TILLOY BRITISH CEMETERY
Tilloy-lès-Mofflaines
Pas De Calais
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.2727, Longitude: 2.81897
Location Information
Tilloy-lès-Mofflaines is a village 3 kilometres south-east of Arras, on the south side of the main road to Cambrai. Tilloy British Cemetery is south-east of the village on the north-east side of the road to Wancourt, the D37.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to this site is possible by an alternative entrance.
Historical Information
Tilloy-Lès-Mofflaines was taken by Commonwealth troops on 9 April 1917, but it was partly in German hands again from March to August 1918.
The cemetery was begun in April 1917 by fighting units and burial officers, and Rows A to H in Plot I largely represent burials from the battlefield. The remaining graves in Plot I, and others in the first three rows of Plot II, represent later fighting in 1917 and the first three months of 1918, and the clearing of the village in August 1918. These 390 original burials were increased after the Armistice when graves were brought in from a wide area east of Arras and from the following smaller burial grounds:-
ARTILLERY TRACK CEMETERY, ARRAS, in which were buried 39 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell on the 9th and 10th April 1917; CHAPEL ROAD CEMETERY, WANCOURT, midway between Feuchy Chapel and Neuville-Vitasse, where 34 soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried in April 1917; HARP REDOUBT CEMETERY, TILLOY-LES-MOFFLAINES, close to a German fort on the South side of the village which was taken by the 14th (Light) Division and Tanks on the 9th April 1917. The cemetery contained the graves of 36 soldiers of the K.R.R.C. and 51 others from the United Kingdom; MAISON-ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY, TILLOY-LES-MOFFLAINES (near a house on the main road to Cambrai), which contained the graves of 89 soldiers from the United Kingdom, 14 from South Africa, one from Canada and one from New Zealand, and 13 German soldiers. This cemetery was used in 1917 and again in March, April and August 1918; TEES TRENCH CEMETERIES No.1 and No.2, ST. LAURENT-BLANGY (near the road to Bailleul), in which were buried 32 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell, with two exceptions, on the 9th April 1917; TELEGRAPH HILL BRITISH CEMETERY, NEUVILLE-VITASSE, on the South-Western slopes of the hill between Tilloy and Neuville-Vitasse, captured by the 14th Division on the 9th April 1917. The cemetery contained the graves of 147 soldiers from the United Kingdom, almost all of whom belonged to the 14th Division and fell in April 1917; TILLOY WOOD CEMETERY, on the Western side of the village, containing the graves of 80 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in April 1917; WHITE HOUSE CEMETERY, TILLOY-LES-MOFFLAINES, close to a house on the Cambrai road, contained the graves of 22 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell on the 11th-12th April 1917.
The cemetery now contains 1,642 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 611 of the burials are unidentified, but there are special memorials to 14 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate 11 men of the 6th Bn. K.O.S.B., buried in Tees Trench Cemetery No.2, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.
Total Burials: 1,644.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 942, Canada 51, Australia 22, South Africa 15, New Zealand 1. Total 1,031.
Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 530, Australia 69, Canada 10, Germany 2, New Zealand 2. Total 613.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and George Hartley Goldsmith
Battle of the Scarpe. Scene at an advanced dressing station at Tilloy-les-Mofflaines with a column of horse-drawn ambulance wagons Mk VI waiting to remove casualties, April 1917. © IWM (Q 2010)
Cemetery images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
203160 Private
Thomas Callaghan
1st/4th Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers
26th August 1918.
Plot X. B. 24
Thomas Callaghan
1st/4th Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers
26th August 1918.
Plot X. B. 24
378 Sergeant
George Garbellini
22nd Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
3rd May 1917, aged 26.
Plot VI. A. 25.
Son of Peter and Jane Garbellini, of Koo-wee-rup, Victoria, Australia. Native of Bolwarrah, Victoria, Australia.
Sgt Garbellini enlisted on 3 February 1915 and was killed in action on 3 May 1917 at Bullecourt in France.
