OVILLERS-LA BOISSELLE is a commune in the Department of the Somme, to the North-East of Albert, on either side of the Bapaume road. The village of La Boisselle is on the right (or South-East) side of the road, at the turning to Contalmaison ; the village of Ovillers is due North of La Boisselle, a little way back from the left side of the road.

On the 1st July, 1916, the 8th Division attacked Ovillers and the 34th Division La Boisselle ; the villages were not captured, but ground was won between them and to the South of La Boisselle. On the 4th July, the 19th (Western) Division cleared La Boisselle. On the 7th July the 12th (Eastern) and 25th Divisions gained part of Ovillers, and the village was cleared by the 48th (South Midland) Division on the 1 7th July. The two villages were lost in March, 1918, but they were retaken on the following 24th August by the 38th (Welsh) Division. They have been " adopted " by the City of Gloucester.

Ovillers Military Cemetery is a little way South-West of the village, on the right-hand side of the road to Aveluy. It was begun before the capture of Ovillers, as a battle cemetery behind a Dressing Station, and it was used until March, 1917. It then contained 143 graves, about half the present Plot I. It was increased after the Armistice by the concentration of 3,329 British and French graves, mainly from the battlefields of Pozieres, Ovillers, La Boisselle and Contalmaison ; the great majority of these British graves were those of men who fell in July, 1916, and the French graves were of 1914-15. The unidentified French graves were removed by the French authorities later.

The 22nd Royal Fusiliers erected a wooden memorial in the cemetery to 78 officers and men of the Battalion who fell in action in February, 1917.

The cemetery now contains the graves of 3,265 soldiers (or sailors of the Royal Naval Division) from the United Kingdom, 95 from Canada, 57 from Australia, 13 from South Africa and 6 from New Zealand, and 120 French soldiers. No fewer than 2,477 of these graves are those of unidentified soldiers; and special memorials are erected to 23 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Australia, believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 36 soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in Mash Valley Cemetery, whose graves were destroyed in later fighting.

The cemetery covers an area of 9,474 square metres. It is enclosed by a red brick wall. It stands on high ground, commanding an extensive view to the South.

The Register records particulars of 956 War Graves.

Two smaller burial grounds were concentrated into Ovillers Military Cemetery:-
MASH VALLEY CEMETERY, OVILLERS-LA BOISSELLE, was about 183 metres North of Ovillers Military Cemetery. It was named from one of two valleys (Mash and Sausage) which run from South-West to North-East on either side of La Boisselle. It contained the graves of 76 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in July-September, 1916.

RED DRAGON CEMETERY, OVILLERS-LA-BOISSELLE, was midway between Ovillers and La Boisselle. It was made by the 16th and 17th Royal Welch Fusiliers, and named from their badge. It contained the graves of 25 soldiers who fell in August, 1918,
all of whom belonged to the 38th (Welsh) Division, and all but three to the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

Number of burials by Unit

Awards buried in this cemetery:-

Serjt William Thomas Croft SR/322 D.C.M. 2nd Bn Middlesex Regt. Killed in Action 1st July 1916 aged 37 XI. D. 10.

Cpl. Harry Osman Digby M.M. "A" Coy 9th Bn Essex Regt. Died 3rd July, 1916. Age 20. Sp Mem 9.

Sgt. Frederick Herman Emo 418743 M.M. "C" Coy 42nd Bn. Canadian Inf. (Quebec Regt.) Died 6th Oct.,1916. Age 19 XII. Q. I.

Pte. T.D. Farquharson, 4055 M.M. 1st/4th Bn. Gordon Highlanders. Died 22nd Dec., 1916. I. C. 13.

Lt. J.B. Hoyle M.C. 7th Bn South Lancashire Regt. Killed in Action 1st July, 1916 Age 23. I. B. 15.

Capt. Reginald Cameron Lewis M.C. 2nd Bn Royal Berkshire Regt. Died 1st July, 1916 Age 27. VIII. C. 3.

Sgt., A., McLean 5103 1/8th Bn Royal Scots. Mentioned in Despatches. Died 11th Dec.,1916. I. A. 26.

Maj. George Paterson Nunneley M.C. 4th Bn Bedfordshire Regt. Killed in Action 2nd March, 1917. Age 33. U.1.

Pte. D.P. Parry 54961 M.M. 14th Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers. Died 24th Aug., 1918. X. F. 1

Lt. Col G.A. Royston-Pigott D.S.O. Northamptonshire Regt attd 10th Bn Worcestershire Regt. Died 3rd July, 1916 XIII. H. 1.

Sgt. G. Troth 240889 M.M. 2/8th Bn Worcestershire Regt. Died 5th Jan.,1917. I. B. 21

Pte W. 20/684 Walker M.M. 20th (Tyneside Scottish) Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers. Died 1st July, 1916 XI. R. 3.

Maj. John Walsh 22nd Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Mentioned in Despatches. Died of Wounds 19th Feb., 1917. Age 34. Sp Mem 23

Also Buried in this Cemetery

Pte David John Hatton G/9095 8th Bn The Buffs died 3rd Sept., 1916. Age 21 His Brother Henry Thomas also fell I.H.9.

Pte William Blaylock, 14009 6th Bn Border Regt., Killed in action 17th Sept., 1916. Age 24. Enlisted 2nd Sept., 1914. Also served at Gallipoli.

Capt. John C. Lauder 1/8th Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. Killed in action 28th Dec., 1916 Age 25. Son of Sir Harry Lauder and Dame Annie Lauder, of "Laudervale", Dunoon, Argyll. I. A. 6.

Pte George Nugent 22nd (Service) Bn., Northumberland Fusiliers (3rd Tyneside Scottish) Killed in action 1st July 1916. Buried 1st July 2000

Rfn. R., Power, 8763 " C" Coy 1st Bn Royal Irish Rifles. Died 1st July 1916 Age 16 VI. O. 3.

Pte William Thomas Tarry G/62893. 9th Bn Royal Fusiliers. Died of Tetanus 2nd April 1918. Age 20 VII. E. 1.