SERRE ROAD CEMETERY NO. 2
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 50.0967, Longitude: 2.6516
Image above © Carl Liversage @carl_liversage
Location Information
The village of Serre is 11 kilometres north-north-east of Albert.
Using the D919 from Arras to Amiens you will drive through the villages of Bucquoy, Puisieux then Serre-les-Puisieux (approximately 20 kilometres south of Arras). On leaving Serre-les-Puisieux, 1.3 kilometres further along the D919, Serre Road No.2 Cemetery can be found on the left hand side.
Historical Information
In June 1916, the road out of Mailly-Maillet to Serre and Puisieux entered No Man's Land about 1,300 metres south-west of Serre. On 1 July 1916, the 31st and 4th Divisions attacked north and south of this road and although parties of the 31st Division reached Serre, the attack failed. The 3rd and 31st Divisions attacked once more on the 13 November, but again without success.
Early in 1917, the Germans fell back to the Hindenburg Line and on 25 February, Serre was occupied by the 22nd Manchesters. The village changed hands once more in March 1918 and remained under German occupation, until they withdrew in August.
In the spring of 1917, the battlefields of the Somme and Ancre were cleared by V Corps and a number of new cemeteries were made, three of which are now named from the Serre Road. Serre Road Cemetery No.2 was begun in May 1917 and by the end of the war it contained approximately 475 graves (Plots I and II, except for Row E, Plot II which was added in 1922 and Row AA, Plot I which was added in 1927), but it was greatly enlarged after the Armistice by the addition of further graves from the surrounding area, including graves from the following smaller cemeteries:-
BAIZIEUX COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Somme): one United Kingdom grave March 1918.
BOISMONT CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of October 1914.
BUCQUOY COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Pas-de-Calais): 25 United Kingdom graves of August 1918.
ERCHEU CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of March 1918.
FRETTECUISSE CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave September 1916.
HERVILLY CHURCHYARD (Somme): one R.F.C. grave of September 1916.
HOLNON COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Aisne): five United Kingdom graves April 1917.
LABOISSIERE CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of April 1917.
LE SARS GERMAN CEMETERY (Pas-de-Calais): one United Kingdom grave.
MADAME MILITARY CEMETERY, CLERY-SUR-SOMME (Somme): three United Kingdom graves of February 1917.
MEAULTE CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of April 1916.
POZIERES COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Somme): one Canadian grave of September 1916.
REMIENCOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of April 1918.
SOMME AMERICAN CEMETERY, BONY (Aisne): two United Kingdom graves of July and October 1918, and one Australian of September 1918.
VOYENNES CHURCHYARD (Somme): seven United Kingdom graves of March 1918.
YTRES CHURCHYARD (Pas-de-Calais): 14 United Kingdom and four New Zealand graves of September 1918, mainly from the 15th Field Ambulance.
There are now 7,127 Commonwealth burials of the First World War in the cemetery, mostly dating from 1916. Of these, 4,944 are unidentified.
Casualty Details: UK 5971, Canada 301, Australia 699, New Zealand 116, South Africa 39, Germany 13, Total Burials: 7139.
The cemetery, which was not completed until 1934, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and N. A. Rew.
The village of Serre is 11 kilometres north-north-east of Albert.
Using the D919 from Arras to Amiens you will drive through the villages of Bucquoy, Puisieux then Serre-les-Puisieux (approximately 20 kilometres south of Arras). On leaving Serre-les-Puisieux, 1.3 kilometres further along the D919, Serre Road No.2 Cemetery can be found on the left hand side.
Historical Information
In June 1916, the road out of Mailly-Maillet to Serre and Puisieux entered No Man's Land about 1,300 metres south-west of Serre. On 1 July 1916, the 31st and 4th Divisions attacked north and south of this road and although parties of the 31st Division reached Serre, the attack failed. The 3rd and 31st Divisions attacked once more on the 13 November, but again without success.
Early in 1917, the Germans fell back to the Hindenburg Line and on 25 February, Serre was occupied by the 22nd Manchesters. The village changed hands once more in March 1918 and remained under German occupation, until they withdrew in August.
In the spring of 1917, the battlefields of the Somme and Ancre were cleared by V Corps and a number of new cemeteries were made, three of which are now named from the Serre Road. Serre Road Cemetery No.2 was begun in May 1917 and by the end of the war it contained approximately 475 graves (Plots I and II, except for Row E, Plot II which was added in 1922 and Row AA, Plot I which was added in 1927), but it was greatly enlarged after the Armistice by the addition of further graves from the surrounding area, including graves from the following smaller cemeteries:-
BAIZIEUX COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Somme): one United Kingdom grave March 1918.
BOISMONT CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of October 1914.
BUCQUOY COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Pas-de-Calais): 25 United Kingdom graves of August 1918.
ERCHEU CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of March 1918.