His headstone bears the inscription "Safe In The Arms Of Jesus"
Click on above image to enlarge
George Garbellini
22nd Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
3rd May 1917, aged 26.
Plot VI. A. 25.
Son of Peter and Jane Garbellini, of Koo-wee-rup, Victoria, Australia. Native of Bolwarrah, Victoria, Australia.
Sgt Garbellini enlisted on 3 February 1915 and was killed in action on 3 May 1917 at Bullecourt in France.
His headstone bears the inscription "Safe In The Arms Of Jesus"
Click on above image to enlarge
4717 Private
George Edward Goodman
21st Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
3rd May 1917.
Plot VI. A. 26.
Studio portrait of 4717 Private (Pte) George Edward Goodman, 21st Battalion. A tanner from Preston, Victoria prior to enlistment, Pte Goodman embarked with the 12th Reinforcements from Melbourne on HMAT Euripides on 4 April 1916. Later reported as missing in action, a subsequent court of enquiry determined that he had been killed in action on 3 May 1917. His remains were later recovered and interred in the Tilloy British Cemetery, France.
Click on above image to enlarge
George Edward Goodman
21st Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
3rd May 1917.
Plot VI. A. 26.
Studio portrait of 4717 Private (Pte) George Edward Goodman, 21st Battalion. A tanner from Preston, Victoria prior to enlistment, Pte Goodman embarked with the 12th Reinforcements from Melbourne on HMAT Euripides on 4 April 1916. Later reported as missing in action, a subsequent court of enquiry determined that he had been killed in action on 3 May 1917. His remains were later recovered and interred in the Tilloy British Cemetery, France.
Click on above image to enlarge
Lieutenant
Charles Kaler
13th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
11th April 1917, aged 33.
Plot VIII. D. 19.
Son of the late John and Emily Kaler.
His headstone bears the inscription "In Memory Of The Dearly Loved Nephew Of Mrs. J. Blackburn"
Charles Kaler
13th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
11th April 1917, aged 33.
Plot VIII. D. 19.
Son of the late John and Emily Kaler.
His headstone bears the inscription "In Memory Of The Dearly Loved Nephew Of Mrs. J. Blackburn"
1818 Private
Albert Victor Simcock
15th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
11th April 1917, aged 29.
Plot IX. C. 1.
Son of Benjamin and Annie Simcock, of Walkerville, South Australia.
His headstone bears the inscription "Dearly Loved And Sadly Missed"
Click on image to enlarge
Studio portrait of 1818 Private (Pte) Albert Victor Simcock, 32nd Battalion. A labourer from Walkerville, South Australia, prior to enlistment, he embarked with the 2nd Reinforcements from Adelaide on 11 January 1916 aboard HMAT Borda for Suez where he was transferred to the 15th Battalion. His new unit relocated to the Western Front, France, in early June 1916. Pte Simcock was wounded in action on 8 August 1916 near Albert, France, and was evacuated to England for treatment and recuperation before rejoining his battalion in mid-January 1917 at Bazentin, France. Pte Simcock was wounded in action on the second occasion near Bullecourt, France, on 11 April 1917 and died of these wounds the same day. He was aged 29 years. His younger brother 2696 Sgt Edgar Benjamin Simcock, MM, served initially with the 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance in Egypt before transferring to the 1st Australian Field Ambulance on the Western Front in France and Belgium where he was awarded the Military Medal and afterwards rose to the rank of Sergeant. He returned to Australia for discharge on 6 July 1919. The youngest brother, 2015 Pte Sydney Charles Simcock enlisted in the 9th Light Horse Regiment and embarked for Egypt where he was transferred to the 14th Field Artillery Brigade and served on the Western Front, France before returning to Australia for discharge on 31 March 1919.
Albert Victor Simcock
15th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
11th April 1917, aged 29.
Plot IX. C. 1.
Son of Benjamin and Annie Simcock, of Walkerville, South Australia.
