Euston Road Cemetery (Somme)

[Peter Woodger]

Someone may be interested in my recent study of Euston Road Cemetery. For those who do not know it this cemetery was started on 1st July 1916 and was beside the ADS for 31st Division which attacked Serre that day. The cemetery stayed in use until the German withdrawal in February 1917 and was used again for burials when it was almost on the front line in 1918. At the Armistice the cemetery consisted of Plot I, which is furthest from the road, less 5 burials, graves 13 to 17, in row J. Hopefully photo is attached

As with many of these cemeteries the date discipline within a Row is good but the Row discipline can vary, ie after finishing Row B they used Row D, filling in C later. Again in these cemeteries you do not expect to find a high ratio of unknowns. Of the 501 burials in the original cemetery only 22 are unknown. The headstones are so close together in all Rows except J that the burials were mostly made in excavated trenches.

I set out to, hopefully, assist the CWGC to correct anomalies or transcription errors that have crept into their Roll of Honour as available on their website. Their also then arises possible errors that can only be investigated within their records. I have sent information to CWGC with photos showing where the headstones are and where they are not. I have posted the words but not the Photos.

You give the Plot numbers in Roman Numerals but in the cases of Rfl. T W W Oliver in I. C.55., Pte J Smith in I. D. 17. and Cpl W Wilkin in I. E. 5. you have used Arabic numbers for the Plot I.

You say that Pte A Brunt is in A. 16. whereas to bring him in line with his companions he should be in Special Memorial A. 16.

You say L/Sgt J S Irvine is in H. A. 7. whereas he is in II. A. 7.

You say 30016 Pte A Worthington King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regt) is in I. C. 3. with Cairns but he is not (see top above) he is in I. C. 30. ( see bottom above ) between Cavers and Taylor

You say 2212 Corporal W Wilkin RAMC is in I. E. 5. with Lusk but he is not (see above) he is in I. E. 50. next to Gannon (see over).

You say 54015 Pte. A W Cropp Otago Regt NZEF is buried in I. T. 1. He is not he is in I. J. 1. (no photo available)

You say that 32976 Pte J Waugh Canterbury Regt NZEF is buried in I. T. 11, he is not he is buried in I. J. 11 next to Peacock. (see photo above)

You say that 38845 Cpl. A C H Milne NZ Rifle Bde. is buried in I. J. 7 whereas he is buried in I. J. 27. next to Rundle (see photo above).

You say that 6497 Pte V E Ellem Australian Inf. is buried in I. V. 15 whereas he is buried in IV. I. 5.

You say that 55085 Rfl. J Pullar NZ Rifle Bde died in 1916 but his grave (left) shows a correct date of 1918.

Your records show that 3/6505 Pte W Dustan, buried in Colincamp British Cemetery but commemorated at Euston, died on 4th April 1917.

SDGW agrees with you but unfortunately your engraver did not agree and he has put 1918 on the Memorial stone (see above)

Now to the difficult ones that can only be resolved from your records.

It is very suspicious to find a 13th November date in Row D. Lance Corp. H Shepherdson of 13th East Yorkshire Regiment is buried in I. D. 33. The dates of death of the men around him run in order from 17th July in I. D 22 to 1st Sept in I. D 41. To have a burial in the middle of this close spaced section whose date is almost four months later than all the others seems doubtful. One wonders if Shepherdson is really in I. G. 35 where he would be with 45 other men, 29 of whom are East Yorkshire, all dated 13th November. I. G. 35 at present contains an Unknown Soldier.

Pte James Allan Watson 11th East Lancashire Regiment was killed on 1st July and is buried in I. G. 22. between burials dated November. It is possible that a body from 1st July was recovered during the November fighting but it would seem a very strange thing to do. It is suspicious that I. A. 22. is an unknown burial in a row that all have 1st July dates.

Peter

[stevem49]

Hi

I have some photos of Euston Road circa 1919. Also of a wooden notice on a tree - John Copse British Military Cemetery has been moved to Euston Road. An unknown soldier with the inscription - 'In honour of a British Soldier name Unknown 2 July 1916' with the quote at the bottom - ' The Lord Knoweth them that are his'

I 'inheirted' some magic lantern slides with various shots of the Somme taken just aftre WW1.

[Peter Woodger]

Hi Steve

I would very much like to see copies. Any chance of Email of High Res Peter

[stevem49]

Hi Steve

I would very much like to see copies. Any chance of Email of High Res Peter

Let me have your address and I will sort something out. They are though copies of magic lantern slides so not sure how good I can get them. Some photographers seem to have visited the Somme just after the war but there is no index! I have ID'd some though. I have approx 100.

Steve morse.steve@btinternet.com