EAST YORKSHIRE Posted 26 April , 2011 Share Posted 26 April , 2011 Hi everyone, while daydreaming last night of impending trip to Belgium and France I was thinking about my past trips to Oppy wood, what struck me was that I dont recall seeing any cemeteries near Oppy or any villages in the area, can anyone help me with the cemeteries what dealt with casualties from the Oppy area, thanks in advance, Ian Gawthorpe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertBr Posted 26 April , 2011 Share Posted 26 April , 2011 Ian Oppy was in German hands for a long time and later right on the front line. So there are several further back at: Bailluel-sire-Bertholt (50.339670°, 2.839906°) Bailleul Road East on the D919 to Arras (50.320230°, 2.816433° British and German) Bailleul Road West on the D919 to Arras (50.313663°,2.800380°) Orchard Dump Cemetery near Arleux-en-Gohelle (50.352806°, 2.858590°) Casualties were evacuated to CCS in the St Catherines area where there are more cemeteries. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 26 April , 2011 Share Posted 26 April , 2011 There isnt a CWGC cemetery which is particularly associated, geographically, with Oppy. The two closest - you have Naval Trench Cemetery to the south at Gavrelle, with 59 WW1 burials, and to the north-west maybe one of the most seldom visited "large" cemeteries on the Western Front - Orchard Dump Cemetery at Arleux-en-Gohelle. I visit Orchard Dump if I'm ever remotely close-by. There are over 3,000 burials there, and over 4/5ths of those are Unknown Soldiers. Its a very quiet place. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EAST YORKSHIRE Posted 27 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 27 April , 2011 Thankyou very much Bob and Tom for the info, as a result of this I have some more places I can go and visit and reflect and pay my respects when I go back over in June,. Best wishes, Ian Gawthorpe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimSmithson Posted 27 April , 2011 Share Posted 27 April , 2011 These are for you Tom - I agree, not visited enough; Orchard Dump Cemetery. The nature of the fighting around Oppy probably means that a large number of the unknowns in here are from that period, collected in battlefield clearances at a later date. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 28 April , 2011 Share Posted 28 April , 2011 .... - I agree, not visited enough; Orchard Dump Cemetery. Jim - yes, and apart from the fact that such a huge proportion of the burials are unknown soldiers, I suppose that the cemetery’s physical location right at the eastern side of the battle area contributes to it’s “isolation”. Here is a panorama > Nb – there is also an “oddity” about a particular feature at Orchard Dump, - the cemetery dedication of the land in perpetuity is not what you normally expect to find. I wonder if the cemetery is so little visited that some reader revealing what the “oddity” is may prove to be a challenge ? Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EAST YORKSHIRE Posted 28 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2011 Hi Tom, cheap shot, but..................... Is it due to the fact that some headstones have the soldiers names on but are buried "near" this spot. If it is the wrong answer I will let you know in mid June when I come back from visiting the cemetery, unless someone knows the answer already??, Ian . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 28 April , 2011 Share Posted 28 April , 2011 Ian – No; its to do with the free granting in perpetuity of the land on which the cemetery is built. Orchard Dump has an explanatory plaque whose wording is very different from what you will normally see at a CWGC cemetery on the Western Front. When I first saw this plaque I was very taken with it. So many of the men in Orchard Dump are “anonymous”, but the plaque is very “personal”. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimSmithson Posted 29 April , 2011 Share Posted 29 April , 2011 Looks as if only you and I go there Tom! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EAST YORKSHIRE Posted 29 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 29 April , 2011 Hi Tom, that is a very interesting and thought provoking point, I will be visiting Orchard Dump Cemetery in June as I already said, I think when you get a bit of background information (like anything we visit to do with world wars) it makes it a much better/sober experience, thanks Tom, Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimSmithson Posted 19 January , 2012 Share Posted 19 January , 2012 Ian – No; its to do with the free granting in perpetuity of the land on which the cemetery is built. Orchard Dump has an explanatory plaque whose wording is very different from what you will normally see at a CWGC cemetery on the Western Front. When I first saw this plaque I was very taken with it. So many of the men in Orchard Dump are "anonymous", but the plaque is very "personal". Tom Just sorting my photos and found these to add to what Tom said about the inscriptions. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EAST YORKSHIRE Posted 21 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 21 January , 2012 Hello Jim, thankyou for the photo, It will be a place we have never been to before and now I have more understanding of the cemetery it will make it all the more worthwhile. Many thanks to you all, Ian Gawthorpe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 22 January , 2012 Admin Share Posted 22 January , 2012 Blimey I didn't notice that when I visited. Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimSmithson Posted 22 January , 2012 Share Posted 22 January , 2012 Hi Michelle I saw last time I was there (the one sunny day over Christmas!) that you had called to pay respects to a soldier for someone. I took a photo of the headstone in case you were, weather perhaps, unable to. Just let me know if you want the copy. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 22 January , 2012 Admin Share Posted 22 January , 2012 Well that proves it doesn't get visited much Jim, I was last there in 2009! The picture turned out OK but thank you for the kind thought. Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimSmithson Posted 22 January , 2012 Share Posted 22 January , 2012 You are correct Michelle, it is not a well visited site for its size. The location plus a large number of unknowns lead to that situation I suppose - the road is not really going anywhere that the battlefield visitor is going to frequent very often. This was that sunny day! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smith-Macaulay Posted 5 February , 2014 Share Posted 5 February , 2014 My great uncle George Cecil Gordon Macaulay East Yorkshire is also buried here. It seems that he too was moved from a smaller cemetery on the lane running past Oppy Wood. All I have is a tiny handrawn map with an x marks the spot made by someone who visited the graves. There is also a photograph of the lane. They also took photographs of Orchard Dump showing wooden crosses. He was killed on the 2 May 1917. I have yet too unravel what he was doing there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EAST YORKSHIRE Posted 5 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 5 February , 2014 My great uncle George Cecil Gordon Macaulay East Yorkshire is also buried here. It seems that he too was moved from a smaller cemetery on the lane running past Oppy Wood. All I have is a tiny handrawn map with an x marks the spot made by someone who visited the graves. There is also a photograph of the lane. They also took photographs of Orchard Dump showing wooden crosses. He was killed on the 2 May 1917. I have yet too unravel what he was doing there. Hi there, I have looked on the East Yorkshire Regiment web site and cannot find your man,He is on the CWGC and he was a Second Lieutenant in the East Yorks, he was 22 years old when he died. Hope this of help to you and maybe another forum member can add to my basic details. Best wishes to you, Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smith-Macaulay Posted 5 February , 2014 Share Posted 5 February , 2014 Thank you Ian. The other info I have is as follows. Commissioned 1915 3rd battalion East Yorkshires 2nd lieutenant. Then injured 16 September 1916 with 3rd East Yorkshire Regiment attached 60 TMB. I have been trying to establish what he was doing when he died. The main attack on Oppy was scheduled for the 3rd of May. He dies the day before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolc Posted 12 January , 2017 Share Posted 12 January , 2017 Just to let you know that I have also visited Orchard Dump Cemetery. My grandfather Private James Henry Cheetham is buried here and I visited in August 2016, the first member of my family to visit his grave. He was a "Barnsley Pal", 13th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment. He was killed in action 11/5/1917, I think whilst serving in the Oppy/Gavrelle area. The battalion diaries are unfortunately vague for that date, other than saying there were night raids. He was originally buried elsewhere and moved to Orchard Dump at a later date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EAST YORKSHIRE Posted 13 January , 2017 Author Share Posted 13 January , 2017 Hello Carol, by pure coincidence I am walking the Oppy area between May 7th and May 12th 2017! one hundred years to the day your Grandfather died, I have no problem visiting his grave for you and placing a cross if you want me to. best wishes Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolc Posted 2 May , 2017 Share Posted 2 May , 2017 On 1/12/2017 at 22:19, Carolc said: Just to let you know that I have also visited Orchard Dump Cemetery. My grandfather Private James Henry Cheetham is buried here and I visited in August 2016, the first member of my family to visit his grave. He was a "Barnsley Pal", 13th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment. He was killed in action 11/5/1917, I think whilst serving in the Oppy/Gavrelle area. The battalion diaries are unfortunately vague for that date, other than saying there were night raids. He was originally buried elsewhere and moved to Orchard Dump at a later date. Hi Ian, not sure how I didn't see this earlier or I would have replied sooner. Thank you for your very kind offer and if you are anywhere near Oppy or Orchard Dump I would be happy for you to visit his grave. I can't be there on the 100th anniversary but together with my daughter I will be placing a poppy wreath at the war memorial in the village where he lived near Barnsley. I have also arranged for a wreath to be laid at his grave on the day, so I hope that it does get there on the day. I will be visiting Orchard Dump again in early September. I would like to go with my daughter at some point in the future, we have discussed staying in Arras and finding a guide who could take us on a tour to visit Oppy Wood, Orchard Dump and the approximate place where he was originally buried. I hope you have a good trip, it is profoundly moving to visit the sites of such terrible suffering, sacrifice and bravery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EAST YORKSHIRE Posted 3 May , 2017 Author Share Posted 3 May , 2017 Hello Carol, Aye-I will place a cross on his grave for you, Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolc Posted 12 May , 2017 Share Posted 12 May , 2017 Hi Ian. As planned my daughter and I left a wreath for my grandfather in Royston, Barnsley. Hope you had a good trip. I haven't had an email from The British Legion to confirm that my wreath was delivered to Orchard Dump Cemetery on the 11th, so I can only hope that it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 13 May , 2017 Share Posted 13 May , 2017 Readers may find my page about Oppy to be of interest. It does not cover Orchard Dump cemetery as the page focuses on the village itself and what took place there. http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battlefields/gazetteer-of-the-western-front/gazetteer-of-the-western-front-oppy/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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