HAM BRITISH CEMETERY
Muille-Villette
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 49.73384, Longitude: 3.0712
Location Information
Ham is a small town about 20 kilometres south west of St. Quentin at the crossroad of the D930 St. Quentin-Roye and the D937 Peronne-Chauny.
The British Cemetery is in the village of Muille-Villette. From the town centre of Ham take the D932 in the direction of Noyon. The Cemetery is signposted from this road and is situated on the left hand side.
Historical Information
In January, February and March 1918, the 61st (South Midland) Casualty Clearing Station was posted at Ham, but on the 23rd March the Germans, in their advance towards Amiens, crossed the Somme at Ham, and the town remained in German hands until the French First Army re-entered it on the following 6th September.
Ham British Cemetery was begun in January-March 1918 as an extension of Muille-Villette German Military Cemetery made by the Casualty Clearing Station. In 1919 these graves were regrouped and others were added from the German cemetery and from the following:-
CROIX-MOLIGNAUX GERMAN CEMETERY (March and April 1918) ; ESMERY HALLON CHURCHYARD; VILLERS ST. CHRISTOPHE CHURCHYARD (March 1918); EPPEVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (March 1918); and ST. SULPICE COMMUNAL CEMETERY.
Ham British Cemetery contains 486 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 218 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 14 soldiers, believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 39 casualties known to have been buried in other cemeteries whose graves were not found.
Total Burials: 486.
World War One Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 268.
World War Two Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 218.
The cemetery was designed by Charles Henry Holden & William Harrison Cowlishaw
Shot at Dawn
17137 Private Thomas Hogan, 2nd Bn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, executed for desertion on 14th May 1917, aged 31. Plot I. G. 8. (Served as Murphy). Son of John and Jane Hogan, of Tralee, Co. Kerry. He had served for over 2 years before deserting. Hogan was the first Irishman to be executed in 1917, & at the age of 31, older than most other soldiers executed for desertion. (Putkowski, p.172)
Cemetery images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
41944 Corporal
Frederic George Alley
2nd/4th Bn. Royal Berkshire Regiment
21st March 1918, aged 27.
Plot II. E. 37.
Son of Charles Harding Alley and Mary Alley; husband of Rose Ethel Mason Alley, of 29, New St., Chipping Norton, Oxon.
His headstone bears the inscription "Never Shall My Memory Fade"
Frederic George Alley
2nd/4th Bn. Royal Berkshire Regiment
21st March 1918, aged 27.
Plot II. E. 37.
Son of Charles Harding Alley and Mary Alley; husband of Rose Ethel Mason Alley, of 29, New St., Chipping Norton, Oxon.
His headstone bears the inscription "Never Shall My Memory Fade"
Second Lieutenant
Leonard Edward Atha
2nd Squadron, Royal Flying Corps and General List
5th March 1918, aged 18
Plot I. B. 4.
Killed near St. Quentin during his first flight.
Son of Herbert Marcus and Grace Atha, of 69, Northampton Rd., Croydon, Surrey.
Born at Dulwich, London.
His headstone bears the inscription; "He Still Liveth."
Leonard Edward Atha
2nd Squadron, Royal Flying Corps and General List
5th March 1918, aged 18
Plot I. B. 4.
Killed near St. Quentin during his first flight.
Son of Herbert Marcus and Grace Atha, of 69, Northampton Rd., Croydon, Surrey.
Born at Dulwich, London.
His headstone bears the inscription; "He Still Liveth."
21097 Private
Thomas Stanley Barclay
11th Bn. South Lancashire Regiment
23rd March 1918, aged 26.
Plot II. C. 4.
Son of Thomas and Janet Barclay. Born at Crank, St. Helens, Lancs.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Thy Will Be Done."
Thomas Stanley Barclay
11th Bn. South Lancashire Regiment
23rd March 1918, aged 26.
Plot II. C. 4.
Son of Thomas and Janet Barclay. Born at Crank, St. Helens, Lancs.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Thy Will Be Done."
266296 Corporal
William Brown
2nd Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles),
25th March 1918, aged 33.
Plot II. C. 39.
Born 21st January 1885. Husband of Mary Carruth Brown.
Picture courtesy of William Brown (Great grandson)
William Brown
2nd Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles),
25th March 1918, aged 33.
Plot II. C. 39.
Born 21st January 1885. Husband of Mary Carruth Brown.
Picture courtesy of William Brown (Great grandson)
4411 Serjeant
Ernest T. Hardeman
48th Squadron. Royal Flying Corps
16th February 1918.
Plot I. B. 30.
Ernest T. Hardeman
48th Squadron. Royal Flying Corps
16th February 1918.
Plot I. B. 30.
57452 Private
Robert Niven
18th (Lancashire Hussars) Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
9th April 1918, aged 19.
Croix-Molignaux German Cem. Mem. 22.
Son of Mrs. R. Niven, of Marswell Terrace, Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Loved & Remembered."
Robert Niven
18th (Lancashire Hussars) Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
9th April 1918, aged 19.
Croix-Molignaux German Cem. Mem. 22.
Son of Mrs. R. Niven, of Marswell Terrace, Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Loved & Remembered."
123551 Pioneer
John Sheehy
Royal Engineers, transferred to (29529) 709th Company, Labour Corps
Died of wounds on 15th February 1918.
Plot I. B. 14.
Husband of Annie Sheehy
John Sheehy
Royal Engineers, transferred to (29529) 709th Company, Labour Corps
Died of wounds on 15th February 1918.
Plot I. B. 14.
Husband of Annie Sheehy
Captain
Hubert Leslie Smith
19th Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
24th March 1918.
Son of George Smith, a Schoolmaster and his wife Josephine Jenette (Need Dash) He followed his Father and became a Schoolmasterand married Bertha Hilda Frances Rogulski on 5th August 1914 at St. Peter's Church, Deptford, London.
His headstone bears the inscription "Croix de Guerre (Belgium) As Long As Life And Memory Last We Will Remember Thee"
N. B. Recent research has shown that Captain Hubert Leslie Smith is buried here. He was originally commemorated on the Pozières Memorial on the Somme, however his body has recently been identified and a rededication ceremony was held on 25th March 2025 at this cemetery.
Hubert Leslie Smith
19th Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
24th March 1918.
Son of George Smith, a Schoolmaster and his wife Josephine Jenette (Need Dash) He followed his Father and became a Schoolmasterand married Bertha Hilda Frances Rogulski on 5th August 1914 at St. Peter's Church, Deptford, London.
His headstone bears the inscription "Croix de Guerre (Belgium) As Long As Life And Memory Last We Will Remember Thee"
N. B. Recent research has shown that Captain Hubert Leslie Smith is buried here. He was originally commemorated on the Pozières Memorial on the Somme, however his body has recently been identified and a rededication ceremony was held on 25th March 2025 at this cemetery.
23164 Private
Robert McDonald Walker
2nd Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
24th March 1918.
Plot II. F. 10.
Robert McDonald Walker
2nd Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
24th March 1918.
Plot II. F. 10.
Artillery of the German 18th Army passing a horse transport column on a sunken road near Ham on 23 March 1918. © IWM (Q 29951)
British and French soldiers in Ham on the Somme, 15 January 1918. © IWM (Q 10651)
Image above © Johan Pauwels
