LICHFIELD CRATER CEMETERY
Thélus
Pas De Calais
France
Image above © Carl Liversage @carl_liversage
Location Information
Lichfield Crater is a small cemetery situated by the hedge of the motorway A26 (Paris-Calais) behind the village of Neuville St Vaast.
On entering Neuville St Vaast follow the directions for the Vimy Canadian Memorial and take the third road on the right toward the wood, go over the motorway and take the first right towards the fields. The cemetery lies in a field approximately 450 metres from the crossroads.
Visiting Information
The location or design of this site make wheelchair access impossible.
Historical Information
Lichfield Crater was one of two mine craters (the other being Zivy Crater) which were used by the Canadian Corps Burial Officer in 1917 for the burial of bodies found on the Vimy battlefield. The numerous groups of graves made about this time by the Canadians were not named as a rule, but serially lettered and numbered; the original name for Lichfield Crater was CB 2 A.
The crater is essentially a mass graves and contains 57 First World War burials, 15 of them unidentified. All of the men buried here died on 9 or 10 April 1917 with one exception, a soldier who died in April 1916, whose grave was found on the edge of the crater after the Armistice and is the only one marked by a headstone. The names of the rest of those buried in the crater are inscribed on panels fixed to the boundary wall.
Casualty Details: UK 5, Canada 52, Total Burials: 57
The cemetery was designed by W H Cowlishaw
Lichfield Crater is a small cemetery situated by the hedge of the motorway A26 (Paris-Calais) behind the village of Neuville St Vaast.
On entering Neuville St Vaast follow the directions for the Vimy Canadian Memorial and take the third road on the right toward the wood, go over the motorway and take the first right towards the fields. The cemetery lies in a field approximately 450 metres from the crossroads.
Visiting Information
The location or design of this site make wheelchair access impossible.
Historical Information
Lichfield Crater was one of two mine craters (the other being Zivy Crater) which were used by the Canadian Corps Burial Officer in 1917 for the burial of bodies found on the Vimy battlefield. The numerous groups of graves made about this time by the Canadians were not named as a rule, but serially lettered and numbered; the original name for Lichfield Crater was CB 2 A.
The crater is essentially a mass graves and contains 57 First World War burials, 15 of them unidentified. All of the men buried here died on 9 or 10 April 1917 with one exception, a soldier who died in April 1916, whose grave was found on the edge of the crater after the Armistice and is the only one marked by a headstone. The names of the rest of those buried in the crater are inscribed on panels fixed to the boundary wall.
Casualty Details: UK 5, Canada 52, Total Burials: 57
The cemetery was designed by W H Cowlishaw
Pictures in gallery below © Geerhard Joos
53730 Lance Serjeant Ellis Welwood Sifton, V. C.
18th Bn. Canadian Infantry (Western Ontario Regiment). Killed in action 9th April 1917, aged 25. Panel 3. Column 2.
Citation: An extract from The London Gazette, dated 8th June, 1917, records the following:-'' For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. During the attack in enemy trenches Sjt. Sifton's company was held up by machine gun fire which inflicted many casualties. Having located the gun he charged it single-handed, killing all the crew. A small enemy party advanced down the trench, but he succeeded keeping these off till our men had gained the position. In carrying out this gallant act he was killed, but his conspicuous valour undoubtedly saved many lives and contributed largely to the success of the operation."
(Picture of Memorial tablet © Werner Van Caneghem)
Pictures in gallery below © Werner Van Caneghem
57781 Lance Corporal
Arthur Alexander Adamson
21st Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917, aged 27.
Panel 1. Col. 1.
Son of William and Isabella Adamson, of 45, Hospital Hill, Dunfermline, Scotland. A miner of Schumacher Ontario. Enlisted Nov. 1914.
Arthur Alexander Adamson
21st Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917, aged 27.
Panel 1. Col. 1.
Son of William and Isabella Adamson, of 45, Hospital Hill, Dunfermline, Scotland. A miner of Schumacher Ontario. Enlisted Nov. 1914.
412337 Corporal
Edward Dack
21st Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917.
Panel 1. Col. 2.
Son of Thomas Dack and his wife, Sarah M. Toney, of Mills Rd., Watton, Thetford, England.
Edward Dack
21st Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917.
Panel 1. Col. 2.
Son of Thomas Dack and his wife, Sarah M. Toney, of Mills Rd., Watton, Thetford, England.
58123 Private
Alfred Godden
20th Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917.
Panel 2. Col. 1.
Alfred Godden
20th Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917.
Panel 2. Col. 1.
874352 Private
Joseph Charles Gregory
27th Bn. Canadian Infantry
10th April 1917.
Panel 2. Col. 3.
Joseph Charles Gregory
27th Bn. Canadian Infantry
10th April 1917.
Panel 2. Col. 3.
675124 Private
Walter Stanley Newman
21st Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917, aged 26.
Panel 3. Col. 1.
Son of James and Rosetta Newman, of Salem St., Gosberton, Lincs., England.
Walter Stanley Newman
21st Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917, aged 26.
Panel 3. Col. 1.
Son of James and Rosetta Newman, of Salem St., Gosberton, Lincs., England.
135390 Private
Howard Reynolds
19th Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917, aged 23.
Panel 3. Col. 2.
Only son of William and Flora Reynolds, of 145, Yarmouth Rd., Toronto, Ontario. Born at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.
Howard Reynolds
19th Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917, aged 23.
Panel 3. Col. 2.
Only son of William and Flora Reynolds, of 145, Yarmouth Rd., Toronto, Ontario. Born at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.
769690 Private
Charles Alfred Stephen
18th Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917.
Panel 3. Col. 2.
Charles Alfred Stephen
18th Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917.
Panel 3. Col. 2.
183396 Private
Albert John Ticehurst
21st Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917.
Panel 3. Col. 2.
Albert John Ticehurst
21st Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th April 1917.
Panel 3. Col. 2.
Men of the 1/4th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment in a sap-head of a front line trench at Givenchy, 28 January 1918. © IWM (Q 7265)
France. c. 1917. A German Army machine gun emplacement in the village of Thelus captured by the Canadian Army during the advance on Vimy Ridge.
