Wanquetin Communal Cemetery Extension

WANQUETIN COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION

Pas De Calais

France

GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.27902, Longitude: 2.61966

Location Information

Wanquetin is a village approximately 12 kilometres west of Arras and approximately 6 kilometres north of Beaumetz. Wanquetin Communal Cemetery Extension lies to the north-east of the village on the road to Warlus (D.59).

Historical Information

A few burials were made in the communal cemetery from March to November 1916, but in October 1916, the 41st Casualty Clearing Station came to the village, and by the end of November it had become necessary to begin the extension. The last graves made in the cemetery were those in Plot II, Row E, where 23 men of the 3rd Canadian Machine Gun Battalion, killed on 24 September 1918 in a German daylight air raid over Warlus, are buried.

The communal cemetery contains eight Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the extension 222. The extension also contains nine Second World War burials from May 1940.

Total Burials: 231.

World War One Idenitfied Casualties: United KIngdom 144, Canada 77, South Africa 1. Total 222

World War Two Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 9.

The extension was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and John Reginald Truelove

889958 Corporal Joseph Kaeble V. C. M. M.
22nd Bn. Canadian Infantry (Quebec Regiment)
died of wounds on 9th June 1918, aged 26.
Plot II. A. 8.

Son of Mrs. Joseph Kaeble, of Sayabec, Matane Co., P. of Quebec.

Citation

The following extract is recorded in the London Gazette Supplement No. 30903, dated 16th September, 1918:- "For most conspicuous bravery and extraordinary devotion to duty when in charge of a Lewis gun section in the front line trenches, in which a strong enemy raid was attempted. During an intense bombardment Corporal Kaeble remained at the parapet with his Lewis gun shouldered ready for action, the field of fire being very short. As soon as the barrage lifted from the front line, about fifty of the enemy advanced towards his post. By this time the whole of his section except one had become casualties. Corporal Kaeble jumped over the parapet, and holding his Lewis gun at the hip, emptied one magazine after another into the advancing enemy, and although wounded several times by fragments of shells and bombs, he continued to fire and entirely blocked the enemy by his determined stand. Finally, firing all the time, he fell backwards into the trench mortally wounded. While lying on his back in the trench he fired his last cartridges over the parapet at the retreating Germans, and before losing consciousness shouted to the wounded about him: "Keep it up, boys; do not let them get through! We must stop them !" The complete repulse of the enemy attack at this point was due to the remarkable personal bravery and self-sacrifice of this gallant non-commissioned officer, who died of his wounds shortly afterwards."

Headstone

Picture © Werner Van Caneghem

73536 Private
James Martin Corley
28th Bn. Canadian Infantry
18th July 1918, aged 32.
Plot II. B. 10.

Son of Martin and Winifred Corley.

His headstone bears the inscription "Scranton, PA,. U. S. A."

28228 Lance Corporal
Robert Croasdale
1st Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers
7th April 1917.
Plot I. C. 12.

856406 Private
Peter Paul Desjardins
22nd Bn. Canadian Infantry
9th June 1918, aged 25.
Plot II. A. 7.

Son of Peter and Josephine Lefebure Desjardins, of Terreboune, Quebec.

Second Lieutenant
William Hutton Dixon
3rd Bn attached to 8th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders
21st April 1918, aged 26.
Plot I. F. 4.

Eldest son of Thomas Dixon, of "Glendale," Leslie Rd., Pollokshields, Glasgow; husband of Elsie D. Dixon, of 20, Brunswick Sq., Penrith, Cumberland.

859543 Private
John Keddie
16th Bn.Canadian Infantry
28th July 1918, aged 29.
Plot II. B. 24.

Son of Thos. and Sarah Keddie, of Heatherlie, Selkirk, Scotland; husband of Agnes H. Keddie, of 503, Nairn Avenue, Elmwood, Winnipeg.

His headstone bears the inscription "And From The Ground There Blossoms Red Life That Shall Endless Be"

28024 Corporal
Henry Lamb
"C" Battery, 50th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
28th December 1916, aged 23.
Plot I. A. 19.

Son of Henry and Catherine Lamb, of Ryhope, Co. Durham.

His headstone bears the inscription "Thy Will Be Done"

Second Lieutenant
John Varley Lee
27th Squadron, Royal Air Force
14th August 1918.
Plot II. C. 10.

Son of Edward and Mary Lee, of Skipton, Yorks.

His headstone bears the inscription "A British Hero Deeply Mourned By Father, Mother & Brother, Skipton"

204238 Private
Stanley Poole
8th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders
9th June 1918, aged 19.
Plot II. A. 15.

Son of William and Margaret Poole, of Manchester.

His headstone bears the inscription "Rock Of Ages Cleft For Me Let Me Hide Myself In Thee"

730531 Private
William Wilkins
3rd Bn. Canadian Machine Gun Corps
24th September 1918, aged 34.
Plot II. C. 24.

Son of Mark and Mary Wilkins. Born at Branchton, Ontario.

Shot at Dawn

10930 Private Joseph Ferguson, 1st Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers, attached Royal Engineers, executed for desertion 20th April 1917., aged 21. Plot I. C. 13. Son of Mrs. Theresa Ferguson, of 16, Brook Street, Dundee. He was a young Regular, with little pre-war service, who arrived in France in September 1914. In 1915 Ferguson was wounded & returned to England. Following recovery he was convicted of several offences of deception (his sentence is not known), & returning to France, deserted twice. In October 1916, & now serving under 2 suspended sentences (one of death), he deserted again. Ferguson was arrested in January 1917 at Ribemont, where he was sporting the Distinguished Conduct Medal & the Legion d’Honneur, together with an armful of wound-stripes. (Putkowski,pp.170-172)