Chunkeroo Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 I will be visiting St Sever Cemetery, Rouen at the end of May. Does anyone need a photo? Clare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 Good luck finding this one.... What a place! Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chunkeroo Posted 3 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 3 May , 2004 Is it really hard to find? Clare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 Hello Clare, Well, it has all to do with luck I guess. I have heard people on this site that couldn't find a particulair cemetery while we drove straight to it. And then there is one cemetery we couldn't find at all while a pal also drove straight to it. Anyways, I have visited something like 650 CWGC cemeteries, always as navigator, and St. Sever ranks at the no. 4 spot of dificult places to find. In the end we swallowed our pride, cried 'Merde!', parked our car in the middle of the pavement and called our French friend we were supposed to meet at St. Sever to come and pick us up.... Be prepared for a medium to large size French town, NO CWGC sign untill you park at the entrance and no readable street signs on vital junctions. Have a great trip! Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 Clare, I am sure you will find it and once you do I would be grateful for photos of the following three graves: Albert Charles Cyril Kitney is buried in plot A, row 6, grave 32 at St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen. George Walter Simmonds is buried in plot B, row 20, grave 39 at St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen. William Thomas Hadlow is buried in plot VI, row M, grave 3A at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France. Note the last named is buried at St. Sever Cemetery Extension - presumably just next door if you have the time for a short walk. Yours gratefully, Sigs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 Yes, this is a toughie. It is near a "Stade" in the suburbs. Eventually we found a wall but not the main entrance and came in via the gardener's entrance past the compost heaps. The maps of the cemetery in the registers are poor photocopies from which you can't read the details of the sections so do your research before you go if you can. A really nice cemetery though. The Rouen traffic/one way system on a Friday evening was ghastly. Get a good town road map before you enter it and know where your hotel is if staying there. Rouen early on a Saturday was a complete joy - fabulous shops, cathedral and market. Quite made up for Friday ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Simon Bull Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 Yes please Clare In the extension Cemetery Samuel Reynolds (will be recorded either as Labour Corps or Royal Fusiliers - not sure which). Died 20/5/1918. Grave number Q. III. K. 26. Thanks. Simon Bull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 I should add that a good city map is what's needed. I tried to get to it from the Av. des Canadien which the CWGC site promotes. But in 2002 the Av. des Canadien was not signposted and then all hell broke loose. Looking at a map now I think I would get on the D840 which becomes the D3 which becomes the N338 and turn onto the D94 and then you SHOULD pass it. This is when you come from the north. Anyway, this is what you will see: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/Cemeteries/stsever.htm I really should change these photographs with ones we made otherwise no-one will believe us we made it in the end This new system of traveling around towns to enter them at a strategic place worked perfectly in Marseille: http://www.xs4all.nl/Cemeteries/MAZARGUES.htm I'm sure we would still be searching if we had entered from the north instead of the east. Really, I should write a book about this! Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chunkeroo Posted 3 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 3 May , 2004 Marco Thanks for all the directions. Luckily, I will be navigating, not driving. I leave that to my husband. Although we always have a row when we're navigating unknown French routes. On one occasion we went round Arras three times unintentionally. But then like Rome, all roads lead to Arras. Bully-Grenay was a hard cemetery for us to locate. Only found it by default, just when we had given up. We will give Rouen a go. We are travelling very early and should arrive about 6am, so hopefully the traffic will be light. Cheers Clare P.S. To all photo requesters - I will do my best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 Clare, I wish you the best of luck and it would be nice to know how you did. The cemetery is amazing and when you add the extension to the regular (no noticeable barrier iirrc) and include ww2 burials it's the largest CWGC cemetery in France with 11657 burials. Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 We did alright until we crossed the river, then headed straight down this long road going ... who knew where? Drove round and round ..... eventually found a cimetiere and asked a worker there ......... what a kind man, got in his Renault 5 and drove off and we followed him for about three miles ..... easy! Beautiful cemetery, and the extension is contiguous with the cemetery. And Marco, still can't understand how you missed Charleroi .... round the ring road, head off north and turn right and "bob's your uncle"! St Sever - I think the cenetery is on the left and the extension on the right. Seem to recall some cemetery plan trouble, but we found all we were looking for in the end. But to find it in the first place - get a road map of Rouen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 Thanks Greenwoodman for reminding me of the No. 1 place, I was just starting to forget that experience I'll take a dubble Jameson now and go to bed early. Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff. Hobson Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 Clare, If it is not too much trouble I would like a photograph of two graves W.E. Hurt 8th Lincs., St. Sever Cemetery Ext., ( Ref., 0 V11.F.10) and his Brother J. R. Hurt 1/8th Sherwood Foresters St. Sever Cemetery ( Ref., A.14.9) Both these men from my Home Village, the latter joined up and served with my Father, hope you have an enjoyable trip and the weather keeps fine. Kind regards, Cliff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Dixon Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 If you are able could you try and get a photo of the following: Captain H G Massy-Miles MC, 2/8 London, II.B.12, query 26.4.18. He was a pupil at my old school and is the last remaining photo in France that I need. Many thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Morton Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 Dear Clare Looking at all the other names that you'v already been asked to look up I feel almost guilty about asking, however being a Yorkshire man I will. If you have time; Private 3/15915 F Peel, grave ref B 16 19. Thanking you in anticipation. Eddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Miller Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 I, too, was navigating when I visited St Sever, and using a town map got pretty close to it before asking the way at a cafe. As it turned out, we were one right turn at a roundabout away from the cemetery. It was a freezing cold December day - I had jumped out of the car without a coat to look at a map at a bus stop. I remember wondering if I would spot the cemetery on the map before I froze rigid. Actually, neither eventuality came true. You could be in line for the biggest photo call ever - the place is absolutely massive. Marco's photo shows most of the extension as I recall, you already have to have passed through the cemetery proper to get to that point. Happy hunting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 4 May , 2004 Share Posted 4 May , 2004 I too had a godawful time in Rouen trying to drive & find things, worst of any place in Europe & have driven in a lot bigger, Paris & Rome included. Awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Thompson Posted 4 May , 2004 Share Posted 4 May , 2004 Clare, If you could do any of the following for me then that would be great. All St. Sever Cemetery Extension: Gnr 190644 Thomas Burrows BANFIELD R.G.A. Grave Ref: R. II. J. 18. Pte 23290 Henry Frank GRITT 1st Bn, Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment) Grave Ref: B. 13. 17. Pte 205602 Frederick Joseph METTYER 1st/5th Bn, York and Lancaster Regiment Grave Ref: S. II. EE. 30. Cpl 3/3482 Walter John MOORE 2nd Bn, Hampshire Regiment Grave Ref: P. V. K. 35. Pte 292681 Herbert Edward SAVAGE 10th Bn, Cheshire Regiment Grave Ref: P. VI. M. IB. If I can reciprocate with any cemeteries in return (mainly Somme/Salient) then please let me know. Fully understand if you can't do any of them. Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted 4 May , 2004 Share Posted 4 May , 2004 Hi Clare I can see you already have a lot of photo requests, so please do not worry if you cannot do the following. Gunner 142828 George Hill. S.III.N.29; St Sever Cemetery Extension. Greatly appreciated if you can photo this grave, but fully understand if you do not Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 5 May , 2004 Share Posted 5 May , 2004 Hi Clare Like Eddie, I feel guilty for asking after seeing so many requests but if you could get a photo of the following it would be very appreciated. I'll understand if you don't have time though. Lt William Watson MC - B.6.8 48th Battalion AIF Watson died of his wounds on the 28/04/17. Before the war he was a Merchant who came from High St Fremantle. His brother Lt Herbert Watson died two weeks previously at Bullecourt and has no known grave. Bmdr William Pimm - B.27.26 4th Light Trench Mortar Battery Pimm died of his wounds on the 17/08/16. Cheers Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 5 May , 2004 Share Posted 5 May , 2004 If Clare attempts to fulfill all the requests for pictures , she will be plodding around St Sever for a large chunk of a day - with all the frustrations of trying to find the plots in a truly massive cemetery - the size of many a golf course. Pals are understandably reticent to ask but, I think it would be appropriate for all Pals to make a nominal contribution towards other Pals expenses when they help out by taking pictures. If people contributed say £5, Clare could revive herself in the evening with a nice meal in one of Rouen's many restaurants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chunkeroo Posted 5 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 5 May , 2004 Dear All Phew! What have I let myself in for. So far I have had requests for 17 photos. I may have to call a halt if I get too many more. But meanwhile, can I ask that you do give me an accurate plot reference, double checking on CWGC if necessary. That way I can work out a route beforehand to save time. As for the cash! What a great idea!!! For a tenner a head I'll do the whole flaming cemetery. (Ha, ha) However, do not despair, I am happy to help out, so long as the list doesn't get too big. Me at the start. Me at the end. Clare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 5 May , 2004 Share Posted 5 May , 2004 I've dug out the French cemetery map. Plots M and N are in the Cemetery, plots O,P,Q,R and S are in the extension. You can drive in and park on the end of Plot T, which puts you right on the edge of the CWGC plot. It would be helpful for Clare if all the Pals requesting photographs indicate clearly whether a grave reference refers to the Cemetery or to the Extension. The photo above does not in fact show the cemetery - it was taken from the shelter looking up the division between plots O and P of the extension towards La Chapelle Anglaise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynthia Posted 5 May , 2004 Share Posted 5 May , 2004 Dear Clare, One more suggestion, as a St. Sever veteran from last November - bring a magnifying glass! When Ian and I wanted to look at the maps to get the lay of the land, we found it almost impossible to read the very, very small print. After the one-way nightmare of the evening before, and then sneaking in the back way like CWGC gardeners, it was almost the last straw! But we persevered ("Were we downhearted?" Well....) Since you do have this nice map supplied by the Forum, it will go a long way to avoid what I did - I walked the entire cemetery, row by row, looking for one grave that I never found! Magnifying glass would definitely be a plus, and despite the obstacles, I loved Rouen and remember it as a lovely place with a stunning cathedral and beautiful marketplace. Cynthia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Posted 5 May , 2004 Share Posted 5 May , 2004 Clare, Please could i trouble you for two photographs if possible:- Both in the Extension:- 1) Pte. Loftas Layfield 49256, West Yorks Regt, 23/07/1918 Ref Q. iii. B.8 2) Gunner G. Thorpe 44549, R.F.A. 16/11/1918 Ref S.iii. V.21 If i can return the favour & you want any photographs in the Boulogne area, then please let me know, as i will be there in August. Thanks Chad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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