LE QUESNOY COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
Nord
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.25583, Longitude: 3.63283
Location Information
Le Quesnoy is an old town in the Department of the Nord, 15 kilometres south-east of Valenciennes on the road to Le Cateau and Avesnes. The Extension adjoins that part of the Communal Cemetery where British graves are placed.
Historical Information
Le Quesnoy was captured by the New Zealand Division, without bombardment, on the 4th November, 1918; and a sculptured panel let into the town wall, linked with the Place d'Armes by a memorial avenue, recalls this exploit.
The Cemetery Extension adjoins that part of the Communal Cemetery where the British graves are placed. It was begun by the New Zealand Division after the capture of the town, and used later by the 3rd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station. Twenty-four graves were brought in from the German Extension.
There are now over 100, 1914-18 and a small number of 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 10 from the 1914-18 War are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 19 soldiers from the United Kingdom who died as Prisoners of War, of whom ten are buried here and nine at VALENCIENNES COMMUNAL CEMETERY, none of whom could be individually identified, hence all are commemorated at both sites. Another Special Memorial is erected to one United Kingdom soldier, buried in MECQUIGNIES GERMAN CEMETERY, whose grave could not be found.
The Extension covers an area of 560 square metres.
The Extension was designed by William Harrison Cowlishaw
Total Burials: 137.
World War One Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 77, New Zealand 49. Total 126.
Images in gallery below © Werner Van Caneghem
24/345 Second Lieutenant
George Ronald Bates, D. C. M.
2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 21.
Plot I. A. 22.
Son of John Holman Bates and Annie Amelia Bates, of 27, Brighton St., Island Bay, Wellington, New Zealand. Also served at Samoa.
George Ronald Bates, D. C. M.
2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 21.
Plot I. A. 22.
Son of John Holman Bates and Annie Amelia Bates, of 27, Brighton St., Island Bay, Wellington, New Zealand. Also served at Samoa.
23070 Captain
Arthur Reginald Blennerhassett, Mentioned in Despatches
Adjt. 1st Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
4th November 1918, aged 28.
Plot I. B. 22.
Son of Annie Blennerhassett, of 23, River Bank, Wanganui, New Zealand, and the late Thomas William Blennerhassett. Born at Nelson.
Arthur Reginald Blennerhassett, Mentioned in Despatches
Adjt. 1st Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
4th November 1918, aged 28.
Plot I. B. 22.
Son of Annie Blennerhassett, of 23, River Bank, Wanganui, New Zealand, and the late Thomas William Blennerhassett. Born at Nelson.
12/3628 Corporal
James Frederick Edmonds
1st Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
4th November 1918, aged 24.
Plot I. B. 5.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Edmonds, of Glenfield, Auckland, New Zealand.
James Frederick Edmonds
1st Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
4th November 1918, aged 24.
Plot I. B. 5.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Edmonds, of Glenfield, Auckland, New Zealand.
46984 Private
Robert Alexander Ferris
1st Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
4th November 1918.
Plot I. B. 19.
Son of Mrs. J. Ferris, of 37, Rintoul St., Wellington, New Zealand.
Robert Alexander Ferris
1st Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
4th November 1918.
Plot I. B. 19.
Son of Mrs. J. Ferris, of 37, Rintoul St., Wellington, New Zealand.
47888 Rifleman
Charles Francis Robert Hill
2nd Bn. 3rd. New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 22.
Plot I. A. 18.
Son of Charles and Rose Hills, of Awapuni, Matawhero, Gisborne, New Zealand.
Charles Francis Robert Hill
2nd Bn. 3rd. New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 22.
Plot I. A. 18.
Son of Charles and Rose Hills, of Awapuni, Matawhero, Gisborne, New Zealand.
10/135 Major
Hugh Edgar McKinnon, M. C. & Bar
2nd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
4th November 1918, aged 30.
Plot I. B. 24.
Son of John McKinnon, of 34, King St., Arch Hill, Auckland, New Zealand.
Hugh Edgar McKinnon, M. C. & Bar
2nd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
4th November 1918, aged 30.
