WANCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY
Pas De Calais
France
Location Information
Wancourt is a village about 8 kilometres south-east of Arras. It is 2 kilometres south of the main road from Arras to Cambrai. The cemetery is a short distance south-east of the village just off the D 35 road.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to the cemetery is possible, but may be by alternative entrance.
Historical Information
Wancourt was captured on 12 April 1917 after very heavy fighting and the advance was continued on the following days. The cemetery, called at first Cojeul Valley Cemetery, or River Road Cemetery, was opened about ten days later; it was used until October 1918, but was in German hands from March 1918 until 26 August, when the Canadian Corps recaptured Wancourt.
At the Armistice, the cemetery contained 410 graves, but was very greatly increased in the following years when graves were brought in from the following small cemeteries and isolated positions on the battlefields south-east of Arras :-
ST. MARTIN-CROISILLES ROAD CEMETERY, in the commune of ST. MARTIN-SUR-COJEUL. In this graveyard, about midway on the road, were buried 15 British officers and men who fell on 9 April 1917, or the four following days, and of whom 13 belonged to the 1st East Yorkshire Regiment.
SHAFT TRENCH CEMETERY, in the commune of HENINEL, about 1600 metres from that village on the road to Croisilles. Here, in April, May and June 1917, 19 British soldiers were buried by the 50th (Northumbrian) Division.
SIGNAL TRENCH CEMETERY, HENINEL. Here, on the far side of the ridge between Wancourt and Cherisy, "in a rather broken part of the British front line", 22 British soldiers were buried in April and May 1917.
FONTAINE ROAD CEMETERY, HENINEL. In this graveyard, slightly North of Signal Trench Cemetery, 17 British officers and men (of whom 15 belonged to the 2nd Royal Welch Fusiliers) were buried in April 1917.
HENINEL-CHERISY ROAD WEST CEMETERY, HENINEL, which was about 800 metres East of Heninel village, contained 25 British graves of April 1917.
THE LINCOLNS CEMETERY, ST. MARTIN-SUR-COJEUL, about 800 metres South-East of that village, where 22 non-commissioned officers and men of the 1st Lincolns, who fell on 11 April 1917, were buried.
HENIN NORTH CEMETERY, HENIN-SUR-COJEUL, about 800 metres North of the village, contained the graves of 29 British soldiers who fell on 9 April 1917, almost all of whom belonged to the 2nd Wilts or the 18th King's Liverpools.
The cemetery now contains 1,936 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 829 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 76 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to 20 who were buried in Signal Trench Cemetery whose graves were destroyed in later battles.
Total Burials 1936.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 890, Canada 222. Total 1112.
Cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and George Hartley Goldsmith
Wancourt is a village about 8 kilometres south-east of Arras. It is 2 kilometres south of the main road from Arras to Cambrai. The cemetery is a short distance south-east of the village just off the D 35 road.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access to the cemetery is possible, but may be by alternative entrance.
Historical Information
Wancourt was captured on 12 April 1917 after very heavy fighting and the advance was continued on the following days. The cemetery, called at first Cojeul Valley Cemetery, or River Road Cemetery, was opened about ten days later; it was used until October 1918, but was in German hands from March 1918 until 26 August, when the Canadian Corps recaptured Wancourt.
At the Armistice, the cemetery contained 410 graves, but was very greatly increased in the following years when graves were brought in from the following small cemeteries and isolated positions on the battlefields south-east of Arras :-
ST. MARTIN-CROISILLES ROAD CEMETERY, in the commune of ST. MARTIN-SUR-COJEUL. In this graveyard, about midway on the road, were buried 15 British officers and men who fell on 9 April 1917, or the four following days, and of whom 13 belonged to the 1st East Yorkshire Regiment.
SHAFT TRENCH CEMETERY, in the commune of HENINEL, about 1600 metres from that village on the road to Croisilles. Here, in April, May and June 1917, 19 British soldiers were buried by the 50th (Northumbrian) Division.
SIGNAL TRENCH CEMETERY, HENINEL. Here, on the far side of the ridge between Wancourt and Cherisy, "in a rather broken part of the British front line", 22 British soldiers were buried in April and May 1917.
FONTAINE ROAD CEMETERY, HENINEL. In this graveyard, slightly North of Signal Trench Cemetery, 17 British officers and men (of whom 15 belonged to the 2nd Royal Welch Fusiliers) were buried in April 1917.
HENINEL-CHERISY ROAD WEST CEMETERY, HENINEL, which was about 800 metres East of Heninel village, contained 25 British graves of April 1917.
THE LINCOLNS CEMETERY, ST. MARTIN-SUR-COJEUL, about 800 metres South-East of that village, where 22 non-commissioned officers and men of the 1st Lincolns, who fell on 11 April 1917, were buried.
HENIN NORTH CEMETERY, HENIN-SUR-COJEUL, about 800 metres North of the village, contained the graves of 29 British soldiers who fell on 9 April 1917, almost all of whom belonged to the 2nd Wilts or the 18th King's Liverpools.
