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Yorkshire
Regiment War Graves, - Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery (Armentieres, France) |
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Bonjean Military Cemetery (1)
Photo : Chris Cosgrove.
Armentieres was occupied by the 4th Division on 17 October 1914 and it remained within the Allied lines until its evacuation ahead of the German advance on 10 April 1918, after a prolonged and heavy bombardment with gas shell. It was occupied by the Germans next day, and was not recovered until 3 October 1918.
CITE BONJEAN MILITARY CEMETERY was begun (Plot IX) in October 1914 and during the winter of 1914-15 it was used for civilian burials (later removed), the town cemetery at Le Bizet being too greatly exposed. The cemetery continued to be used by field ambulances and fighting units (particularly the 4th, 6th, 21st, New Zealand, 17th and 57th (West Lancashire) Divisions and the Australian Corps) until April 1918. Plots V, VI, VII and X were then used by the Germans.
The cemetery now contains 2,132 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. In 1925, 455 German graves were removed from Plots V and VI, but more than 500 remain in the cemetery.
There are also 33 Second World War burials, mostly dating from the months of occupation by the British Expeditionary Force, before the German invasion of May 1940.
Within the cemetery stands the CITE BONJEAN (NEW ZEALAND) MEMORIAL, commemorating 47 officers and men of the New Zealand Division who died in the neighbourhood of Armentieres and have no known grave.
This is one of seven memorials in France and Belgium to those New Zealand soldiers who died on the Western Front and whose graves are not known. The memorials are all in cemeteries chosen as appropriate to the fighting in which the men died.
Amongst the graves are those for twenty two soldiers who served with the Yorkshire Regiment.
We are extremely grateful to Chris Cosgrove (<trainscpc@aol.com>) who has generously provided the photographs on this page.
Click on thumbnail image of a headstone for a larger version of the photo which opens in a new window.
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Private William Appleton, 18618.
10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 12 January 1916. Born Copt Hewick, Enlisted Thirsk, Resided Sand Hutton (Thirsk). |
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Private William Archibold, 15510.
10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 26 January 1916. Aged 24. Born Little Moorsome, Enlisted West Hartlepool, Resided 83 Chester Rd West Hartlepool. |
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Private Samuel Armstrong. 17346.
10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of Jane A. McFarlane (formerly Armstrong), of 5, Newsham St., Crofton, Blyth, Northumberland. Killed 16 March 1916. Aged 30. Born Windy Nook, Enlisted Blyth. |
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Private James Patrick Benbow.
8867. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Mr. and Mrs. P. Benbow, of 7, The Green, Richmond, Yorks. Killed 9 February 1916. Born Richmond (Yorks), Enlisted Richmond. |
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Private Wilson Cape Carruthers.
17385. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 22 January 1916. Born Harton (Whitehaven), Enlisted Cramlington. |
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Private Joseph Chambers. 19407.
13th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 26 January 1916. Born West Herrington (Durham), Enlisted Sunderland, Resided Fencehouses. |
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Private Robert Clarkson. 24194.
7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Richard and Jane Clarkson, of 28, Littlemoor Rd., Clitheroe, Lancs. Killed 17 April 1916. Aged 20. Born Lancaster, Enlisted Clitheroe. "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR OTHERS" |
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Private Michael Cleveland. 19717.
10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Died 8 December 1915. Born Middlesbrough, Enlisted Middlesbrough, Resided North Ormesby. |
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Private Joseph Cuthbertson.
17375. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 19 March 1916. Born Cullercoats (Tynemouth), Enlisted Whitley Bay, Resided Cullercoats. |
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Private Reginald Pierce Dimon.
20415. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Youngest son of Albert and Mary Ann Dimon, of Kemsing, Sevenoaks, Kent. Killed 26 January 1916. Aged 20. Born Kemsing (Kent), Enlisted Doncaster. "WHO MORE THAN LIFE CAN GIVE? BECAUSE THEY DIED WE LIVE." |
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Corporal John William Eltringham.
19226. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of W. L. Eltringham, of 34, Grove Park Avenue, South Chingford, London. Killed 11 January 1916. Born Washington (Co. Durham), Enlisted Washington. |
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Private Thomas Freeman. 17303.
10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Jane Isabella Freeman, of 14, Baxter Place, Seaton Delaval, Northumberland. Killed 9 January 1916. Aged 20. Born Newcastle, Enlisted Cramlington, Resided Seaton Delaval. "ALWAYS REMEMBERED" |
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Private William Reed Gott. 2653. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 31 October 1915. Enlisted Skelton, Resided Marske. |
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Private William Hardie, 12407.
7th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 5 April 1916. Born Gainsborough (Lincs), Enlisted Bradford. |
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Private John Frederick Hawkins,
2871. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of John and Hannah Hawkins, of The Cottage, Easington, Loftus, Yorks. Killed 10 October 1915. Aged 25. Enlisted Northallerton, Resided Middleton Tyas (Yorks). "HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE" |
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Private William Hope, 20338.
10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of Margaret Hope, of 5, Wood Row, Binchester Colliery, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham. Killed 11 February 1916. Aged 35. Born Hadenwoodgate, Enlisted Sunderland, Resided Spennymoor. |
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Lance Corporal Charles Long.
22875. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Charles and Georgianna Long, of 92, Shipley Fields Rd., Frizinghall, Bradford, Yorks. Born at Shipley, Yorks. Killed 15 March 1916. Aged 24. Born Shipley (Yorks), Enlisted Middlesbrough, Resided Frizinghall (Bradford). |
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Lance Corporal William Long,
1407. 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Harry and Matilda Long; husband of Lily Long, of 7, Westray St., Carlin How, Cleveland, Yorks. Killed 9 October 1915. Aged 30. Born Redcar, Enlisted Skelton, Resided Carlin How. "IN THE MIDST OF LIFE WE ARE IN DEATH" |
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Private Harry McBean. 20319.
10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Thomas Henry and Mary Elizabeth McBean, of 41, Victoria St., Scarborough. Killed 12 February 1916. Aged 22. Born Scarborough, Enlisted Scarborough. |
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Private Patrick Ryan. 20323.
10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 26 February 1916. Born Darlington, Enlisted Stockton, Resided Stockton-on-Tees. |
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Private Robert Scott. 19639.
10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Husband of Mary Scott, of New Rows, East Howle, Ferryhill, Co. Durham. Killed 7 January 1916. Aged 33. Born Durham, Enlisted Ferryhill, Resided East Howle. "HE GIVETH HIS BELOVED SLEEP" |
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Private Tom Wood. 20280. 10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 14 January 1916. Aged 33. Born Malton, Enlisted Scarborough. |
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Bonjean Military Cemetery (2)
Photo : Chris Cosgrove.
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Bonjean Military Cemetery (3)
Photo : Chris Cosgrove.