Plot I. B. 24.
Son of John McKinnon, of 34, King St., Arch Hill, Auckland, New Zealand.
1/557 Captain
Sydney Allan Murrell
2nd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
4th November 1918, aged 26.
Plot I. B. 23.
Son of John M. and Lilian M. Murrell, of 85, Rongatai Terrace, Rongatai, Wellington, New Zealand. Also served at Samoa. Born at Hobart, Tasmania.
Sydney Allan Murrell
2nd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
4th November 1918, aged 26.
Plot I. B. 23.
Son of John M. and Lilian M. Murrell, of 85, Rongatai Terrace, Rongatai, Wellington, New Zealand. Also served at Samoa. Born at Hobart, Tasmania.
12/3453 Second Lieutenant
Thomas Handley Rae
"B" Coy. 2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 26.
Plot I. A. 23.
Son of Thos. and Anne Rae, of Beresford St., Pukekohe, New Zealand. Also served in Egypt with New Zealand Engineers. Born at Herekin.
Thomas Handley Rae
"B" Coy. 2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 26.
Plot I. A. 23.
Son of Thos. and Anne Rae, of Beresford St., Pukekohe, New Zealand. Also served in Egypt with New Zealand Engineers. Born at Herekin.
41888 Rifleman
Samuel Ross
2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 25.
Plot I. A. 17.
Samuel Ross
2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 25.
Plot I. A. 17.
24/1189 Company Sergeant Major
Peter Alphonsus Scully, D. C. M.
2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 31.
Plot I. A. 9.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. M. Scully, of 99, Venus St., Invercargill, New Zealand.
Seventh of twelve children of Michael & Bridget Scully, both born in Ireland, married in England and with one child emigrated to New Zealand where the others all born. They arrived in Bluff in Jan 1878.
Peter Alphonsus Scully, D. C. M.
2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 31.
Plot I. A. 9.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. M. Scully, of 99, Venus St., Invercargill, New Zealand.
Seventh of twelve children of Michael & Bridget Scully, both born in Ireland, married in England and with one child emigrated to New Zealand where the others all born. They arrived in Bluff in Jan 1878.
72427 Rifleman
Andrew James Sinclair
2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 29.
Plot I. A. 7.
Son of John and Elizabeth Sinclair, of Mulberry St., Kaikorai Valley, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Andrew James Sinclair
2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 29.
Plot I. A. 7.
Son of John and Elizabeth Sinclair, of Mulberry St., Kaikorai Valley, Dunedin, New Zealand.
44535 Corporal
Colin Thomson, M. M.
1st Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
4th November 1918, aged 22.
Plot I. B. 20.
Son of William Malcolm and Anne Elizabeth Thomson, of Norsewood, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
Colin Thomson, M. M.
1st Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
4th November 1918, aged 22.
Plot I. B. 20.
Son of William Malcolm and Anne Elizabeth Thomson, of Norsewood, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
Second Lieutenant
Alan Carruthers Wood
2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 28.
Plot I. A. 8.
Son of Helen Wood, of 55, Harrow Rd., Bexley, Sydney, Australia, and the late Charles Wood; husband of Mrs. J. B. Wood, of 31, Eversley Rd., Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. Also served at Gallipoli with No. 1 Coy. New Zealand Engineers. Born in New South Wales, Australia.
Alan Carruthers Wood
2nd Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
4th November 1918, aged 28.
Plot I. A. 8.
Son of Helen Wood, of 55, Harrow Rd., Bexley, Sydney, Australia, and the late Charles Wood; husband of Mrs. J. B. Wood, of 31, Eversley Rd., Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. Also served at Gallipoli with No. 1 Coy. New Zealand Engineers. Born in New South Wales, Australia.
c.1918; The walls of Le Quesnoy, which the New Zealanders had to scale when capturing the town, one of their most notable feats of the war.
Troops of No. 1 Platoon, A Company, 10th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) breakfasting on their way to the line. Near Le Quesnoy, 27 October 1918. © IWM (Q 7154)
