Thomas Lawrence
14th Bn. London Regiment (London Scottish)
1st July 1916
Plot IV. B. 15.


Picture
313375 Sapper
Augustus George Walters
1st Tank Brigade, Signal Section, Royal Engineers
22nd August 1918, aged 32.
Plot II. E. 19.


INSCRIPTION. UNTIL WE MEET.

Husband of Elizabeth Emily Walters, of 23, Second Avenue, Hoe St., Walthamstow, London.

Picture courtesy of Colin Matthews (Grandson)

Click in Image to enlarge


Picture














1714 Corporal
Sidney Robert Walton
1st/6th Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment
1st July 1916, aged 25.
Plot II. J. 11.

Son of Robert and Annie Walton, of 27, Kettlebrook Rd., Tamworth.


Picture
Picture
British soldiers house-breaking in the ruins of Gommecourt. The bricks are used for making roads, March 1917. © IWM (Q 4924)

World War Two Cemeteries
​

Please ask permission if you wish to use any of our images by using the contact tab above
​

Picture
Commonwealth War Graves
​Commission
Picture
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Picture
Australian War Memorial
Picture
New Zealand Online Cenotaph

​© COPYRIGHT TERENCE HEARD AND BRENT WHITTAM
​ 2005-2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
.​
Disclaimer 

The casualty numbers for each cemetery and G. P. S. Coordinates are taken from the C. W. G. C. site. We are aware that there can be discrepancies in the burial numbers quoted due to rededication burials.

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Belgium
    • Commonwealth Cemeteries in Belgium in Alphabetical Order
    • Commonwealth Cemeteries in Belgium >
      • HAINAUT
      • WEST-VLAANDEREN
      • OTHER BELGIAN DEPARTMENTS
    • BELGIAN MILITARY CEMETERIES
    • BELGIAN MEMORIALS
  • France
    • Commonwealth Cemeteries in France in Alphabetical Order
    • Commonwealth Cemeteries in France >
      • AISNE
      • MARNE
      • NORD
      • OISE
      • PAS DE CALAIS
      • SEINE-ET-MARNE
      • SEINE-MARITIME
      • SOMME
      • OTHER FRENCH DEPARTMENTS
    • FRENCH CEMETERIES WORLDWIDE
    • French Memorials
  • Gallipoli
  • Other CWGC Countries
  • GERMAN CEMETERIES
  • OTHER WAR AND MILITARY CEMETERIES
  • Architects
  • Shot at Dawn
  • Victoria Cross
  • Miscellaneous
  • Regimental Badges
  • "Silent Cities" Revisited