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QUARRY CEMETERY

Montauban
​​​
Somme

​France


GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 50.01419, Longitude: 2.78133

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Location Information

Montauban is a village about 10 kilometres east of Albert.
​
5 kilometres from Albert on the D938 (Albert-Peronne), turn east onto the D64 and the village of Montauban will be found 4 kilometres along this road. Travel through the village for 600 metres then turn north. The quarry from which this cemetery is named is 750 metres north of the village at the bottom of a valley, 800 metres from the village on the east side of the road. The cemetery is on the north-west side of the quarry.


Visiting Information

Wheelchair access is possible with some difficulty.


Historical Information

Montauban village was taken by the 30th and 18th Divisions on 1 July 1916 and it remained in Commonwealth hands until the end of March 1918. It was retaken on 25 August 1918 by the 7th Buffs and the 11th Royal Fusiliers of the 18th Division.

Quarry Cemetery was begun (at an advanced dressing station) in July 1916, and used until February 1917. The Germans buried a few of their dead in Plot V in April and May 1918. At the Armistice it consisted of 152 graves in the present Plots V and VI. It was then increased when graves (almost all of July-December 1916) were brought in from the battlefields surrounding Montauban and small burial grounds, including:- 

BRIQUETERIE CEMETERY No.3, MONTAUBAN, which was on the east side of the brick-works on the Longueval-Maricourt road. It contained the graves of 23 soldiers (mainly 1/5th K.O.R.L.) who died in July and August 1916.

CATERPILLAR WOOD CEMETERY No.2, MONTAUBAN, which was at the east end of Caterpillar Wood, north-west from Montauban village. It was begun by the 2nd Suffolks and contained the graves of 50 soldiers who died between July 1916 and January 1917.

GREEN DUMP CEMETERY, LONGUEVAL, which was 1.2 kilometres west of Longueval village. It contained the graves of 54 soldiers who died between August and October 1916.

QUARRY SCOTTISH CEMETERY, MONTAUBAN, which was between the Quarry and the north end of Bernafay Wood. It contained the graves of 55 soldiers (largely 11th and 12th Royal Scots) who died in July 1916.

Quarry Cemetery now contains 740 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 157 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to seven casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate 19 soldiers buried in Quarry Scottish Cemetery, Green Dump Cemetery and Caterpillar Wood Cemetery No.2, whose graves could not be found on concentration. The cemetery also contains 16 war graves of other nationalties.

Casualty Details: UK 672, Australia 25, New Zealand 38, South Africa 5, Total Burials: 740

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker



Dedications

8/3367 Private Percy William Morton, 1st Bn. Otago Regiment, N. Z. E. F. 27th September 1916, aged 25. Son of Clara and the late W.H. Morton Savage Rd , Waihi, Auckland. NZ.

Remembered by Brian Coventry, great nephew

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Post war image of Quarry Cemetery, Montauban. The road leads off in the direction of Bazentin-le-Petit.
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1952 - ©CWGC
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23/53 Rifleman
Archibald Lamont Annand
1st Bn. 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
10th September 1916, aged 29.
Plot VI. I. 7.

Son of William and Marjory Annand, of 17, Reeves Rd., Opawa, Christchurch, New Zealand. Born Timaru.


Picture courtesy of great nephew, Mark Annand

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22754 Rifleman
George Bendall
1st Bn. New Zealand Rifle Brigade
10th September 1916, aged 20.
Plot VI. I. 9.





Son of the late William Edward and Hannah Gertude Bendall of Govett Avenue, Frankleigh Park, New Plymouth, New Zealand.
​
The sketch on the right of George's first interment at Green Dump Dressing Station was made by boyhood and family friend Captain Neville Arden, later of the Otago Regiment, whose was himself later killed in action.

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​Pictures courtesy of nephew, Geoff Bendall
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6844 Lance Corporal
Horace Brown
16th Bn. Manchester Regiment
1st July 1916, aged 23.
Plot III. E. 1.

Son of Wright and Ann Elizabeth Brown, of 233, Two Trees Lane, Denton, Manchester.

His headstone bears the inscription; "Far Away, Yet Ever Near."

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122064 Gunner
George Butt
"D" Bty. 14th Bde. Royal Horse Artillery
7th September 1916, aged 21.

Plot VI. A. 3.

Son of P. H. and M. A. Butt, of Main St., Long Preston, Yorks.

His headstone bears the inscription; "Peace Perfect Peace."

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Captain
John Orr Craig Cowan, Mentioned in Despatches
3rd Bn. Royal Scots
14th July 1916, aged 20.
Plot II. C. 1.

Son of Robert and Mabel A. Craig Cowan, of Eskhill, Inveresk, Midlothian.

His headstone bears the inscription; "Also In Memory Of 2nd Lieut. Robert Craig Cowan Royal Scots 24th October 1914. Age 20." - Robert Craig Cowan is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial.

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4583 Private
William Lucas Dransfield
24th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
3rd August 1916, aged 19.
Plot III. M. 5.

Son of William and Emily Dransfield, of 20, Oaklands Rd., Kersal, Manchester.


