Roclincourt Military

Location

Roclincourt is a village a little to the east of the road from Arras to Lens. Take the N 17 from Arras until the junction of this road and the D 60 (first CWGC sign here). Travel along the D 60 into Roclincourt village, for approximately one kilometre, to a right turn (direction St Nicholas). Take this road for approximately 175 metres to a lane on the right. The cemetery lies 100 metres away at the foot of this lane.

Roclincourt Military Cemetery

Historical Information

The French troops who held this front before March 1916, made a Military Cemetery (now removed), on the South-West side of which the present (British) Military Cemetery was made.

It was begun by the 51st (Highland) and 34th Divisions in April 1917, and it contains many graves of the 9th April (the first day of the Battles of Arras).

It continued in use, as a front-line cemetery, until October 1918; and after the Armistice graves, mostly from the battlefield North of Roclincourt, were brought into Plot IV, Row F. There are now over 900, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 30 are unidentified.

The 22nd Royal Fusiliers erected a wooden memorial in the Cemetery to one officer and 27 NCO's and men who fell in action at Oppy in April and May 1917.

The cemetery covers an area of 3,540 square metres and is enclosed by a concrete curb.

Roclincourt Military Cemetery
 
Private W McCann

Private W McCann 241605
1/6th Bn Gordon Highlanders
Died on 9th April 1917 aged 19
Son of Hugh and Jane McCann, of 12, North St, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire

Grave: I A 29

Private R Burness

Private R Burness 292592
1/7th Bn The Black Watch
Royal Highlanders
Died on 9th April 1917 aged 26
Son of Mr and Mrs James Burness, of Pitcoag, Glencarse, Perthshire.
Native of Blairgowrie, Perthshire

Grave: III A 29

Private J Bell

Private J Bell S/21827
1/4th Bn Gordon Highlanders
Died on 25th May 1918

Grave: V D 19

 

Shot at Dawn

Rifleman Harry Williams

Rifleman Harry Williams 393923
1/9th Bn Royal Fusiliers
Queen Victoria's Rifles
Died on 28th December 1917
Son of Isabella Hitchcock, of 122, Colville Road, Acton, London

Harry Williams was a volunteer who had joined in 1915. In November 1917 he was under a 15 year suspended sentence for desertion when he refused to go into battle. He absented himself and then refused to rejoin his unit during a German attack. He was brought for trial and charged with Desertion. Found guilty and with a previous record he was condemned to death.

Grave: II F 4

 

Roclincourt Valley Roclincourt Valley Cemetery
Highland Cemetery Highland Cemetery
Arras 1917 Arras 1917
SAD List of Soldiers Shot at Dawn