ST. NICOLAS BRITISH CEMETERY
Pas De Calais
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.30364, Longitude: 2.76993
Location Information
Ste. Catherine and St. Nicolas are villages and districts in the Department of the Pas-de-Calais, adjoining the city of Arras on the north side. Ste. Catherine lying to the west, and St. Nicolas to the east of the N37 road to La Targette and Souchez.
St. Nicolas British Cemetery lies along a footpath to the south of the Rue D'Enfer, which joins the road to Roclincourt.
Historical Information
From March 1916 to the Armistice, the village of St. Nicolas was occupied by Commonwealth forces and for much of that time it was within the range of German artillery fire. The cemetery was started in March 1917 and used by the divisions and field ambulances stationed there until October 1918.
St Nicolas British Cemetery contains 364 First World War burials.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 347, South Africa 9, Canada 3, Australia 2. Total 361.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and William Harrison Cowlishaw
Images in this gallery © Geerhard Joos

Captain
Edward Malcolm Cunningham, M.C.
2nd Bn. attd. 9th Bn. Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
5th August 1917, aged 24.
Plot II. B. 12.
Son of the Rev. Thomas Scudamore Cunningham and the late Lucy Cunningham
Edward Malcolm Cunningham, M.C.
2nd Bn. attd. 9th Bn. Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
5th August 1917, aged 24.
Plot II. B. 12.
Son of the Rev. Thomas Scudamore Cunningham and the late Lucy Cunningham

47134 Private
Joseph Downes
1st/5th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
18th September 1918.
Plot II. E. 9.
Joseph Downes
1st/5th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment
18th September 1918.
Plot II. E. 9.

20620 Private
Bernard Walter Gould
8th Bn. Somerset Light Infantry
24th July 1917.
Plot I. H. 5.
Bernard Walter Gould
8th Bn. Somerset Light Infantry
24th July 1917.
Plot I. H. 5.

543 Gunner
William Henry Holmes
36th Australian Heavy Artillery
23rd April 1917.
Plot I. G. 23.
William Henry Holmes
36th Australian Heavy Artillery
23rd April 1917.
Plot I. G. 23.

Lieutenant
Charles Edward Jarvis
10th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)
18th July 1917, aged 27.
Plot II. B. 1.
Son of H. B. and Adelaide Jarvis, of 1 8, Ayr St., Forest Rd., Nottingham.
Charles Edward Jarvis
10th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)
18th July 1917, aged 27.
Plot II. B. 1.
Son of H. B. and Adelaide Jarvis, of 1 8, Ayr St., Forest Rd., Nottingham.

S/5832 Serjeant
Torquil Macleod
9th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders
6th June 1917, aged 30.
Plot I. L. 13.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Torquil Macleod, of Knock, Stornoway, Lewis.
His headstone bears the inscription "From His Loving Mother Absent In Body But Always In Spirit"
Torquil was the youngest son of my great-grandparents. His brother, my grandfather, Donald Macleod, served in the RNVR on HMS Pembroke, and had died in January 1917.
Picture courtesy of Mairi Rennie
Torquil Macleod
9th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders
6th June 1917, aged 30.
Plot I. L. 13.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Torquil Macleod, of Knock, Stornoway, Lewis.
His headstone bears the inscription "From His Loving Mother Absent In Body But Always In Spirit"
Torquil was the youngest son of my great-grandparents. His brother, my grandfather, Donald Macleod, served in the RNVR on HMS Pembroke, and had died in January 1917.
Picture courtesy of Mairi Rennie

901183 Private
James MacDonald
85th Bn. Canadian Infantry
26th July 1918, aged 28.
Plot II. E. 2.
Son of Angus and Sarah MacDonald.
His headstone bears the inscription "Beloved Son Of Angus And Sarah MacDonald, Truro, N. S. May His Soul Rest In Peace"
James MacDonald
85th Bn. Canadian Infantry
26th July 1918, aged 28.
Plot II. E. 2.
Son of Angus and Sarah MacDonald.
His headstone bears the inscription "Beloved Son Of Angus And Sarah MacDonald, Truro, N. S. May His Soul Rest In Peace"

Captain
Leonard Neville Rogers
1st Bn. attd. 18th Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers
11th April 1917, aged 38.
Plot I. E. 13.
Son of William Bennett Rogers and Anne Catherine Rogers, of Danehurst, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
His headstone bears the inscription "Quo Fata Vocant - Never Forgotten."
Leonard Neville Rogers
1st Bn. attd. 18th Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers
11th April 1917, aged 38.
Plot I. E. 13.
Son of William Bennett Rogers and Anne Catherine Rogers, of Danehurst, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
His headstone bears the inscription "Quo Fata Vocant - Never Forgotten."

