GUARDS' CEMETERY
Combles
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.00622, Longitude: 2.85975
Location Information
Combles is a large village 16.5 kilometres east of Albert and 13 kilometres south of Bapaume. Guards Cemetery is on the south-western outskirts of the village, 50 metres from a by-road leading towards Maurepas.
Visiting Information
The location or design of this site make wheelchair access impossible.
Historical Information
Combles village was entered in the early morning of the 26th September, 1916, by units of the 56th (London) Division and the French Army; and it remained in Allied occupation until the 24th March, 1918, when the place was captured after a subborn stand by the South African Brigade at Marrieres Wood. It was retaken on the 29th August, 1918, by the 18th Division.
The village was later "adopted", with Flers, by the County Borough of Portsmouth.
Guards' Cemetery was begun by the Guards Division in September, 1916, and carried on by other units until March, 1917, and to a small extent in March, August and September, 1918. It contained at the Armistice 100 graves, of which 19 were those of officers and men of the Foot Guards; and it was then increased by the concentration into Plot II of graves from Priez Farm Cemetery. Six German graves of 1918 have been removed to another burial ground.
There are 186, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these,15 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 30 soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in Priez Farm Cemetery and Combles German Cemetery, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.
The cemetery covers an area of 989 square metres and is enclosed by a rubble wall.
COMBLES GERMAN CEMETERY contained the grave of one soldier from the United Kingdom who fell in August, 1918.
PRIEZ FARM CEMETERY, COMBLES, stood at the South-East corner of Le Priez Farm, on the North side of the road from Combles to Rancourt. The farm was taken by the 18th Division on the 1st September, 1918, after very heavy fighting. The cemetery contained the graves of 79 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in the winter of 1916-17 and in August and September, 1918.
Total Burials: 186.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 167, Canada 4. Total 171.
Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 15.
The cemetery was designed by Arthur James Scott Hutton
Major
Guy Horsman Bailey, M. C.
Commanding "L" Battery, 15th Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery
28th February 1917, aged 25.
Plot I. D. 1.
Son of Col. Edward Horsman Bailey, V.D., T.D., and Jane Bailey, of Foxholes, Kingham, Oxon.
His headstone bears the inscription: "Gallipoli, April 25th 1915 - January 8th 1916. France, March 1916 - February 28th 1917."
Guy Horsman Bailey, M. C.
Commanding "L" Battery, 15th Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery
28th February 1917, aged 25.
Plot I. D. 1.
Son of Col. Edward Horsman Bailey, V.D., T.D., and Jane Bailey, of Foxholes, Kingham, Oxon.
His headstone bears the inscription: "Gallipoli, April 25th 1915 - January 8th 1916. France, March 1916 - February 28th 1917."
Captain
Redvers Lionel Calverley Bewicke-Copley
1st Bn. Coldstream Guards
21st December 1916, aged 26.
Plot I. C. 3.
Son of Brig. Gen. Sir Alington Bewicke-Copley, K.B.E., C.B., and Lady Bewicke-Copley.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Greater Love Hath No Man."
Redvers Lionel Calverley Bewicke-Copley
1st Bn. Coldstream Guards
21st December 1916, aged 26.
Plot I. C. 3.
Son of Brig. Gen. Sir Alington Bewicke-Copley, K.B.E., C.B., and Lady Bewicke-Copley.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Greater Love Hath No Man."
Lieutenant Colonel
John Hamilton Bowen, D. S. O. & Bar. Three Times Mentioned in Despatches
2nd Bn. Monmouthshire Regiment
2nd March 1917, aged 31.
Plot I. D. 8.
Son of Alfred Edward and Emily Marianne Bowen, of Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales, husband of Jean Gertrude Wilton, of Winnipeg, Canada.
John Hamilton Bowen, D. S. O. & Bar. Three Times Mentioned in Despatches
2nd Bn. Monmouthshire Regiment
2nd March 1917, aged 31.
Plot I. D. 8.
Son of Alfred Edward and Emily Marianne Bowen, of Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales, husband of Jean Gertrude Wilton, of Winnipeg, Canada.
Second Lieutenant
Charles Le Gallais Edgar
1st Bn. Newfoundland Regiment
26th February 1917, aged 26.
Plot I. D. 7.
Son of Joseph Highmore Edgar and Martha Edgar, of 36, Freshwater Rd., St. John's, Newfoundland.
His headstone bears the inscription "There Shall Be No More Night There"
Charles Le Gallais Edgar
1st Bn. Newfoundland Regiment
26th February 1917, aged 26.
Plot I. D. 7.
Son of Joseph Highmore Edgar and Martha Edgar, of 36, Freshwater Rd., St. John's, Newfoundland.