The cemetery now contains 1,936 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 829 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 76 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to 20 who were buried in Signal Trench Cemetery whose graves were destroyed in later battles.
Total Burials 1936.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 890, Canada 222. Total 1112.
Cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and George Hartley Goldsmith
Captain
Cyril Easton M. C.
4th Bn., East Yorkshire Regiment
23rd April 1917, aged 32.
Special Memorial 61
Son of John Huteson Easton and Ellen Easton.
Cyril Easton M. C.
4th Bn., East Yorkshire Regiment
23rd April 1917, aged 32.
Special Memorial 61
Son of John Huteson Easton and Ellen Easton.
200012 Serjeant
John Thomas Haylett
1st/7th Bn. Middlesex Regiment
4th May 1917, aged 26.
Plot IV. B. 23.
Killed in war leaving only son John William George Haylett.
Gone but not forgotten & Remembered with pride by Granddaughter Jean Fuller (nee Haylett) &Great Granddaughter Tanya Fuller
John Thomas Haylett
1st/7th Bn. Middlesex Regiment
4th May 1917, aged 26.
Plot IV. B. 23.
Killed in war leaving only son John William George Haylett.
Gone but not forgotten & Remembered with pride by Granddaughter Jean Fuller (nee Haylett) &Great Granddaughter Tanya Fuller
Lieutenant Colonel
Archibald Ernest Graham McKenzie, D. S. O. & Bar.
Canadian Infantry
28th August 1918, aged 39.
Plot II. C. 9.
Son of Archibald McKenzie, of Campbellton, New Brunswick; husband of Charlotte B. McKenzie, of Newcastle, New Brunswick.
Archibald Ernest Graham McKenzie, D. S. O. & Bar.
Canadian Infantry
28th August 1918, aged 39.
Plot II. C. 9.
Son of Archibald McKenzie, of Campbellton, New Brunswick; husband of Charlotte B. McKenzie, of Newcastle, New Brunswick.
235206 Private
John Mooney
1st/6th Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers
15th April 1917
Plot III. F. 10.
Picture courtesy of granddaughter Anna Bartlett
John Mooney
1st/6th Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers
15th April 1917
Plot III. F. 10.
Picture courtesy of granddaughter Anna Bartlett
Second Lieutenant
Harold Oughtred
4th Bn. East Yorkshire Regiment
23rd April 1917, aged 39.
Plot V. C. 39.
Son of John and Marianne Oughtred, of Kettleby Thorpe, Brigg, Lincs. M.A., Oxford and London.
Harold Oughtred
4th Bn. East Yorkshire Regiment
23rd April 1917, aged 39.
Plot V. C. 39.
Son of John and Marianne Oughtred, of Kettleby Thorpe, Brigg, Lincs. M.A., Oxford and London.
242209 Private
Joseph Ellis Woof
5th Bn. Border Regiment
24th April 1917, aged 28.
Plot I. A. 5.
Son of Mrs. E. J. Woof, of 27, Millholme Avenue, Carlisle.
Joseph Ellis Woof of Heversham, Cumbria was married to my grandmother Emma Jane (nee Graham) on 30th September 1916. He was 28 years old and died at Arras on 24th April 1917.
Picture courtesy of great granddaughter Marilyn Burns
Joseph Ellis Woof
5th Bn. Border Regiment
24th April 1917, aged 28.
Plot I. A. 5.
Son of Mrs. E. J. Woof, of 27, Millholme Avenue, Carlisle.
Joseph Ellis Woof of Heversham, Cumbria was married to my grandmother Emma Jane (nee Graham) on 30th September 1916. He was 28 years old and died at Arras on 24th April 1917.
Picture courtesy of great granddaughter Marilyn Burns
44041 Private
John Woolridge
9th Bn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
9th April 1917.
Plot V. G. 26.
Husband of R. Woolridge, of 111, Queen's Rd., Loughborough, Leicestershire.
John Woolridge
9th Bn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
9th April 1917.
Plot V. G. 26.
Husband of R. Woolridge, of 111, Queen's Rd., Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Captain
Montagu Locke Yeatherd
12th (Prince of Wales's Royal) Lancers
11th April 1917, aged 33.
Plot IV. D. 3.
Son of Mabel Elizabeth Yeatherd, of 31, Montpelier Square, South Kensington, London, and the late Lt. Col. E. W. Yeatherd (2nd Bn. The King's Own Royal Regt.). Joined 7th Queen's Own Hussars from Sandhurst, April, 1903, and transf. to XIIth Royal Lancers, October, 1916
Montagu Locke Yeatherd
12th (Prince of Wales's Royal) Lancers
11th April 1917, aged 33.
Plot IV. D. 3.
Son of Mabel Elizabeth Yeatherd, of 31, Montpelier Square, South Kensington, London, and the late Lt. Col. E. W. Yeatherd (2nd Bn. The King's Own Royal Regt.). Joined 7th Queen's Own Hussars from Sandhurst, April, 1903, and transf. to XIIth Royal Lancers, October, 1916
