QUÉANT COMMUNAL CEMETERY BRITISH EXTENSION
Pas De Calais
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.18216, Longitude: 2.9765
Location Information
Quéant is a village on the D14 road 25 kilometres south-east of Arras. The Cemetery is on the western outskirts of the village on the D38 road to Riencourt-les-Cagnicourt.
Visiting Information
The location or design of this site makes wheelchair access impossible.
Historical Information
Quéant was close behind the Hindenburg Line, at the South end of a minor defence system known as the Drocourt-Quéant Line, and it was not captured by British troops until the 2nd September 1918.
On the North side of the Communal Cemetery was a German Extension of nearly 600 graves (1916-1918), now removed; and the British Extension was made by fighting units, on the far side of the German Extension, in September and October 1918.
There are 276, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 6 are unidentified.
The cemetery covers an area of 1,011 square metres and is enclosed by a flint and rubble wall.
The cemetery was designed by Edwin Lutyens & George Hartley Goldsmith
Total Burials: 276.
World War One Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 155, Canada 112, New Zealand 3. Total 270.
World War One Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 5, Unknown 1. Total 6.
Images in gallery below © Werner Van Caneghem
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Lieutenant Samuel Lewis Honey, V. C., D. C. M., M. M.
78th Bn. Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment)
died of wounds 30th September 1918 aged 24.
Row C. 36.
Son of the Rev. George E. Honey and Metta B. Honey of Lynden, Ontario.
His headstone bears the inscription; "Dear Lew, The Things Which Are Not Seen Are Eternal."
Born in Conn, Ontario, Canada, his father was a Methodist minister. Upon graduating from Princeton Continuation School in July 1910, he became a schoolteacher with special permission (he was only 16 years old), and he graduated from Walkerton High School, Walkerton, Ontario, Canada, in June 1914. In January 1915, following the outbreak of World War I, he enlisted as a non-commissioned officer in the 34th Infantry Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and was sent to England the following October for further training and became a military training instructor in January 1916. The following August, he was sent to the Western Front in France with the 78th Infantry Battalion and saw combat at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, where he displayed gallant leadership after his platoon commander had been wounded. He was then commissioned a Lieutenant and returned to England. He became a training instructor until October of that year when he rejoined his unit in France.
On 29 September, 1918, at the Battle of the Canal du Nord, he was mortally wounded and died the following day in Bourlon Wood, France
Citation
An extract from the London Gazette, No. 31108, dated 3rd Jan., 1919, records the following: "For most conspicuous bravery during the Bourlon Wood operations, 27th September to 2nd October, 1918. On 27th September, when his company commander and all other officers of his company had become casualties, Lt. Honey took command and skilfully reorganised under very severe fire. He continued the advance with great dash and gained the objective. Then finding that his company was suffering casualties from enfilade machine-gun fire he located the machine-gun nest and rushed it single-handed, capturing the guns and ten prisoners. Subsequently he repelled four enemy counter-attacks and after dark again went out alone, and having located an enemy post, led a party which captured the post and three guns. On the 29th September he led his company against a strong enemy position with great skill and daring and continued in the succeeding days of the battle to display the same high example of valour and self-sacrifice. He died of wounds received during the last day of the attack by his battalion."
Picture © Werner Van Caneghem. Click on image to enlarge
Image above © Werner Van Caneghem
Images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
Battle Scenes: German barbed wire defences at Queant in the Hindenburg Line. © IWM (CO 3392)
Image above © Werner Van Caneghem
