St. Venant Communal Cemetery (CWGC)

ST. VENANT COMMUNAL CEMETERY

Pas De Calais

France

GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 50.62422, Longitude: 2.55486

Location Information

St. Venant is a town in the Department of the Pas-de-Calais, 15 kilometres north-west of Bethune.

The Communal Cemetery is 1 kilometre east of the town. Leave the church and head east crossing the main road at the base of the bridge over the river. After 500 metres the car park for the Communal Cemetery is found on the left hand side.

Historical Information

From January 1915 to October 1917, British and Indian Casualty Clearing Stations were posted at St. Venant. In April 1918, during the Battles of the Lys, the Germans advanced half-way between Merville and St. Venant, but the latter town remained in British hands.

On the West side of St. Venant Communal Cemetery is the Indian Plot (I), used from January to July 1915; behind that is a French Military Plot; and behind the French Plot is Plot II, used from August 1915 to December 1916. Two British graves are in a civilian plot.

During the 1939-45 War, St. Venant was the centre of heavy fighting when delaying actions covered the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary Force to the coast. In fact British troops continued fighting at St. Venant after the evacuation of Dunkirk, and 90 or more were buried in a mass grave in a field at St. Venant. The 1939-45 burials are in Plots III and IV.

There are 253 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-18 war, 10 of which are unidentified, and 177 of the 1939-1945 war, 40 of which are unidentified, in this site. The 1939-45 total includes the 90 originally buried in a mass grave and an officer who is commemorated by a special memorial inscribed "Believed to be".

Total Burials: 430.

World War One Commonwealth Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 155, India 85, South Africa 2, Canada 1. Total 243.

World War One Commonwealth Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 10.

World War Two Commonwealth Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 137.

World War Two Commonwealth Unidentified Casualties: 40.

12193 Lance Corporal
Charles Bowden
9th Bn. Cheshire Regiment
10th August 1915, aged 22.
Plot II. A. 8.

Son of Edward and Matilda M. Bowden, of Slaughter Hill, Crewe Green, Crewe. Born at Haslington, Cheshire.

20723 Private
Robert Samuel Hughes
14th Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers
10th February 1916, aged 32.
Plot II. F. 4.

Husband of Winnie Hughes, of 7, Prospect Terrace, Great Orme, Llandudno.

His headstone bears the inscription: "Dearly Loved. Never Forgotten By His Wife And Children; Winnie, Vic. & Alf."

G/78968 Private
William Robert Kent
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) Posted to 1st/24th Bn. London Regiment
7th October 1918.
Plot IV. B. 4.

Picture courtesy of Helen Woolley

13460 Private
Hugh Frederick Nicholas
9th Bn. Welsh Regiment
21st December 1915, aged 22.
Plot II. B. 2.

Son of Hugh Nicholas, of 14, Lewis Rd., Neath, Glam, and the late Elizabeth Nicholas.

His headstone bears the inscription: "A Loving Son And Brother Dear A Loving Memory Left Behind."

1623 Quartermaster Serjeant
John Satterthwaite
1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regiment
22nd April 1916, aged 25.
Plot II. G. 1.

Son of James and Alice Satterthwaite, of 6, North Aivengue, Letchworth, Herts. Born in London.

His headstone bears the inscription: "Though Far Away We Mourn Him Still, Peace Perfect Peace."

Lieutenant
Edward Gordon Williams
2nd Bn. Grenadier Guards
12th August 1915, aged 27.
French Civilian Plot

Son of Edward Gordon Williams and Louise Davies Williams.

266313 Private
Richard Yates
11th Bn. Somerset Light Infantry
2nd September 1918.
Plot IV. B. 25.

The Battle of the Lys. 18 pounder gun of the Royal Field Artillery in position for the defence of a canal bridge. Saint-Venant, 12 April 1918. © IWM Q 6611