FRETTECUISSE CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave September 1916.
HERVILLY CHURCHYARD (Somme): one R.F.C. grave of September 1916.
HOLNON COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Aisne): five United Kingdom graves April 1917.
LABOISSIERE CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of April 1917.
LE SARS GERMAN CEMETERY (Pas-de-Calais): one United Kingdom grave.
MADAME MILITARY CEMETERY, CLERY-SUR-SOMME (Somme): three United Kingdom graves of February 1917.
MEAULTE CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of April 1916.
POZIERES COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Somme): one Canadian grave of September 1916.
REMIENCOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of April 1918.
SOMME AMERICAN CEMETERY, BONY (Aisne): two United Kingdom graves of July and October 1918, and one Australian of September 1918.
VOYENNES CHURCHYARD (Somme): seven United Kingdom graves of March 1918.
YTRES CHURCHYARD (Pas-de-Calais): 14 United Kingdom and four New Zealand graves of September 1918, mainly from the 15th Field Ambulance.
There are now 7,127 Commonwealth burials of the First World War in the cemetery, mostly dating from 1916. Of these, 4,944 are unidentified.
Casualty Details: UK 5971, Canada 301, Australia 699, New Zealand 116, South Africa 39, Germany 13, Total Burials: 7139.
The cemetery, which was not completed until 1934, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and N. A. Rew.
Pre-1939 view of the cemetery, looking in the direction of Serre. ©CWGC
4451 Private
Joshua Bailey
2nd Bn. Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
1st July 1916.
Plot I. J. 13.
Joshua Bailey
2nd Bn. Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
1st July 1916.
Plot I. J. 13.
19831 Private
Herbert Birtles
21st Bn. Manchester Regiment
29th August 1916, aged 34.
Plot XXV. M. 14.
Husband of Martha Darlington (formerly Birtles), of 23, Ella St., Harpurhey, Manchester.
Herbert is also commemorated on the Manchester Regiment panels of the Thiepval Memorial, although his name will be removed when the panel is replaced. The CWGC confirmed that his body and that of another soldier of the Manchesters were recovered south of Delville Wood, they could not give an exact date but this is believed to have been in the early 1930's. Both soldiers were re-interred here.
Picture courtesy of great granddaughter, Jayne Drum
Herbert Birtles
21st Bn. Manchester Regiment
29th August 1916, aged 34.
Plot XXV. M. 14.
Husband of Martha Darlington (formerly Birtles), of 23, Ella St., Harpurhey, Manchester.
Herbert is also commemorated on the Manchester Regiment panels of the Thiepval Memorial, although his name will be removed when the panel is replaced. The CWGC confirmed that his body and that of another soldier of the Manchesters were recovered south of Delville Wood, they could not give an exact date but this is believed to have been in the early 1930's. Both soldiers were re-interred here.
Picture courtesy of great granddaughter, Jayne Drum
1630 Private
James Edward Kilby
1st/6th Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment
1st July 1916.
Plot I. K. 25.
James Edward Kilby
1st/6th Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment
1st July 1916.
Plot I. K. 25.
Second Lieutenant
Cyril James Tart
219th Field Coy. Royal Engineers
1st July 1916, aged 26.
Plot XL. J. 14.
Son of James and Harriet Matilda Tart, of 18, Charleville Rd., Handsworth, Birmingham.
Cyril James Tart
219th Field Coy. Royal Engineers
1st July 1916, aged 26.
Plot XL. J. 14.
Son of James and Harriet Matilda Tart, of 18, Charleville Rd., Handsworth, Birmingham.
400621 Private
R. E. Townsend
19th Bn. Canadian Infantry
14th September 1916, aged 20.
Plot XXIII. J. 15.
Son of Albert E. and Agnes Townsend, of 70, Pitman Avenue, Trowbridge, Wilts. Born at Bath, England.
R. E. Townsend
19th Bn. Canadian Infantry
14th September 1916, aged 20.
Plot XXIII. J. 15.
Son of Albert E. and Agnes Townsend, of 70, Pitman Avenue, Trowbridge, Wilts. Born at Bath, England.
September 1952 - ©CWGC
British troops in a captured German trench ('Old Hun Line') at Serre, March 1917. Serre was occupied by men of the 7th, 9th and 62nd Divisions on 25 February 1917 during operations on the Ancre, the preliminary stages of the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. © IWM (Q 1788)
Group of British soldiers in the ruins of Serre, abandoned just before the German retreat, March 1917. © IWM (Q 5804)
A working party of 2nd Battalion, the Manchester Regiment, part of 32nd Division, moving up to the trenches near Serre, January 1917. © IWM (Q 1789)
A panoramic view of ruins of the Sugar Refinery, near Serre, March 1917, following operations on the Ancre. © IWM (Q 1815)
Pictures in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
Image above © Carl Liversage @carl_liversage
