The Bécourt Military Cemetery is a cemetery located in the Somme region of France commemorating British and Commonwealth soldiers who fought in the Battle of the Somme in World War I. The cemetery contains those who died in a variety of dates from August 1915 to April 1917 manning the front line near the village of Becordel-Becourt and is managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.[1]
| Bécourt Military Cemetery | |
|---|---|
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| Details | |
| Established | August 1915 |
| Location | Bécordel-Bécourt, Somme, France |
| Country | British and Commonwealth |
| Coordinates | 50°00′14″N 2°41′01″E / 50.00397°N 2.68349°E |
| Type | Military |
| Owned by | Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) |
| No. of graves | 713 total, 5 unidentified |
| Website | Official website |
| Find a Grave | Bécourt Military Cemetery |
Location edit
The cemetery is located on the southern side of the Rue de Becourt, the road linking the village of Becourt to the town of Albert, France. It is on the western edge of Becourt Wood. The village of Becourt is located approximately 2 kilometers east of Albert.[1][2]
Establishment of the cemetery edit
History edit
The cemetery was begun in August 1915 by the 51st Highland Division and was used by other divisions near the front line until the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. During and after the battle, until April 1917, the cemetery was used by nearby field ambulances. In August 1918, Plot II was started by the 18th Division. Three German graves have been removed from the cemetery since its inception.[1]
Layout edit
The cemetery covers an area of 4327 square meters and is enclosed by a rubble wall.[1]
Statistics edit
There are a total of 713 World War I casualties buried in the cemetery, of which 5 are unidentified. A special memorial is dedicated to a British soldier believed to be buried among the unknown.[1][3]
Eighteen Yorkshire Regiment soldiers are buried in the cemetery, including 12 officers.[4]
| Nationality | Number of Burials |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 602 |
| Australia | 72 |
| Canada | 31 |
| South Africa | 3 |
| Australian burials | 72 | Northumberland Fusiliers | 65 |
| Royal Field Artillery | 38 | Royal Berkshire Regiment | 32 |
| Canadian burials | 31 | Royal West Kent Regiment | 30 |
| Queen's – Royal West Surrey Regiment | 27 | Royal Engineers | 27 |
| Essex Regiment | 25 | Highland Light Infantry | 20 |
| Royal Garrison Artillery | 19 | Royay Scots – Lothian Regiment | 19 |
| Durham Light Infantry | 18 | Green Howards – Yorkshire Regiment | 17 |
| Suffolk Regiment | 17 | Buffs – East Kent Regiment | 16 |
| Black Watch | 15 | King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry | 15 |
| Royal Irish Rifles | 12 | Cameron Highlanders | 11 |
| Royal Warwickshire Regiment | 11 | Seaforth Highlanders | 11 |
| Gordon Highlanders | 9 | Machine Gun Corps | 9 |
| Lincolnshire Regiment | 8 | Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders | 7 |
| East Lancashire Regiment | 7 | Border Regiment | 6 |
| Duke of Wellington's – West Riding Regiment | 6 | Gloucestershire Regiment | 6 |
| Royal Fusiliers – City of London Regiment | 6 | Royal Sussex Regiment | 6 |
| Royal Welsh Fusiliers | 6 | West Yorkshire Regiment | 6 |
| Loyal North Lancashire Regiment | 5 | Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment | 5 |
| Rifle Brigade | 5 | Royal Army Medical Corps | 5 |
| Cameronians – Scottish Rifles | 4 | King's Liverpool Regiment | 4 |
| Royal Army Service Corps | 4 | Bedfordshire Regiment | 3 |
| King's Royal Rifle Corps | 3 | London Regiment – 22nd Bn. The Queen's | 3 |
| South African burials | 3 | York & Lancaster Regiment | 3 |
| East Yorkshire Regiment | 2 | London Regiment – 7th Bn. | 2 |
| London Regiment – 18th Bn. London Irish Rifles | 2 | Northamptonshire Regiment | 2 |
| Royal Scots Fusiliers | 2 | South Wales Borderers | 2 |
| Welsh Regiment | 2 | Cheshire Regiment | 1 |
| Connaught Rangers | 1 | Devonshire Regiment | 1 |
| East Surrey Regiment | 1 | Leinster Regiment | 1 |
| London Regiment – 8th Bn. Post Office Rifles | 1 | London Regiment – 15th Bn. Civil Service Rifles | 1 |
| London Regiment – 17th Bn. Poplar & Stepney Rifles | 1 | London Regiment – 19th Bn. St. Pancras | 1 |
| London Regiment – 23rd Bn. | 1 | Norfolk Regiment | 1 |
| Somerset Light Infantry | 1 | South Staffordshire Regiment | 1 |
| Worcestershire Regiment | 1 |
References edit
- ^ a b c d e "Cemetery Details | CWGC". www.cwgc.org. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
- ^ "Becourt Military Cemetery". vwma.org.au. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
- ^ a b "Becourt Military Cemetery, Somme, France (CWGC)". WW1 Cemeteries.com – A photographic guide to over 4000 military cemeteries and memorials. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
- ^ "The Yorkshire Regiment War Graves". www.ww1-yorkshires.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
- ^ "Becourt Military Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt". silentwitness.freeservers.com. Retrieved 2021-03-20.