WOBURN ABBEY CEMETERY
Cuinchy
Pas De Calais
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.51686, Longitude: 2.7506
Location Information
Cuinchy is a village midway between Bethune and La Bassee. Woburn Abbey Cemetery lies to the south-west of the village towards the village of Cambrin. From the church in Cuinchy head south on the D166, after 300 metres turn left. The cemetery is a further 200 metres from the junction on the left hand side.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access is possible with some difficulty.
Historical Information
Cuinchy remained during almost the whole of the war within range of German guns, and the cemeteries in the commune were made, so far as British troops are concerned, by fighting units and Field Ambulances.
Woburn Abbey Cemetery was named from a house on the East side of it used as Battalion Headquarters and as a Dressing Station. It was begun by the Royal Berkshire Regiment in June 1915 and closed in January 1916 on account of its exposed situation, but a few further burials were made as late as April 1918. Plots II to V were added after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields East of Bethune and from the following smaller cemeteries:-
THE CHERIOTS, RUE-DU-BOIS, RICHEBOURG-L'AVOUE, was in an orchard on the North side of the Rue-du-Bois West of Richebourg-L'Avoue. It contained 16 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from India who were buried there in the summer of 1915.
KING'S CLAIRE, CUINCHY, on the road to Givenchy, was where 20 soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried in 1915.
No.1, HARLEY STREET, CUINCHY, on the road running South from Cuinchy station, contained the graves of 29 soldiers from the United Kingdom and two French soldiers, and was used from November 1914 to December 1915.
PONT-FIXE POST OFFICE CEMETERY, CUINCHY, was used at intervals from January 1915 to April 1918, and contained the graves of 35 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Canada.
VAUXHALL BRIDGE ROAD CEMETERY, CUINCHY, where 24 soldiers from the United Kingdom and ten from Canada were buried in 1914, 1915 and 1918. The name "Vauxhall Bridge" was given to the bridge over the canal near Cuinchy station.
There are now over 567, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 251 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to three soldiers from the United Kingdom known or believed to be buried among them.
The cemetery covers an area of 2,659 square metres and is enclosed by a low rubble wall.
The cemetery was designed by Charles Henry Holden and William Harrison Cowlishaw
Total Burials: 567.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 305, Canada 11. Total 316.
Unidentified Casualties: 251.
R/9410 Rifleman
Joseph Reginald Crooks
2nd Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps
31st May 1915, aged 19.
Plot II. A. 20.
Son of Clement John and Mary Elizabeth Crooks, of 15, Crossley St., Haydn Rd., Sherwood, Nottingham.
Joseph Reginald Crooks
2nd Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps
31st May 1915, aged 19.
Plot II. A. 20.
Son of Clement John and Mary Elizabeth Crooks, of 15, Crossley St., Haydn Rd., Sherwood, Nottingham.
9417 Private
Joseph Danks
2nd Bn. South Staffordshire Regiment
16th September 1915.
Plot I. G. 5.
Joseph Danks
2nd Bn. South Staffordshire Regiment
16th September 1915.
Plot I. G. 5.
A/785 Rifleman
Percy Gaunt
2nd Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps
29th May 1915.
Plot III. B. 8.
Husband of C. Gaunt, of 20, Grant Row, Roundhay Rd., Leeds.
Percy Gaunt
2nd Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps
29th May 1915.
Plot III. B. 8.
Husband of C. Gaunt, of 20, Grant Row, Roundhay Rd., Leeds.
Images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
Lieutenant
James Walden Fortune McNaught-Davis
1st Bn. South Wales Borderers
17th January 1915, aged 23.
Plot II. A. 8.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. John McNaught-Davis, of Willowmere House, Farndon, Newark, Notts.
His headstone bears the inscription "He Endured As A Good Soldier Of Jesus Christ"
James Walden Fortune McNaught-Davis
1st Bn. South Wales Borderers
17th January 1915, aged 23.
Plot II. A. 8.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. John McNaught-Davis, of Willowmere House, Farndon, Newark, Notts.
His headstone bears the inscription "He Endured As A Good Soldier Of Jesus Christ"
1258 Serjeant
John Haskings Milne
5th Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
17th April 1915, aged 21.
Plot II. D. 13.
Son of John Steele Milne and Alice Evelyn Milne, of 126, Hawthorn Rd., Bootle, Liverpool.
His headstone bears the inscription "God's Will Be Done"
John Haskings Milne
5th Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
17th April 1915, aged 21.
Plot II. D. 13.
Son of John Steele Milne and Alice Evelyn Milne, of 126, Hawthorn Rd., Bootle, Liverpool.
His headstone bears the inscription "God's Will Be Done"
S/5181 Lance Corporal
John Morrison
1st Bn. Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
25th January 1915, aged 29.
Plot I. H. 26.
Son of John and Margaret Morrison, of Brodie, Forres, Morayshire.
His headstone bears the inscription "Rest In Peace"
John Morrison
1st Bn. Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
25th January 1915, aged 29.
Plot I. H. 26.
Son of John and Margaret Morrison, of Brodie, Forres, Morayshire.
His headstone bears the inscription "Rest In Peace"
Original Grave at Woburn Abbey Cemetery of 10904 Private R. Robertson, 1st Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 31st August 1915. Now buried in Plot I. F. 9. © Jeremy Gordon-Smith
