Ancre Cemetery
Location
Ancre British Cemetery is about 2 kilometres south of the village of Beaumont-Hamel, on the D50 between Albert and Achiet le Grand.
When travelling between the Ulster Tower and the Newfoundland Memorial Park it is within a few hundred metres of the railway crossing at Hamel. Turn towards Beaucourt and it is on your left within a hundred metres.
If you continue along the side of the railway you will reach the old Station (now a café and at that time forming part of the German front line) and then the 63rd (RN) Division's monument at Beaucourt.
Historical Information
The village of Beaumont-Hamel was attacked on 1 July 1916 by the 29th Division, with the 4th on its left and the 36th (Ulster) on its right, but without success.
A wreath on the grave of William McCallum who died on 1 July 1916
On 3 September a further attack was delivered between Hamel and Beaumont-Hamel and on 13 and 14 November, the 51st (Highland), 63rd (Royal Naval), 39th and 19th (Western) Divisions finally succeeded in capturing Beaumont-Hamel, Beaucourt-sur-Ancre and St. Pierre-Divion.
Following the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in the spring of 1917, V Corps cleared this battlefield and created a number of cemeteries, of which Ancre British Cemetery (then called Ancre River No 1 British Cemetery, V Corps Cemetery No 26) was one.
The original burials were almost all of the 63rd and 36th Divisions, but after the Armistice the cemetery was greatly enlarged when many more graves from the same battlefields and from smaller burial grounds in the area were brought into it.
The majority of those buried in the cemetery died on 1 July, 3 September or 13 November 1916.
There are now 2 540 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 1 335 of the graves are unidentified, but special memorials commemorate 43 casualties known or believed to be buried among them.
There are also special memorials to 16 casualties know to have been buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.
In the centre of the cemetery is a circle of graves with representatives from most of the units involved in the battles in the area.
Men from the Navy, Marines and HAC who died during the final assault on Beaucourt in November 1916
1st July 1916
On the 1st July 1916 the 9th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers were part of the 36th (Ulster) Division fighting on this side of the Ancre River who started at the top of the hill on your left and pushed the front line as far as the area of today's cemetery.
For further information about the fighting in this area please use the links below.
Private William McCallum 17951
9th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers
Died on 1st July 1916
Native of Lurgan, Co Armagh
Grave: VIII A 9
Private J Campbell 20024
9th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers
Died on 1st July 1916
Grave: VIII A 10
Major Thomas Atkinson
B Coy 9th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers
Died on 1st July 1916 aged 38
Son of Wolsey and Alice Atkinson. MA, LLB, TCD a solicitor
A son of Ulster
Your memory hallowed
In the land you loved
Grave: VIII A 5
Corporal Ernest Turkington 14725
9th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers
Died on 1st July 1916 aged 22
Son of William and Ellen Turkington, of 26, Brownlow Terrace, Lurgan, Co. Armagh
Grave: VIII A 6
13th November 1916
On the 13th November 1916 the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division took on the attack from this area in their triumphant capture of Beaucourt during the final battle of the Somme.
Lieutenant The Hon Vere Harmsworth
Hawke Bn Royal Naval Division
Died on 13th November 1916 aged 21
Son of 1st Viscount Rothermere, of Warwick House, St. James's, London
Grave: V E 19
Lieutenant The Hon Vere Harmsworth of the Hawke Battalion had led one of the attempts to get past the redoubt that had caused so many casualties to the battalion but in doing so was himself wounded. Wounded again, he died of his injuries.
This photo was taken from the area of the Ulster Tower.
The cemetery can be seen within the large group of trees to the right, in the middle of the photo.
The area around the cemetery was the subject of heavy fighting on the 1st July 1916 by the Ulster Division
The trees on the ridge are the Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont Hamel
The Ulster Tower
The Ancre: 1 July 1916
The Ancre: 13 November 1916
Newfoundland Memorial Park