GUARDS' CEMETERY
Combles
Somme
France
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 now nearly 200, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 10 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.
Casualty Details: UK 182, Canada 4, Total Burials: 186
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 now nearly 200, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 10 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.
Casualty Details: UK 182, Canada 4, Total Burials: 186
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."
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.
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)
