Details

Foncquevillers is a village and commune in the extreme South of the Department of the Pas-de-Calais; Gommecourt is a little way South-East of it, and Gommecourt Wood is on the North side of Gommecourt village.

Foncquevillers was in British hands in 1915 and 1916. On the 1st July, 1916, Gommecourt Wood was attacked by the 46th (North Midland) Division, and the Southern part of the village by the 56th (London) Division. The attack met with temporary success but could not be sustained; and Gommecourt remained a salient in the German line until the 27th February, 1917, when it was evacuated. It was never retaken by the Germans; at the end of their offensive in March, 1918, it was just within the British lines.

Gommecourt Wood New Cemetery is on the South side of the road to Foncquevillers, West of the Wood. It was made, after the Armistice, by the concentration of graves from certain smaller burial grounds and from the battlefields of July, 1916, March, 1917, and March April and August, 1918. It contains the graves of 682 sailors and soldiers from the United Kingdom (mainly of the 46th Division), 56 from New Zealand and one from Australia. No fewer than 464 of these graves are unnamed; and special memorials are erected to ten soldiers from the United Kingdom, known or believed to be buried among them.

The following were among the burial grounds from which British graves were brought to this cemetery :-

Bastion Cemetery, Foncquevillers, in the old German line North of the Wood, where 55 men (nearly all unidentified) of the 46th Division were buried.

Bretencourt French Military Cemetery, on the West side of the bridge between Brétencourt and Blamont Hill, in the commune of Riviere. Here were buried 233 French soldiers and 38 from the United Kingdom; three men of the Indian Labour Corps; and one German prisoner.

Gommecourt Chateau Cemetery, at the North-East corner of the Château park, begun by the German. Here were buried 55 soldiers from New Zealand, who fell in July and August, 1918, and 14 from the United Kingdom.

Gommecourt Wood Cemetery No.1, or The Sap Cemetery, Foncquevillers, between the old front lines, in which were buried 111 men of the 46th Division, almost all unidentified.

Gommecourt Wood Cemetery No. 4, or Little Z Cemetery, Foncquevillers (from a strong point on the German front line), which contained the graves of 22 men of the 46th Division and one other.

Gommecourt Wood Cemetery No. 5, on the North-West side of the wood, containing the graves of 27 men of the 46th Division.

Gommecourt Wood Cemetery No.6, close to No.5, containing the graves of 40 men, almost all of the 46th Division.

Gommecourt Wood Cemetery No.8, Foncquevillers, between the old front lines, containing the graves of 46 men of the 46th Division.

Point 75 British Cemetery, Foncquevillers, on the old German front line, containing the graves of 35 men of the 46th Division

Number of burials by Unit

Awards

Lt. Col. Charles Edmund Boote T.D (Territorial Decoration)., 5th Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment. K.I.A. 1st July 1916 aged 41. Served in the South African Campaign. II. B. 12.

Pte. Thomas Coonan M.M., 4th Bn. Guards Machine Gun Regiment. Died 7th May 1918 aged 23. II. E. 15.

Cpl. P. W. Keep M.M.., 4th Bn Grenadier Guards, Died 29th March 1918 I. J. 25.
Percy Keep was the husband of Elsie Keep 70, Grove Street Wantage Berks and is buried in plot 1 row J grave 25 . He served with the 4th Battalion Grenadier Guards from November 1914 and was killed in action on 29th March 1918. He was awarded the Military Medal in 1917 (London Gazette 28/9/1917) and his citation follows: 4.8.1917 Immediate Award
"This Corporal was in charge of a carrying party to the 1st Bn Grenadier Guards during the attack. His work throughout was exemplary. His courage energy and intelligence greatly aided the work of consolidation of the Battalion. Nothing was too much trouble or too much to ask. He made frequent journeys under very heavy shellfire which made no difference to his work. He set a splendid example to his men. He is deserving of the highest praise. "

Cpl. S. Matthews M.M., 8th Bn. Sherwood Foresters, Notts. & Derbys Regiment. Killed in action 1st July 1916 aged 26. H.13

Cpl. John McIntosh Fraser M.M. and Bar. 1st Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F. K.I.A. 16th Aug. 1918 aged 24. Also served at Gallipoli. III. B. 21.

Pte. W. H. Pounder M.M., 1st/6th Bn. Manchester Regiment, died 28th March 1918 aged 30. IV. A. 2.

Private J.J. Hardwick, 4360, 5th Btn Sherwood Foresters, Killed in action 1st July, 1916 aged 19 I. H. 19. was one of three brothers who fell in the Great War.

Private Herbert Peet Burman, 265391. 1/7th Bn. Sherwood Foresters. 1st July, 1916. Age 20. Son of Samuel and Violet Burman, of 5, Florence St., Hazel Grove, Hucknall, Notts. Native of Old Brampton, Chesterfield. II. E. 5.