VADENCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY
Maissemy
Aisne
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 49.90053, Longitude: 3.17732
Location Information
Maissemy is a village about 5 kilometres north-west of St.Quentin and about two kilometres north of the small town of Vermand.
Vadencourt British Cemetery lies to the north of Maissemy and is on the west side of the road from Vermand to Bellenglise.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access is possible with some difficulty.
Historical Information
Maissemy passed into British hands in 1917. It was captured by the enemy on the 21st March 1918, in spite of a strong resistance by the 24th Division and the 2/4th Royal Berks, and retaken by the 1st Division on the following 15th September. At the beginning of October, the IX Corps Main Dressing Station was at Vadencourt.
Vadencourt British Cemetery (called at first Vadencourt New British Cemetery) was begun in August 1917, by fighting units, and used until March 1918. In October and November 1918, it was used by the 5th, 47th and 61st Casualty Clearing Stations (at Bihecourt, on the road to Vermand) as well as by Field Ambulances. These original graves are in Plots I-III. After the Armistice these plots were enlarged, and Plots IV and V made, by the concentration of graves from the surrounding battlefields and from a few small burial grounds. These scattered graves were mainly of April 1917, and March, April, September and October 1918, and many of them represented casualties of the 59th (North Midland) Division. At the same time four French, 31 American and 28 German Graves, all of October 1918, were removed to other cemeteries.
The cemeteries from which graves were removed to Vadencourt British Cemetery included these two:-
VADENCOURT CHATEAU CEMETERY, a little further West, contained nine soldiers from the United Kingdom and six from Canada were buried in April-August 1917.
VENDELLES CHURCHYARD EXTENSION, made by the 59th Division in April 1917, which contained the graves of 36 soldiers from the United Kingdom.
There are now 760, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 214 are unidentified. Five Indian Cavalry soldiers, whose bodies were cremated, are named on special memorials.
The Cemetery covers an area of 2,953 square metres and is enclosed by rubble wall.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and Arthur James Scott Hutton
Total Burials: 760.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 523, Australia 9, Canada 7, India 7. Total 546.
Unidentified Casualties: 214. Total 214.
Dedications
22228 Private Arthur John Gabb, 1st Bn. South Wales Borderers, 15th September1918, aged 29. Brother of Kathleen Gabb, uncle to Kathleen, Mary, Helen and Janet Bateman, Great Uncle to Kate and William Stephens and Great-Great uncle to Arthur Painter (born 30th November 2006).
Remembered with honour by Kate Painter
Lieutenant Colonel
John Henry Stephen Dimmer, V. C., M. C.
King's Royal Rifle Corps, attd. 2nd/4th Bn. Royal Berkshire Regiment
killed in action 21st March 1918 aged 35. Plot II. B. 46.
Husband of Dora Garvagh (formerly Dimmer), of Ashby Hall, Lincoln.
His headstone bears the inscription "For King And Country He Gave Gladly"
Citation:
An extract from "The London Gazette" dated 19th Nov., 1914. records the following:-"This Officer served his machine gun during the attack on the 12th November at Klein Zillebeke until he had been shot five times - three times by shrapnel and twice by bullets, and continued at his post until his gun was destroyed."
John Henry Stephen Dimmer, V. C., M. C.
King's Royal Rifle Corps, attd. 2nd/4th Bn. Royal Berkshire Regiment
killed in action 21st March 1918 aged 35. Plot II. B. 46.
Husband of Dora Garvagh (formerly Dimmer), of Ashby Hall, Lincoln.
His headstone bears the inscription "For King And Country He Gave Gladly"
Citation:
An extract from "The London Gazette" dated 19th Nov., 1914. records the following:-"This Officer served his machine gun during the attack on the 12th November at Klein Zillebeke until he had been shot five times - three times by shrapnel and twice by bullets, and continued at his post until his gun was destroyed."
Picture © Johan Pauwels
5000 Private
Harry Brokenshire
50th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
13th September 1918, aged 19.
Plot V. B. 12.
Inscription "Youngest Beloved Son Of N. G. & C. C. Brokenshire, Moonta, Duty Nobly Done"
Youngest son of Nicholas George and Catherine Carthew Brokenshire, of Wellington St., Black Forrest, Adelaide, South Australia. Born at Moonta, South Australia.
From Moonta, South Australia. An 18 year old assistant mechanic prior to enlisting on 6 July 1917, he embarked for overseas with the 14th Reinforcements of the 32nd Battalion from Melbourne on 22 December 1917 aboard HMAT Ulysses. After arriving in France in late May 1918, he transferred to the 50th Battalion and was killed in action on 13 September 1918 during the Allied advance to the Hindenburg Line.
Harry Brokenshire
50th Bn. Australian Infantry, A. I. F.
13th September 1918, aged 19.
Plot V. B. 12.
Inscription "Youngest Beloved Son Of N. G. & C. C. Brokenshire, Moonta, Duty Nobly Done"
Youngest son of Nicholas George and Catherine Carthew Brokenshire, of Wellington St., Black Forrest, Adelaide, South Australia. Born at Moonta, South Australia.
From Moonta, South Australia. An 18 year old assistant mechanic prior to enlisting on 6 July 1917, he embarked for overseas with the 14th Reinforcements of the 32nd Battalion from Melbourne on 22 December 1917 aboard HMAT Ulysses. After arriving in France in late May 1918, he transferred to the 50th Battalion and was killed in action on 13 September 1918 during the Allied advance to the Hindenburg Line.
6056 Corporal
Thomas Thordarson
Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
27th May 1917, aged 26.
Plot I. B. 21.
Inscription "A Hero He Lived A Hero He Died"
Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Thordarson, of Langruth, Manitoba, Canada.
Thomas Thordarson
Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
27th May 1917, aged 26.
Plot I. B. 21.
Inscription "A Hero He Lived A Hero He Died"
Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Thordarson, of Langruth, Manitoba, Canada.
240470 Lance Corporal
Charles Frederick Yates
1st/5th Bn. Leicestershire Regiment
14th October 1918
Plot III. C. 9.
Son of Mrs. Elizabeth Yates, of 16, Seagrave Rd., Sileby, Leicester.
Picture courtesy of Mr Yates, nephew
Charles Frederick Yates
1st/5th Bn. Leicestershire Regiment
14th October 1918
Plot III. C. 9.
Son of Mrs. Elizabeth Yates, of 16, Seagrave Rd., Sileby, Leicester.
Picture courtesy of Mr Yates, nephew
Images in this gallery © Johan Pauwels
8th September 1918; German prisoners, acting as stretcher bearers, following the tape from the battlefields near Jeancourt, to the sheltered Aid Posts established by the Ambulance Sections in rear.
18th September 1918; German prisoners bringing in the wounded from the battlefield near Jeancourt. The bodies of two men killed in attack are seen in the foreground.
