Beaurevoir British Cemetery

[laughton]

This cemetery came up at the result of a side-search but I will shortly assemble the documents and post the ZIP FIles here for all to share. I was checking on burial locations for the 6th Dragoons (Inniskilling) when I noticed the 2nd Lieutenant British Aviator (COG-BR 2230403). He might be an easy one to identify, given the date and location in the German cemetery.

 

Here are the ZIP Files now completed:

 

http://www.mediafire.com/folder/e3trigb72l8bs/Beaurevoir_British_Cemetery

 

This is what the CWGC has to say about this cemetery at 62b.B.4.d.1.1 (McMaster Map [St. Quentin] 62b):

 

Quote

Beaurevoir was attacked by the 2nd Australian Division on the 3rd October, 1918, and taken by the 25th Division on the 5th. Beaurevoir British Cemetery was made by the 66th Division in October, 1918, when officers and men who fell in the early part of that month were buried; and after the Armistice the graves of 70 who died in 1917-18, and were buried in the Communal Cemetery German Extension, were brought in to Rows AA, BB, B, C and G.

 

• The COG-BR tells is that was at 62b.B.17.a.1.6

 

There are now nearly 300, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, almost 50 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to four soldiers from the United Kingdom known or believed to be buried among them. The British Cemetery covers an area of 935 square metres and is enclosed by a rubble stone wall.

 

Here is the initial lead I saw on that sheet and I will add others if they appear:

 

• Unknown British Aviator 2/Lt 20 March 1918 now in 1.AA.6 formerly in German Grave 247
  (it has its own topic here - I will ping Trevor as I think I know who it is! @fetubi)
  He already has his own topic here: https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/267169-beaurevoir-british-cemetery-case-1-ub-aviator-2-lt-t-g-shaw/
   
• I will need to check on what was Sergeant Stevenson of the 75th Bn Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1.BB.3, death 24 November 1917, changed to UBS (COG-BR 2230408)

 

 

Edited 15 November , 2018 by laughton

[laughton]

Continuing:

• COG-BR 2230405 grave 1.AA.11 does not say OFFICER 28 November 1917 but the effects tell us it was an Officer, originally German Grave 237
• COG-BR2230415 first one I have looked at from 1914 and there are 26 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on the CWGC List
  • all 26 August 1914, one buried in the Villers Outreaux Communal Cemetery at 57b.T.14.b.9.1
  • looks like 2nd Battalion, which was at Esnes 57b.H.34 when they engaged the enemy (war diary page 5 of 22), retreated to Ronssoy

[laughton]

These ones have clues in the SPEC-EXH documents that I will have to compare to the COG-BR details reported:

• SPEC-EXH 2203371 refers to 9 Unknown British Soldiers in trench grave 222 died 25/11/17, so it may match a group, buried in 1.AA.14
  • others in the group on subsequent documents are in 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
  • 1.AA.18 has a gilt ring with initials "H.T." SPEC-EXH 2230375 25/11/17 - CWGC has an exact match for Pte. Howard George Terrett #31260 12th South Wales Borderers (no sign of him on the ICRC database)
  • 1.AA.22 has a brass ring with initial "A" SPEC-EXH 2230379 25/11/17 - CWGC has 12 candidates one is Pte.A.G. Andrews #42370 also 12th South Wales Borderers
  • there are 38 men of the 12th  South Wales Borderers on the Cambrai Memorial for 25/11/17 (CWGC Link)
  • strange that the date of 25/11/17 is crossed out on the COG-BR for each of the two men wearing rings COG-BR2230406 and COG-BR 2230407, even though they were all in the same trench grave 222 and it is clearly written on the exhumation reports
  • the 12th South Wales Borderers were at Bourlon Wood northeast of Graincourt-lez-Havrincourt (57c.E.13) on that day (war diary page 133 of 152) which is not near where the remains were buried at 62b.B.17.a.1.6 in the German Extension
• SPEC-EXH 2230380 from grave 216 now in 1.AA.24 has "King's Own" numerals also dated 25/11/17
  • another one in grave 212 now in 1.BB.2 but dated 24/11/17 SPEC-EXH 2230383; grave 214 also
• SPEC-EXH 2230382 from grave 63 now in 1.BB.4 killed 11/11/17 has "Worcestershire" numerals (no matches to that on CWGC - closest is 15/11/17 on Arras Memorial)
  • another one in a different but unknown trench grave now in 1.BB.12 SPEC-EXH 22303093
  • the key might be F. Hunt #242413 1st/8th Worcestershire, no date, no trench number SPEC-EXH 2230395 - CWGC has 05/10/1918 L/Cpl T. Hunt
  • another in 1.BB.18
  • 14 known men in this cemetery for the 1st/8th Worcestershire Regiment (CWGC Link) 5 October 1918
  • 5 on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial for that date (CWGC Link)
• SPEC-EXH 2230386 states trench grave 237 with 5 British soldiers 26/11/17 now in 1.AA.12
  • continues in 1.AA.13 and this one has "King's Own" numerals, same grave 237 and date 26/11/17
  • there are 11 men of the 11th King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) on the Cambrai Memorial for that date (CWGC Link)
  • none for that date from any other "King's Own" regiment, so it must be the 11th
  • none known from that regiment buried in the cemetery, just 2nd Lt. Smith from the 1st/4th
• SPEC-EXH 2230396 not noted as part of any group but has Lance Corporal chevrons
• SPEC-EXH 2230401 in an unknown trench grave has a Territorial Service Star (4 years) in 1.BB.21

Edited 18 November , 2018 by laughton

[laughton]

On 15/11/2018 at 14:46, laughton said:

I will need to check on what was Sergeant Stevenson of the 75th Bn Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1.BB.3, death 24 November 1917, changed to UBS (COG-BR 2230408)

 

There was a Pte. Ben Stevenson #164182 of the 75th Battalion killed in France but on or about 18 November 1916. That would have placed him north of Courcelette.