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Second Lieutenant
Desmond Gavan Duffy
20th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F
15th November 1916, aged 27.
Plot III. D. 9.

Son of Frank Gavan Duffy and Nellie Gavan Duffy, of the Supreme Court, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Born Elsternwick, Victoria.

His headstone bears the inscription; "Ante Diem Periit Sed Miles, Sed Pro Patria."​ Translates from the Latin as : "Who Died In A Far Off Land Before His Time But As A Soldier And For His Country."


A barrister of Sydney NSW prior to enlistment, 2nd Lt Duffy embarked from Sydney with the 3rd Divisional Cyclist Battalion on HMAT Demosthenes on 18 May 1916. After transferring to 20th Battalion, he was killed in action on 15 November 1916.

An eyewitness gave the following details of the incident which led to the death of Desmond Duffy:

"I was not far from Lieut. Duffy when he was killed about 15th November at Carlton Camp behind the lines. We had come back from the left of Flers to rest in tents. We had only been back a few hours when a shell came over and landed on one of the tents and killed 3 officers. Lieut. Duffy, Captain Bush and Lieut. Carlisle. I believe they were all killed instantaneously. I was only 3 tents away at the time and hearing the shell burst, rushed out and helped to pick them up. The Pioneers buried them I think, close to the camp, I saw them being carried away. There were 2 other officers in the tent who escaped, Captain MacDonald and Lieut. Burns."

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Lieutenant
Leslie Robert Schrader Gunson
31st Heavy Bty. Royal Garrison Artillery
18th July 1916, aged 21.
Plot VI. D. 4.

Only son of Clara Jane Gunson, of Ghyll Bank, Whitehaven, Cumberland, and the late John Robinson Gunson. A Medical Student at Edinburgh University.

His headstone bears the inscription; "The Path Of City Was The Way To Glory."

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110 Gunner
Edward Lyons Heydon
1st Bde. Australian Field Artillery
21st December 1916, aged 25.
Plot VI. F. 5.

Son of Thomas and Annie Heydon, of 3, Market St., Drummoyne, New South Wales. Born Sydney, New South Wales.

His headstone bears the inscription; "Loved In Life Honored In Death Sadly Missed One Of The Best."

A professional soldier with the rank of trumpeter, he embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Argyllshire (A8) on 18 October 1914. He was killed in action on 21 December 1916 in France, aged 25.

Catain L. T. Gwyther gave this account of the incident which led to the death of Edward Heydon;

"Trumpeter Hayden was killed when he was being conveyed from a hospital at Quarry Dump, Bernafay Wood, on the Somme, to a train. The shell hit the rail and a piece of rail caught him on the head and killed him instantly. He was buried at Quarry Dump Cemetery, a cross was erected by a Padre bearing his name, number and rank. I was his commanding officer and he was one of our first men killed on the Somme. He was very popular."

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5095 Private
Thomas William Hinchliffe
57th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
27th November 1916.
Plot VI. E. 4.

A 23 year old labourer from Piccaninny Creek via Gunbower, Victoria, when he enlisted and embarked for overseas with the 16th Reinforcements from Melbourne on 1 April 1916 aboard HMAT Suffolk. He joined the 57th Battalion in France on 22 July 1916, was wounded in action on 26 November 1916 and died of wounds the next day.


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Captain
James Johnston Maybin
11th Bn. Royal Scots
14th July 1916.
Plot III. A. 6.


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T4/249411 Private
George Morris
Army Service Corps, attd. 1st/3rd (West Lancs) Field Amb. Royal Army Medical Corps
23rd September 1916.
Plot VI. G. 5.



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8/3367 Private
Percy William Morton
1st Bn. Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
​27th September 1916, aged 25.
Plot I. A. 5.

Son of Clara Morton, of Savage Rd., Waihi, New Zealand, and the late William H. Morton.


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Lieutenant
Timothy John Aloysius O'Brien
27th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
7th August 1916, aged 24.
Plot IV. C. 1

Son of Sir Timothy Carew O'Brien, 3rd Bt., and Lady O'Brien, of 41, Hans Mansions, London.

His headstone bears the inscription; "Eldest Son Of Sir Timothy O'Brien, Bart. And Lady O'Brien. Thy Will Be Done."


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Picture © Werner Van Caneghem
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7968 Private
Harry Gilbert Shapley
13th Field Amb. Australian Army Medical Corps
17th November 1916, aged 21.
Plot VI. I. 2.

Son of William Thomas and Alice Shapley, of Port Pirie, South Australia. Born Broken Hill, New South Wales.


His headstone bears the inscription; "We'll Meet The Future Full Of Faith And Hope."


Note the leather cover of Pte Shapley's wristwatch has a lapel badge attached to it. It was from his old school, Prince Alfred College, Adelaide. The watch was possibly a farewell gift form the Commonwealth Public Service Clerical Association upon his enlistment. A 20 year old clerk prior to enlisting on 20 July 1915, he embarked for overseas with the Special Reinforcements from Melbourne on 11 October 1915 aboard HMAT Nestor (A71). After arriving in Egypt, he transferred to the 13th Field Ambulance and went with them to France in June 1916. Pte Shapley was killed in action near Becordel on 17 November 1916 and buried in the Quarry Cemetery, Montauban, France.

