HARPONVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.03912, Longitude: 2.50231
Location Information
Harponville is 3 kilometres along the D47 north of Contay towards Varennes.
The cemetery will be found at the end of the main street, turning right at the church for 200 metres.
The Communal Cemetery Extension is north of the Communal Cemetery.
Historical Information
The Commonwealth graves at Harponville were made by fighting units during the German advance on the Somme in 1918.
The 34 burials in the COMMUNAL CEMETERY date from April, May and early June 1918. 19 of the burials are of men of the Welch Regiment.
The EXTENSION contains 138 First World War burials, dating from June, July and August 1918.
Total Burials: 138.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 137.
Unidentified Casualty: United Kingdom 1.
The extension was designed by Noel Ackroyd Rew
Lieutenant
Alexander Leslie Ashton
6th Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
1st July 1918, aged 20.
Row F. 1.
Son of Alexander and Lillian Mary Ashton, of Alexandria, Egypt.
His headstone bears the inscription "And From The Ground There Blossoms Red Life That Shall Endless Be"
Alexander Leslie Ashton
6th Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
1st July 1918, aged 20.
Row F. 1.
Son of Alexander and Lillian Mary Ashton, of Alexandria, Egypt.
His headstone bears the inscription "And From The Ground There Blossoms Red Life That Shall Endless Be"
38748 Private
Harold Hampshire
7th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
19th July 1918, aged 20.
Row E. 21.
Son of Aaron and Sarah Hampshire, of New Mill, Huddersfield.
His headstone bears the inscription "May His Reward Be As Great As His Sacrifice, Rest In Peace"
Harold Hampshire
7th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
19th July 1918, aged 20.
Row E. 21.
Son of Aaron and Sarah Hampshire, of New Mill, Huddersfield.
His headstone bears the inscription "May His Reward Be As Great As His Sacrifice, Rest In Peace"
204157 Private
Maurice Hargreaves
9th Bn. Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
6th August 1918, aged 20.
Row G. 15.
Son of Joseph and Clara Hargreaves, of Skipton, Yorks.
Maurice Hargreaves
9th Bn. Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
6th August 1918, aged 20.
Row G. 15.
Son of Joseph and Clara Hargreaves, of Skipton, Yorks.
Major
Eric Brown Lees
Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry
31st July 1918, aged 40.
Row C. 20.
Son of Edward Brown Lees, J.P., D.L., and Dorothy, his wife, of Thurland Castle, Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland. Husband of Mary F. Lees. Educated at Eton, and Exeter College, Oxford. J.P. for Yorks, Lancs, and Westmorland.
His headstone bears the inscription "A Good Soldier Of Jesus Christ 2. TIM. 2.3."
Eric Brown Lees
Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry
31st July 1918, aged 40.
Row C. 20.
Son of Edward Brown Lees, J.P., D.L., and Dorothy, his wife, of Thurland Castle, Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland. Husband of Mary F. Lees. Educated at Eton, and Exeter College, Oxford. J.P. for Yorks, Lancs, and Westmorland.
His headstone bears the inscription "A Good Soldier Of Jesus Christ 2. TIM. 2.3."
Images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
Captain
John Guildford Miles
6th Bn. Norfolk Regiment
27th June 1918, aged 29.
Row E. 1.
Son of John Caley Miles and Bertha Miles, of Great Yarmouth; husband of Evelyn Miles, of 6, Albert Square, Great Yarmouth.
His headstone bears the inscription "Greater Love Hath No Man Than This R. I. P."
John Guildford Miles
6th Bn. Norfolk Regiment
27th June 1918, aged 29.
Row E. 1.
Son of John Caley Miles and Bertha Miles, of Great Yarmouth; husband of Evelyn Miles, of 6, Albert Square, Great Yarmouth.
His headstone bears the inscription "Greater Love Hath No Man Than This R. I. P."
Second Lieutenant
Edward Alfred Murtagh Stevens, M. C.
