Hamel Military Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel (Somme)

Details

Beaumont-Hamel is a commune in the Department of the Somme containing the two villages of Beaumont and Hamel. The former was captured by British troops in November, 1916, but the latter was in British occupation from the summer of 1915, until 27th March, 1918.

Hamel Military Cemetery is on the South side of the village. It was begun by fighting units and Field Ambulances in August, 1915, and carried on until June, 1917; and a few further burials were made in Plot II, Row F, after the capture of the village in 1918. It was known at times by the names of "Brook Street Trench" and "White City". It was enlarged after the Armistice by the concentration of 48 graves from the immediate neighbourhood.

The Cemetery now contains the graves of 487 soldiers (and sailors and Marines of the Royal Naval Division) from the United Kingdom, one New Zealand soldier and four German prisoners. The unnamed graves are 78 in number, and special memorials are erected to four soldiers from the United Kingdom known or believed to be buried among them. A number of French and German military graves have been removed to other burial grounds.

Number of burials by Unit

Royal Navy Division - infantry & medical
60
   Royal Irish Rifles
33
Royal Irish Fusiliers
27
   Hampshire Regiment
26
Black Watch
22
   Royal Sussex
20
Rifle Brigade
18
   Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment
16
Royal Field Artillery
16
   Royal Fusiliers - City of London Regiment
16
Essex Regiment
13
   King's Royal Rifle Corps
13
West Yorkshire Regiment
13
   East Lancashire Regiment
10
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
10
   York & Lancaster Regiment
9
Machine Gun Corps
8
   Manchester Regiment
8
Royal Army Medical Corps
7
   Monmouthshire Regiment
6
Royal Engineers
5
   Welsh Regiment
5
Cambridgeshire Regiment
4
   Durham Light Infantry
4
Lancashire Fusiliers
4
   London Regiment - 5th Bn. London Rifle Brigade
4
Royal Welsh Fusiliers
4
   Cheshire Regiment
3
Lincolnshire Regiment
3
   Queen's - Royal West Surrey Regiment
3
Gloucestershire Regiment
2
   Hertfordshire Regiment
2
Honourable Artillery Company
2
   Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
2
South Staffordshire Regiment
2
   Artists Rifles
1
Devonshire Regiment
1
   East Yorkshire Regiment
1
King's Own Scottish Borderers
1
   King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
1
North Staffordshire Regiment
1
   Northumberland Fusiliers
1
Somerset Light Infantry
1
   Wiltshire Regiment
1
Worcestershire Regiment
1
      
Indentified burials
410
      
German burials
4
      
Total indentified burials
414
      
Unidentified UK burials
76
      
Unidentified UK Marine burials
1
      
Unidentified New Zealand burials
1
      
Total Unidentified burials
78
      
Total burials
492
      

Awards

L/Sgt. C. E. Ball M.M., 13th Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment, died 3rd Sept. 1916. I. E. 41.

Lt. Col. Ernest Charles Patrick Boyle D.S.O., 1st Bn. Honourable Artillery Company, died 7th Feb. 1917 aged 56. I. E. 2

L/Cpl. E. J. Brown M.M., 11th Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment, died 12th Oct. 1916 aged 27. II. B. 11.

Lt. Col. Norman Ormsby Burge, Mentioned in Despatches. K.I.A. at the battle of Beaumont Hamel on the 13th Nov. 1916, aged 40. Son of Col. & Mrs. B. H. Burge. II. D. 20.

Sgt. W. H. Ginn D.C.M., 1st Bn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Died 4th July 1916. I. A. 34.

Cpl.Harold Scott Lowe M.M. & Bar, 5th Bn. London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade), died 5th April 1918 aged 32. II. F. 36.

A/B Arthur Kirkpatrick McLeod M.M., R.N.V.R. "Anson" Bn. Royal Navy Division. K.I.A. 14th Feb. 1917 aged 19.

Sgt. James Hamilton Murray D.S.M., Twice Mentioned in Despatches. Royal Marines Divisional Engineers, Royal Navy Division, K.I.A. 14th Nov. 1916 aged 32. II. D. 16.

Lt. William Stewart Robertson M.C., 10th Bn. Black Watch, attached to 4th/5th Bn. Died 3rd Sept. 1916 aged 23. . I. F. 17.

Lt. Col. Frederick John Saunders D.S.O., R.M.L.I. Commanding "Anson" Bn., Royal Navy Division. K.I.A. 12th Nov. 1916 aged 40. II. B. 9.