Hargicourt British Cemetery, Aisne

HARGICOURT BRITISH CEMETERY

Aisne

France

GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 49.95899, Longitude: 3.16787

Location Information

Hargicourt is a village about 16 kilometres north-west of St Quentin and about 3 kilometres west of the main road from St Quentin to Cambrai. The Cemetery is at the western end of the village, on the south side of the road to Peronne.

Visiting Information

Wheelchair access is possible with some difficulty.

Historical Information

Hargicourt was occupied by British troops in April 1917, lost on the 21st March 1918, and recaptured by Australian troops on the 18th September 1918.

Hargicourt British Cemetery was begun in May 1917, and used by fighting units until March 1918; some further burials were made in September and October 1918, and three British graves were brought in after the Armistice from HARGICOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION. It was largely used by the 34th Division, under the name of Hargicourt Quarry Cemetery (derived from the quarry across the railway line).

There are now 312, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this cemetery. Of these, 33 are unidentified and a special memorial is erected to a United Kingdom soldier known to be buried among them.

The British Cemetery covers an area of 2,151 square metres and is enclosed by a flint and stone wall.

The cemetery was designed by Herbert Baker and Noel Ackroyd Rew

Total Burials: 312.

Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 241, India 22, Australia 14, Germany 2. Total 279.

Unidentified Casualties: 33. Total 33.

13045 Private
Edwin Robert Adams
111 Corps Cyclist Bn. Army Cyclist Corps
15th September 1917, aged 20.
Plot I. D. 7.

His headstone bear the inscription; "Until Reveille"

Son of Henry and Minnie Elizabeth Adams, of 8, Springbank Rd., Lewisham, London.

6858 Lance Corporal
John Denis Baker, M. M.
"A" Sqdn. 12th (Prince of Wales's Royal) Lancers
27th January 1918, aged 23.
Plot I. I. 5.

Son of Egbert Mazdon Baker and Ellen Baker, of 10, Bond St., Holford Square, London.

His headstone bears the inscription; "May He Rest In Peace."

Picture courtesy of nephew, Anthony B. Baker

13669 Private
Harry Collins
11th Bn. Suffolk Regiment
26th August 1917, aged 33.
Plot I. B. 13.

Husband of L. F. Collins, of 50, Whitcomb St., Leicester Square, London.

544 Private
Ivor Evans
2nd Bn. Leinster Regiment
23rd November 1917
Plot I. G. 11.

Son of Mrs. M. A. Evans, of 13, Tyr Nest, Bonymaen Rd., Swansea.

25th September 1918; Looking towards Hargicourt and Cologne Farm from the hill near Le Templeux. The area shown was advanced over by the Australian troops in the attack on the Hindenburg Outpost Line, on 18 September 1918.

Second Lieutenant
Norman Archbold Hunter
26th (Tyneside Irish) Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers
3rd September 1917, aged 22.
Plot I. D. 19.

His headstone bears the inscription; "Faithful Unto Death"

Son of Andrew and Rachel Hunter, of Milfield, Wooler, Northumberland.

3814 Lance Corporal
Benjamin Lancaster
14th Brigade, Australian Field Artillery
29th September 1918.
Plot I. L. 9.

8962 Corporal
William Henry McAllister
5th Brigade, Australian Field Artillery
29th September 1918.
Plot I. M. 3.

Son of Richard and Ellen McAllister. Native of Hobart, Tasmania.

Major
Harold Graham Paris, M. C. and Bar.
138th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
6th October 1918, aged 31.
Plot I. J. 1.

His headstone bears the inscription; "Until The Day Break"

Son of Alexander and Emma Paris, of Southampton; husband of Helen Margery Paris, of Hillmorton, Parkstone, Dorset. Proceeded to France 19th Aug., 1914, as Lt. 35th Heavy Bty. Royal Garrison Artillery.

Original graves of four British soldiers buried by the Germans with their own dead in a cemetery near Hargicourt. (Now Hargicourt British Cemetery) The graves are marked with wooden crosses. The grave (far left) is marked 'Wall (Mansch) C. E. 351893 E' and is the grave of 351895 Private (Pte) F T Wall 9th Battalion (Bn) Manchester Regiment (Regt). (Note the service number on the cross is incorrect). The second grave is marked 'H. Ibert C. E. 38384 E. L. R'. The third grave is marked 'T. Massey P. M. 241913 5 E. L. R.' and is the grave of 241913 Pte T Massey 2nd/5th Bn East Lancashire Regt. These three crosses also bear the words 'Hier ruht der engl. Soldat' (here lies the English soldier). The last cross bears the words 'Hier ruht ein engl. Soldat unb.' (here lies an unknown English soldier). Other crosses can be seen in the background.

1st October 1918; Unidentified English and Australian troops enjoying the luxury of a cup of hot coffee at the YMCA stall, established in one of the ruined buildings of Hargicourt, when the fighting for the main Hindenburg Defence System was progressing on the Le Catelet-Nauroy line.

19th September 1918; A German machine gunner lying dead at his post in a trench near Hargicourt. He had courageously fought to the last, using his gun with deadly effect against the advancing Australian troops. Note the spent cartridges right foreground.

202951 Private
B. Priestley
22nd (Tyneside Scottish) Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers
9th September 1917.
Plot I. E. 6.

5391 Private
Charles Douglas Stone
2nd Bn. Leinster Regiment
23rd November 1917, aged 33.
Plot I. G. 13.

Son of William and Louisa Stone, of Bournemouth; husband of Rosalind Stone, of 158 Markham Rd., Bournemouth.

35978 Private
Alfred Usherwood
23rd (Tyneside Scottish) Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers
9th September 1917.
Plot I. B. 30.

Son of Mr. C. W. Usherwood, of 104, Molesworth St., Rochdale.