His headstone bears the inscription "There Shall Be No More Night There"
29169 Private
Frank Holliday
119th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
23rd January 1917, aged 20.
Plot II. A. 16.
Son of Joseph and Martha Holliday, of 42, Queen St., Dorchester, Wallingford.
His headstone bears the inscription "A Loved One Sleeping R. I. P."
Private Frank Holliday died with his 3 pals who are buried next to him in this cemetery.
Remembered by his Great Niece Jill Murphy & Gary"
Frank Holliday
119th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
23rd January 1917, aged 20.
Plot II. A. 16.
Son of Joseph and Martha Holliday, of 42, Queen St., Dorchester, Wallingford.
His headstone bears the inscription "A Loved One Sleeping R. I. P."
Private Frank Holliday died with his 3 pals who are buried next to him in this cemetery.
Remembered by his Great Niece Jill Murphy & Gary"
Images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
Second Lieutenant
Lamont Livingstone Paterson
8th Bn. London Regiment (Post Office Rifles)
1st September 1918, aged 24.
Plot II. A. 20.
Only son of the late Judge George Paterson and of Mrs. Paterson, of 8, Cycel Court, 195, Furby St., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Graduate (in Arts) of Manitoba University. Enlisted in Winnipeg as a Pte. in "C" Coy. 196th (Western University) Bn.
His headstone bears the inscription "His Men Wrote On Rough Cross "In Memory Of A Very Brave British Officer"
Lamont Livingstone Paterson
8th Bn. London Regiment (Post Office Rifles)
1st September 1918, aged 24.
Plot II. A. 20.
Only son of the late Judge George Paterson and of Mrs. Paterson, of 8, Cycel Court, 195, Furby St., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Graduate (in Arts) of Manitoba University. Enlisted in Winnipeg as a Pte. in "C" Coy. 196th (Western University) Bn.
His headstone bears the inscription "His Men Wrote On Rough Cross "In Memory Of A Very Brave British Officer"
9341 Private
Percy Pinfold
2nd Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)
1st January 1917, aged 24.
Priez Farm Memorial 5.
Son of Joseph and Elizabeth Pinfold, of Clifton, Deddington, Oxon.
His headstone bears the inscription "Mizpah"
Percy Pinfold
2nd Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)
1st January 1917, aged 24.
Priez Farm Memorial 5.
Son of Joseph and Elizabeth Pinfold, of Clifton, Deddington, Oxon.
His headstone bears the inscription "Mizpah"
Second Lieutenant
Harold Alexander Sloan
198th Siege Bty. Royal Garrison Artillery
21st January 1917, aged 34.
Plot I. B. 4.
Son of the late Gilbert Sloan, of Dunsinea, Castleknock; husband of Mabel F. Sloan, of Barbizon, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
His headstone bears the inscription; "God Is Love."
Harold Alexander Sloan
198th Siege Bty. Royal Garrison Artillery
21st January 1917, aged 34.
Plot I. B. 4.
Son of the late Gilbert Sloan, of Dunsinea, Castleknock; husband of Mabel F. Sloan, of Barbizon, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
His headstone bears the inscription; "God Is Love."
8388 Private
William Taylor
6th Bn. Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
7th January 1917
Plot I. B. 5a.
William Taylor
6th Bn. Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
7th January 1917
Plot I. B. 5a.
3/5755 Lance Sergeant
William Walton
7th Bn. East Yorkshire Regiment
9th February 1917, aged 27.
Plot I. B. 13.
Husband of Elizabeth Walton, of 7, Milner Rd., Luddendenfoot, Yorks.
William Walton
7th Bn. East Yorkshire Regiment
9th February 1917, aged 27.
Plot I. B. 13.
Husband of Elizabeth Walton, of 7, Milner Rd., Luddendenfoot, Yorks.
27861 Private
Francis James Woods
"A" Coy. 18th Bn. Welsh Regiment
30th December 1916, aged 19.
Priez Farm Mem. 11.
Son of Mrs. Mary A. Cross, of " Sunny Brae," East Ilsley, Newbury, Berks.
His headstone bears the inscription; "God Is Love."
Francis James Woods
"A" Coy. 18th Bn. Welsh Regiment
30th December 1916, aged 19.
Priez Farm Mem. 11.
Son of Mrs. Mary A. Cross, of " Sunny Brae," East Ilsley, Newbury, Berks.
His headstone bears the inscription; "God Is Love."
Ruins of Le Priez Farm near Combles, 17 July 1917.
At the south-east corner of this farm was Priez Farm Cemetery, which was later concentrated into Combles Communal Cemetery Extension. Note the grave marker front centre.
© IWM (Q 58333)
