H. A. C. CEMETERY
Écoust-St.-Mein
Pas De Calais
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.17209, Longitude: 2.90504
Image © Johan Pauwels
Location Information
Écoust-St.-Mein is a village between Arras, Cambrai and Bapaume. H.A.C. Cemetery is about 800 metres south of the village on the west side of the D956 road to Beugenatre.
Visiting Information
A grassed ramp way beside the steps at the entrance of this cemetery makes access possible for accompanied wheelchair users.
Historical Information
The enemy positions from Doignies to Henin-sur-Cojeul, including the village of Ecoust, were captured on 2 April 1917, by the 4th Australian and 7th Divisions. This cemetery was begun by the 7th Division after the battle, when 27 of the 2nd H.A.C., who fell (with one exception) on the 31st March or the 1st April, were buried in what is now Plot I, Row A. After the German counter-attack near Lagnicourt on the 15th April, twelve Australian gunners were buried in the same row. Rows B, C and part of D were made in August and September 1918, when the ground had been recaptured by the 3rd Division after five months enemy occupation. The 120 graves thus made were the original H.A.C. Cemetery; but after the Armistice graves were added from the battlefields of Bullecourt and Ecoust and from a number of smaller burial grounds, including:-
BARASTRE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION, which contained 284 German graves, 46 French, and those of 39 soldiers from the United Kingdom, four from New Zealand and one from Australia.
BULLECOURT CHURCHYARD, which contained the graves of two airmen from the United Kingdom, and BULLECOURT GERMAN CEMETERY (South of the village, just beyond the railway line), in which 200 German soldiers and 30 from the United Kingdom were buried. Bullecourt was the scene of very fierce fighting from the 3rd to the 17th May 1917, on the 21st March 1918, and on the 31st August and the 1st September 1918.
CAGNICOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION, which contained 333 German and six Russian graves, and those of 17 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Australia.
CROISILLES GERMAN CEMETERIES, both on the road to Ecoust, which contained, in total, the graves of 505 German soldiers, one French, and eleven from the United Kingdom.
EPINOY CHURCHYARD, which contained the graves of three airmen from the United Kingdom and one from Canada, as well as 136 German graves. The church was destroyed in the War.
IMPERIAL CEMETERY, 800 metres West of HENDECOURT-LESCAGNICOURT, which contained the graves of ten soldiers and two sailors from the United Kingdom and seven Canadian soldiers, who fell in August-September 1918.
INCHY-EN-ARTOIS CHURCHYARD, which contained the grave of one R.N.A.S. officer.
LECLUSE CHURCHYARD, which contained the grave of one R.F.C. officer.
L'HOMME MORT CEMETERY No.2, ECOUST-ST. MEIN (between L'Homme Mort and Vraucourt), which contained the graves of 19 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in August-September 1918.
MARQUION GERMAN CEMETERY, in the village of Marquion. It contained the graves of 211 German soldiers, eight Russian, and 17 from the United Kingdom.
MORY-ECOUST ROAD CEMETERIES No.1 AND No.2, ECOUST-ST. MEIN, both very near the road. They were made in March, April and May 1917, and they contained the graves of 63 soldiers from the United Kingdom (almost all 8th and 9th Devons and R.F.A.) and one from Australia.
QUEANT GERMAN CEMETERY, at the North-East exit of the village, which contained the graves of 22 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in March, 1918.
VILLERS-LES-CAGNICOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY, which contained the graves of 25 German soldiers and two from the United Kingdom.
There are now nearly 2,000, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over half are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 17 soldiers from the United Kingdom and 14 from Australia, known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 34 soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.
The cemetery covers an area of 5,801 square metres and is enclosed by a low red brick wall.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and George Hartley Goldsmith
Total Burials: 1,921.
World War One Commonwealth Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 741, Australia 65, Canada 17, New Zealand 4. Total 827.
World War One Commonwealth Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 821, Australia 111, Canada 9, Unknown 145. Total 1,086.
Shot at Dawn
R/15325 Rifleman John Woodhouse, 12th King's Royal Rifle Corps, executed for desertion on 4th October 1917. Plot VIII. C. 23. Husband of Amy Woodhouse, of 30, Wellington St., Winson Green, Birmingham. A volunteer, he was subject to a suspended sentence of death, when prior to an attack during the Battle of Langemarck, he made off. 16 days later, Woodhouse was found under a hedge near Calais, with the story that he had lost his way after returning from leave. (Putkowski, pp.202-203)
Images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
235067 Private
Edward Baines
2nd/5th Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment
21st March 1918, aged 30.
Plot I. F. 17.
Son of Allen Baines, of Whissendine, Oakham, Rutland; husband of Emma Baines, of Easton-on-the-Hill, Stamford, Lincs.
Edward Baines
2nd/5th Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment
21st March 1918, aged 30.
Plot I. F. 17.
Son of Allen Baines, of Whissendine, Oakham, Rutland; husband of Emma Baines, of Easton-on-the-Hill, Stamford, Lincs.
200611 Private
Edwin Dickson
2nd/4th Bn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
20th July 1917
Plot VII. E. 8.
Edwin Dickson
2nd/4th Bn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
20th July 1917
Plot VII. E. 8.
7379 Private
Christopher Douglas Elphick
2nd Bn. Honourable Artillery Company
15th May 1917, aged 28.
Plot II. AA. 8.
Son of Christopher and Louisa Elphick, of 28, Hillsboro Rd., Dulwich, London; husband of Hilda Kate Elphick, of 68, Garden Avenue, Mitcham, Surrey.