1st Bn. attached to 6th Bn. The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
18th June 1918, aged 20.
Row C. 2.
Son of Edward Stevens (Harbour Master), of Foochow, China.
His headstone bears the inscription "God Grant Grace Gundle Scholloundle School"
Educated at Oundle School, Oundle, Northamptonshire. Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Commissioned into The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) as a 2nd Lieutenant on 5 Jul 1917. He went to France in late 1917. he was attached to the 6th Battalion and fought with them in the First Battle of Bapaume, 24–25 Mar 1918 during the German Spring Offensive. He was killed in action on 18 Jun 1918 to the North West of Albert.
He was awarded the Military Cross (MC) [Edinburgh Gazette: 22 Jul 1918].
2nd Lt Edward Alfred Murtagh Stevens, E. Kent R. "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During a hostile attack he led his platoon with great dash and gallantry, in a counter-attack on a hostile strong-point. On the re-taking of this position, which was of great importance, when his bombing section was nearly surrounded, he personally held the block to cover their retirement. He showed great disregard for personal danger and an unselfish devotion to duty".
Edward Alfred Murtagh Stevens, M. C.
1st Bn. attached to 6th Bn. The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
18th June 1918, aged 20.
Row C. 2.
Son of Edward Stevens (Harbour Master), of Foochow, China.
His headstone bears the inscription "God Grant Grace Gundle Scholloundle School"
Educated at Oundle School, Oundle, Northamptonshire. Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Commissioned into The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) as a 2nd Lieutenant on 5 Jul 1917. He went to France in late 1917. he was attached to the 6th Battalion and fought with them in the First Battle of Bapaume, 24–25 Mar 1918 during the German Spring Offensive. He was killed in action on 18 Jun 1918 to the North West of Albert.
He was awarded the Military Cross (MC) [Edinburgh Gazette: 22 Jul 1918].
2nd Lt Edward Alfred Murtagh Stevens, E. Kent R. "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During a hostile attack he led his platoon with great dash and gallantry, in a counter-attack on a hostile strong-point. On the re-taking of this position, which was of great importance, when his bombing section was nearly surrounded, he personally held the block to cover their retirement. He showed great disregard for personal danger and an unselfish devotion to duty".
58026 Private
John Taylor
13th Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers
9th August 1918.
Row G. 23.
John Taylor
13th Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers
9th August 1918.
Row G. 23.
23589 Private
George Alfred Tibbert
6th Bn. Dorsetshire Regiment
3rd August 1918, aged 30.
Row G. 7.
Son of Alfred and Fanny Tibbert, of New Wood, Empingham, Stamford.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Blessed Are Those Which Die In The Lord And Rise In Eternity May He Rest In Peace."
George Alfred Tibbert
6th Bn. Dorsetshire Regiment
3rd August 1918, aged 30.
Row G. 7.
Son of Alfred and Fanny Tibbert, of New Wood, Empingham, Stamford.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Blessed Are Those Which Die In The Lord And Rise In Eternity May He Rest In Peace."
Men of the 53rd Battalion, 14th Brigade, garrisoning the reserve (GHQ) line at Harponville in the event of a further breakthrough, following the arrest of the German advance on Amiens by the Australian Corps on 27 March 1918. In the background, at left, British working parties can be seen digging further defence lines in the system hurriedly arranged to meet the contingency. Standing to the right, in the trench, are Lieutenant J. Hastings, C Company, 53rd Battalion (third from right), and Sergeant Burke, C Company, 53rd Battalion (second from right).
1st April 1918; Men of the 53rd Battalion of the 14th Infantry Brigade garrisoning a hurriedly dug reserve line during the critical days at the end of March and beginning of April 1918, when the Germans were making persistent attempts to throw aside the Australian defence and march on Amiens. A British labour battalion can be seen digging trenches in the distance. At left, sitting, is 1499 Company Quartermaster Sergeant Kenneth Kinross, C Company, 53rd Battalion.
