Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension

Cemetery Details

Location Dernancourt Fr, Departement de la Somme - Hauts de France, France
Co‑ordinates N49.97684, E2.62496
Description

Location Information
Dernancourt is a village 3 kilometres south of Albert. The Communal Cemetery is a little west of the village, and the Extension is on the north-west side of the Communal Cemetery.

History Information
This cemetery is an extension of the original Dernancourt town or Communal cemetery.

Field ambulances used the Communal Cemetery for Commonwealth burials from September 1915 to August 1916, and again during the German advance of March 1918.  It contains 127 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. 

Field ambulances used the Communal Cemetery for Commonwealth burials from September 1915 to August 1916, and again during the German advance of March 1918. It contains 127 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. The XV Corps Main Dressing Station was formed at Dernancourt in July 1916, when the adjoining EXTENSION was opened. The 45th and 56th (1st/1st South Midland) Casualty Clearing Stations came in September 1916 and remained until March 1917. The 3rd Australian was here in March and April 1917, and the 56th from April 1917 to February 1918. The 3rd Casualty Clearing Station came in March 1918 but on 26 March, Dernancourt was evacuated ahead of the German advance, and the extension remained in their hands until the village was recaptured on 9 August 1918 by the 12th Division and the 33rd American Division. In September it was again used by the 47th, 48th and 55th Casualty Clearing Stations under the name of "Edgehill", due to the rising ground on the north-west. At the Armistice, the Extension contained more than 1,700 burials; it was then enlarged when graves were brought in from isolated positions in the immediate neighbourhood and certain small cemeteries, including:-

  • MOOR CEMETERY, EDGEHILL, DERNANCOURT, was about 800 metres West, near the top of the hill. It contained the graves of 42 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell on the 23rd-25th March, 1918.
  • ALBERT ROAD CEMETERY, BUIRE-SUR-ANCRE, was nearly 3 Kms West, on the straight road from Amiens to Albert. It contained the graves of 65 soldiers from the United Kingdom and 33 from Australia, who fell in April-August, 1918. It was made by Australian units and by the 58th (London) and 12th Divisions.

The extension now contains 2,162 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 177 of the burials are unidentified, but there are special memorials to 29 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to two buried at Albert Road Cemetery, Buire-sur-Ancre whose grave could not be found on concentration. The extension was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

There are a number of military graves within the original communal cemetery notably that of Lieutenant Colonel Alan Leane, Commanding Officer of the 28th Battalion.  The Battalion members subscribed to raise the funds to erect a private memorial to their much respected and revered leader, one of the famed "Fighting Leanes of Prospect"

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Names

Showing 8 people of interest from cemetery

HAYES, Patrick Francis Joseph

Service number 2189
Private
59th Infantry Battalion
AIF WW1
Born 1894

FAHEY, John Joseph

Service number 2528
Corporal
47th Infantry Battalion
AIF WW1
Born 24 Dec 1895

TOUT, Robert John

Service number 5477
Private
5th Field Ambulance
AIF WW1
Born 5 Aug 1887

MAHER, Patrick Joseph

Service number 113
Private
26th Infantry Battalion
AIF WW1
Born 20 Oct 1893

HONEYSETT, Hamen Charles

Service number 1719A
Private
45th Infantry Battalion (WW1)
AIF WW1
Born 16 Aug 1892

BLYTON, David Leighton

Service number 2038
Lance Corporal
18th Infantry Battalion
AIF WW1
Born 11 Dec 1883

CORRY, Vivian Charles

Service number 4400
Sergeant
22nd Infantry Battalion
AIF WW1
Born 17 Nov 1897

BALINSWELLA, Gilbert

Service number 4079
Corporal
28th Infantry Battalion
AIF WW1
Born Apr 1879

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