Christopher Douglas Elphick
2nd Bn. Honourable Artillery Company
15th May 1917, aged 28.
Plot II. AA. 8.
Son of Christopher and Louisa Elphick, of 28, Hillsboro Rd., Dulwich, London; husband of Hilda Kate Elphick, of 68, Garden Avenue, Mitcham, Surrey.
Captain
Christopher George Fowler
1st/6th Bn. Norfolk Regiment
6th April 1917, aged 21.
Plot IV. B. 2.
Son of Howard and Eva Fowler, of Glebelands, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset. Native of Roydon, Essex.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Secure From Change In Their High-Hearted Ways Beautiful Evermore." (Quote from; 'Ode recited at the Harvard Commemoration 1865' by James Russell Lowell, full text below.
SALUTE 1; the sacred dead,
Who went and who return not.—Say not so!..
We rather seem the dead, that stayed behind.
Blow, trumpets, all your exultations blow!
For never shall their aureoled presence lack ..
They come transfigured back,
Secure from change in their high-hearted ways,
Beautiful evermore, and with the rays
Of morn on their white shields of Expectation.
Christopher George Fowler
1st/6th Bn. Norfolk Regiment
6th April 1917, aged 21.
Plot IV. B. 2.
Son of Howard and Eva Fowler, of Glebelands, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset. Native of Roydon, Essex.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Secure From Change In Their High-Hearted Ways Beautiful Evermore." (Quote from; 'Ode recited at the Harvard Commemoration 1865' by James Russell Lowell, full text below.
SALUTE 1; the sacred dead,
Who went and who return not.—Say not so!..
We rather seem the dead, that stayed behind.
Blow, trumpets, all your exultations blow!
For never shall their aureoled presence lack ..
They come transfigured back,
Secure from change in their high-hearted ways,
Beautiful evermore, and with the rays
Of morn on their white shields of Expectation.
Captain
John Chantrey Elliot Inchbald, Mentioned in Despatches
9th Bn. Devonshire Regiment
2nd April 1917, aged 22.
Mory-Ecoust Rd. Cem. No 1. Mem. 1.
Son of Charles Chantrey Inchbald and Mary Catherine Inchbald, of The Grey House, Thurlestone, Devon. Scholar of Winchester College and New College, Oxford.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Scholar Of Winchester College And New College, Oxford."
John Chantrey Elliot Inchbald, Mentioned in Despatches
9th Bn. Devonshire Regiment
2nd April 1917, aged 22.
Mory-Ecoust Rd. Cem. No 1. Mem. 1.
Son of Charles Chantrey Inchbald and Mary Catherine Inchbald, of The Grey House, Thurlestone, Devon. Scholar of Winchester College and New College, Oxford.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Scholar Of Winchester College And New College, Oxford."
200400 Private
Henry Burgess Ingham
2nd/4th Bn. The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
29th August 1918, aged 18.
Plot VI. F. 27.
Son of Henry and Alice Ingham, of 50, Queen St., Preston.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Killed In Action."
Henry Burgess Ingham
2nd/4th Bn. The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
29th August 1918, aged 18.
Plot VI. F. 27.
Son of Henry and Alice Ingham, of 50, Queen St., Preston.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Killed In Action."
Second Lieutenant
Arthur William Jones
Honourable Artillery Company
31st March 1917.
Plot I. A. 15.
Arthur William Jones
Honourable Artillery Company
31st March 1917.
Plot I. A. 15.
242223 Private
Robert Henry Redman
2nd/5th Bn. King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
29th August 1918, aged 23.
Plot VI. D. 6.
Son of Mrs Redman of 10, Hobart Street, Burnley. He was a weaver and employed at Park Shed.
Robert Henry Redman
2nd/5th Bn. King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
29th August 1918, aged 23.
Plot VI. D. 6.
Son of Mrs Redman of 10, Hobart Street, Burnley. He was a weaver and employed at Park Shed.
Lieutenant
Oswald Thomas Walton
18th Sqdn. Royal Flying Corps and 3rd Bn. South Lancashire Regiment
12th April 1917, aged 24.
Plot VIII. A. 27.
Son of the Rev. John Milner Walton and Elizabeth Walton, of Langton-on-Swale Rectory, Northallerton. Born at Crofton-Tees, Yorks. Educated at Worksop College, Notts., and Oxford.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Grant Him O Lord Eternal Rest Let Light Perpetual Shine On Him." (Quote taken from the 'Eternal Rest Prayer,' commonly known as 'Prayer For The Dead.'
Oswald Thomas Walton
18th Sqdn. Royal Flying Corps and 3rd Bn. South Lancashire Regiment
12th April 1917, aged 24.
Plot VIII. A. 27.
Son of the Rev. John Milner Walton and Elizabeth Walton, of Langton-on-Swale Rectory, Northallerton. Born at Crofton-Tees, Yorks. Educated at Worksop College, Notts., and Oxford.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Grant Him O Lord Eternal Rest Let Light Perpetual Shine On Him." (Quote taken from the 'Eternal Rest Prayer,' commonly known as 'Prayer For The Dead.'
Plotting reference: 57C B 6 12 G 1 2 7 8. Key feature: Ecoust-St-Mein. © IWM (BOX 858-2098-205V-57C-1918)
An advanced dressing station under a ruined house at Ecoust-St-Mein, 17 July, 1917, showing the Royal Army Medical Corps Captain, decorated with a Military Cross, and an Officer of the Gordon Highlanders. © IWM (Q 5689)