Arras : from the suburb of St Nicholas, (Nicolas) Arras-Lens Road - A view along a main road of a bomb-damaged small town. The houses and buildings on either side of the road are quite badly damaged. There are trees beyond and further buildings are visible on the horizon in the background. 1918. By Herbert Hughes-Stanton. © IWM Art.IWM ART 1994
Shot at Dawn
S/17688 Private, James Stark Adamson, 7th Bn. Cameron Highlanders, executed for cowardice, 23rd November 1917, aged 30. Plot II. C. 18. Husband of Annie P. Adamson, of 234, Links Street, Kirkaldy, Fife.
He volunteered in March 1915, arrived in France in March 1916, was wounded on the Somme, invalided home & rejoined his battalion in March 1917.
On the 28 July 1917, when in the trenches E of Ypres, Adamson was warned for a bombing raid, but complained that he could not take part because of a sore knee. He was warned of the penalty for such a refusal, to which he replied that he would be willing to take his punishment if he got justice. After the raid, it appeared that Adamson had never left the trench: he said that he had been too frightened to go over.
At trial, the MO said that Adamson had not gone sick on July 28 or 29, but had so reported on July 30, & was found to have nothing wrong with his knees, though Adamson had complained of bleeding piles & back pains.
In his defence, Adamson said that on the night of 23-24 July he had torn his knees on barbed wire (this was a kilted regiment), had gone into the line & reported sick the next day. On the 26 July he had been excused duty in a carrying-party because of his knees.
As to his record, he had committed several offences when in the UK in Dec 1915; had broken out of barracks when warned for his draft; had misbehaved while still at Invergordon before he went to France; likewise in August 1916 before he was wounded & sent back to the UK — where further offences were committed, including being absent for 4 days from New Year’s Eve 1916.
He was the last man to be shot by the British Army for cowardice in the face of the enemy. (Corns, pp 208-211; Putkowski, p 221, for an eye-witness account of his execution)
S/9696 Private Hector Dalande, 8th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders, executed for desertion, 9th March 1918. Plot II. D. 1. Husband of Jessie Henry (formerly Dalande), of 66, Big Vennel, Cromarty, Ross-shire.
A French-Canadian serving with a Scottish regiment, he had enlisted early & was posted to the Western Front in late 1915. Dalande served with distinction & credit for about a year, but in early 1917 went absent without leave — which resulted in a 3-year sentence. However he was soon after invalided with shell-shock — & after 2 months’ treatment, returned to his battalion. But he again went absent, compounding his crime by escaping from arrest. Dalande was finally detained in Jan 1918, having discarded his uniform. The priest who attended him before execution reported that Dalande spoke of profound unhappiness, & that he had desired to join the French army, where he would have felt more at home (English was only his second language). (Putkowski,pp.238-239)
S/15954 Private, Norman Henry Taysum, 9th Bn. The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) executed for desertion, 16th October 1917, aged 25. Plot II. C. 16. Son of Henry Alfred and Mary Ann Taysum, of 25, Rosyth Old Village, nr. Edinburgh.
S/15240 Private Thomas Ward, 8th/10th Bn. Gordon Highlanders, executed for desertion, 16th October 1917, aged 23. Plot II. C. 17. Son of Mrs. Ward, of 31, Society St., Glasgow; husband of Fanny Watt (formerly Ward).
These 2 volunteers above were executed on the same day, but no detail of their offences is available.
(Putkowski,pp,204-205)
Pictures below © Geerhard Joos
S/17688 Private, James Stark Adamson, 7th Bn. Cameron Highlanders, executed for cowardice, 23rd November 1917, aged 30. Plot II. C. 18. Husband of Annie P. Adamson, of 234, Links Street, Kirkaldy, Fife.
He volunteered in March 1915, arrived in France in March 1916, was wounded on the Somme, invalided home & rejoined his battalion in March 1917.
On the 28 July 1917, when in the trenches E of Ypres, Adamson was warned for a bombing raid, but complained that he could not take part because of a sore knee. He was warned of the penalty for such a refusal, to which he replied that he would be willing to take his punishment if he got justice. After the raid, it appeared that Adamson had never left the trench: he said that he had been too frightened to go over.
At trial, the MO said that Adamson had not gone sick on July 28 or 29, but had so reported on July 30, & was found to have nothing wrong with his knees, though Adamson had complained of bleeding piles & back pains.
In his defence, Adamson said that on the night of 23-24 July he had torn his knees on barbed wire (this was a kilted regiment), had gone into the line & reported sick the next day. On the 26 July he had been excused duty in a carrying-party because of his knees.
As to his record, he had committed several offences when in the UK in Dec 1915; had broken out of barracks when warned for his draft; had misbehaved while still at Invergordon before he went to France; likewise in August 1916 before he was wounded & sent back to the UK — where further offences were committed, including being absent for 4 days from New Year’s Eve 1916.
He was the last man to be shot by the British Army for cowardice in the face of the enemy. (Corns, pp 208-211; Putkowski, p 221, for an eye-witness account of his execution)
S/9696 Private Hector Dalande, 8th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders, executed for desertion, 9th March 1918. Plot II. D. 1. Husband of Jessie Henry (formerly Dalande), of 66, Big Vennel, Cromarty, Ross-shire.
A French-Canadian serving with a Scottish regiment, he had enlisted early & was posted to the Western Front in late 1915. Dalande served with distinction & credit for about a year, but in early 1917 went absent without leave — which resulted in a 3-year sentence. However he was soon after invalided with shell-shock — & after 2 months’ treatment, returned to his battalion. But he again went absent, compounding his crime by escaping from arrest. Dalande was finally detained in Jan 1918, having discarded his uniform. The priest who attended him before execution reported that Dalande spoke of profound unhappiness, & that he had desired to join the French army, where he would have felt more at home (English was only his second language). (Putkowski,pp.238-239)
S/15954 Private, Norman Henry Taysum, 9th Bn. The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) executed for desertion, 16th October 1917, aged 25. Plot II. C. 16. Son of Henry Alfred and Mary Ann Taysum, of 25, Rosyth Old Village, nr. Edinburgh.
S/15240 Private Thomas Ward, 8th/10th Bn. Gordon Highlanders, executed for desertion, 16th October 1917, aged 23. Plot II. C. 17. Son of Mrs. Ward, of 31, Society St., Glasgow; husband of Fanny Watt (formerly Ward).
These 2 volunteers above were executed on the same day, but no detail of their offences is available.
(Putkowski,pp,204-205)
Pictures below © Geerhard Joos