An Englishman, Irishman, Scotsman and a Welshman

[Frajohn]

Nouvelles Communal Cemetery contains the graves of just 9 men, of which 8 are named, the other, a Known Unto God.

4 of the named graves are men who died on the 23^rd or the 24^th August 1914, at the beginning of the Great War.

The other 4 named men all died on the last day, 11^th November 1918. These are the Irishman, Welshman, Scotsman and Englishman, they are;

Private John Stoneham 16586 Age 19 Royal Irish Regiment

Son of Joseph and Sarah Stoneham, of 3, Railway Terrace, Blaengarw, Bridgend, South Wales.

Able Seaman D Battes Age 32 Anson Bn Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Son of Mr. and Mrs. James M. Battes of 28, Dura St., Erskine Place, Dundee, Scotland.

Private John Joseph Murray 16285 Royal Irish Regiment

Son of John Murray, of Granard, Co. Longford. Ireland

Able Seaman Harold Edgar Walpole Age 19 Anson Bn Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Son of Henry Francis and Mary Ann Walpole, of 26, Wood St., Geddington, Northants.

It would be very interesting to know how 4 soldiers from the beginning and 4 soldiers from the end of the war are buried in the same cemetery.

John

[Gareth Davies]

It is probably something to do with the fact that we joined battle at Mons in 1914 and then withdrew (indirectly) to what became the Western Front and didn't return to the Mons area until the very end of the war.

[bruce]

There is a plaque beside the road north of Mons, at the spot where the first British shot was fired in the war.

Directly over the road is another plaque, marking where the last British shot was fired (by a Canadian).

In St. Symphorien cemetery, the first British soldier to be killed in action is buried, along with the last. They are separated by over 4 and a bit years, nine hundred thousand casualties....and nine yards.

Bruce