The 3 images above show Private Shapley's comrades visiting his grave at Montauban whilst the war continued.
Courtesy: 
Commonwealth of Australia

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20983 Private
William Stocks
10th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
12th August 1916, aged 34.
Plot VI. I. 15.

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6689 Private
Ernest Tattersall
16th Bn. Manchester Regiment
1st July 1916.
Plot IV. F. 6.


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Aerial photograph of a British gas attack in progress between Carnoy and Montauban in June 1916, shortly before the Somme offensive. Montauban, then still in German hands, is at the top left of the picture and Carnoy, behind British lines, is at the bottom right. © IWM (Q 55066)

​ Images in this gallery © Werner Van Caneghem

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British troops at work clearing rubble in the ruins of Montauban, around a statue of the Virgin Mary, 26 May 1917. © IWM (Q 2240)
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Second Lieutenant
Edward Wilmot Vaughan
12th Bde. Royal Field Artillery
15th July 1916, aged 19.
Plot IV. B. 8.

Only son of John Percival Vaughan, I.C.S., of Llangoedrnor, Cardiganshire.

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


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Second Lieutenant
Frank Irvin Young
1st Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers
Died Between 24/07/1916 and 25/07/1916, aged 32.
Plot III. D. 5.

Son of Dr. R. and Mrs. Young; husband of May Young, of Clyde House, Bishop Auckland. Born Newcastle-on-Tyne.


Picture
Royal Garrison Artillery Gunners' dug-out. Montauban. September 1916. © IWM (Q 4326)
Pictures in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
Number of Burials by Unit

Royal Field Artillery 137
Royal Scots - Lothian Regiment 46 
New Zealand units 38
Australian units 25 
Royal Horse Artillery 24
East Surrey Regiment 16 
Royal Engineers 16
Royal Fusiliers - City of London Regiment 16 
King's Royal Rifle Corps 15  
Middlesex Regiment 13 
Royal Garrison Artillery 13  
Highland Light Infantry 11 
King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment 11  
Manchester Regiment 10 
Suffolk Regiment 10  
Cheshire Regiment 9 
Leinster Regiment 9  
Queen's - Royal West Surrey Regiment 9 
Cameronians - Scottish Rifles 8  
Devonshire Regiment 8 
King's Liverpool Regiment 8  
Lancashire Fusiliers 8 
Duke of Wellington - West Riding Regiment 7  
East Yorkshire Regiment 7 
Green Howards - Yorkshire Regiment 6  
Northamptonshire Regiment 6 
King's Own Scottish Borderers 5  
Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment 5 
South African Regiment 5  
Gordon Highlanders 4 
Machine Gun Corps 4  
Rifle Brigade 4 
Royal Irish Fusiliers 4  
Royal West Kent - Queen's Own 4 
West Yorkshire Regiment 4  
19th Hussars - Queen Alexander's Own Regiment 3 
Bedfordshire Regiment 3  
Royal Army Medical Corps 3 
Royal Army Service Corps 3  
Royal Scots Fusiliers 3 
Seaforth Highlanders 3 
Tank Corps 3
Border Regiment 2 
Dorsetshire Regiment 2
Essex Regiment 2 
Gloucestershire Regiment 2
Hampshire Regiment 2 
King's Shropshire Light Infantry 2
Lincolnshire Regiment 2 
Norfolk Regiment 2
Northumberland Fusiliers 2 
Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force 2
South Lancashire Regiment 2 
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 1
East Lancashire Regiment 1 
French units 1
Grenadier Guards 1 
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 1
Leicestershire Regiment 1 
Royal Artillery 1
Royal Berkshire Regiment 1 
Royal Irish Regiment 1
Royal Welsh Fusiliers 1 
Welsh Regiment 1
​
Identified UK and Allied burials: 584   
German Burials: 14   
Total Identified burials: 598   
Unidentified burials: 158   
Total burials: 756  
Picture
13 section Panoramas Western Front. FIELD OF VIEW: Lozenge Wood to Montauban, Fricourt Sector DIRECTION OF VIEW: 100 degrees North North West to East North East CAMERA LOCATION: The Quarry. © IWM (Q 43630)

Nearby Cemeteries

Bernafay Wood British Cemetery
Longueval Road Cemetery
Caterpillar Valley Cemetery

World War Two Cemeteries
​

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​© COPYRIGHT TERENCE HEARD AND BRENT WHITTAM
​ 2005-2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
.​
Disclaimer 

The casualty numbers for each cemetery and G. P. S. Coordinates are taken from the C. W. G. C. site. We are aware that there can be discrepancies in the burial numbers quoted due to rededication burials.

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    • Commonwealth Cemeteries in France >
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      • PAS DE CALAIS
      • SEINE-ET-MARNE
      • SEINE-MARITIME
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      • OTHER FRENCH DEPARTMENTS
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  • Gallipoli
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