His headstone bears the inscription "Dearly Loved And Sadly Missed"
Click on image to enlarge
Studio portrait of 1818 Private (Pte) Albert Victor Simcock, 32nd Battalion. A labourer from Walkerville, South Australia, prior to enlistment, he embarked with the 2nd Reinforcements from Adelaide on 11 January 1916 aboard HMAT Borda for Suez where he was transferred to the 15th Battalion. His new unit relocated to the Western Front, France, in early June 1916. Pte Simcock was wounded in action on 8 August 1916 near Albert, France, and was evacuated to England for treatment and recuperation before rejoining his battalion in mid-January 1917 at Bazentin, France. Pte Simcock was wounded in action on the second occasion near Bullecourt, France, on 11 April 1917 and died of these wounds the same day. He was aged 29 years. His younger brother 2696 Sgt Edgar Benjamin Simcock, MM, served initially with the 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance in Egypt before transferring to the 1st Australian Field Ambulance on the Western Front in France and Belgium where he was awarded the Military Medal and afterwards rose to the rank of Sergeant. He returned to Australia for discharge on 6 July 1919. The youngest brother, 2015 Pte Sydney Charles Simcock enlisted in the 9th Light Horse Regiment and embarked for Egypt where he was transferred to the 14th Field Artillery Brigade and served on the Western Front, France before returning to Australia for discharge on 31 March 1919.
Second Lieutenant
Arthur Pelham Webb
5th Bn. King's Shropshire Light Infantry
9th April 1917, aged 32.
Plot II. G. 16.
Son of Dr. and Mrs Pelham Webb of 20 Redcliffe Square, Earl's Court. London
Picture courtesy of niece, Madame Liliane Boulet
Arthur Pelham Webb
5th Bn. King's Shropshire Light Infantry
9th April 1917, aged 32.
Plot II. G. 16.
Son of Dr. and Mrs Pelham Webb of 20 Redcliffe Square, Earl's Court. London
Picture courtesy of niece, Madame Liliane Boulet
2012 Private Stuart Charles George Wooldridge, 48th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F., died 11th April 1917, aged 30. Plot VI. B. 3. Son of John and Elizabeth Amelia Wooldridge, of Stone Hut, South Australia.
His headstone bears the inscription "We Always Think Of You Dear Stuart And We Miss Your Loving Face"
Studio portrait of 2012 Private (Pte) Stuart John Charles George Wooldridge, of Stone Hut, SA. A labourer before enlisting in March 1916, Pte Wooldridge left Australia for England with the 3rd Reinforcements and arrived in France for service on the Western Front in December 1916. Pte Wooldridge was killed in action during the 4th Division's attack on the Hindenberg Line at Bullecourt on 11 April 1917, aged 30. The portrait appears inside a memorial booklet produced by Pte Wooldridge's parents, "In Loving Remembrance", and is decorated with the 48th Battalion unit colour patch and a "For King and Empire" motif.
His headstone bears the inscription "We Always Think Of You Dear Stuart And We Miss Your Loving Face"
Studio portrait of 2012 Private (Pte) Stuart John Charles George Wooldridge, of Stone Hut, SA. A labourer before enlisting in March 1916, Pte Wooldridge left Australia for England with the 3rd Reinforcements and arrived in France for service on the Western Front in December 1916. Pte Wooldridge was killed in action during the 4th Division's attack on the Hindenberg Line at Bullecourt on 11 April 1917, aged 30. The portrait appears inside a memorial booklet produced by Pte Wooldridge's parents, "In Loving Remembrance", and is decorated with the 48th Battalion unit colour patch and a "For King and Empire" motif.
Battle of the Scarpe. German prisoners bringing in wounded to a British advanced dressing station at Tilloy-les-Mofflaines, April 1917. © IWM (Q 2023)
Ruins of Tilloy-les-Mofflaines (10 April) captured on 9 April 1917 after a stubborn resistance. © IWM (Q 5139)
Three officers of the Gordon Highlanders at the entrance of a dug-out outside Tilloy-les-Mofflaines, May 1917. © IWM (Q 5229)
