Bazentin le Petit Military Cemetery
Location
Bazentin is in the Department of the Somme, to the north-east of Albert, containing the villages of Bazentin-le-Grand and Bazentin-le-Petit.
Take the D929 (Albert-Bapaume road) from Albert and travel 8 km. In the village of Pozières, turn south onto the D73 to Bazentin and the village of Bazentin-le-Petit is 3 km further on.
The Military Cemetery will be found on the west side of the village.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.032666 | 2.760288 | Map |
Historical Information
Bazentin was in German hands until the 14th July 1916, when the 3rd and 7th Divisions captured the two villages and the Communal Cemetery and held them against counter-attacks, and the 21st Division captured Bazentin-le-Petit Wood. (The 7th Division erected a commemorative oak cross at the North end of Bazentin-le-Petit.)
The ground was lost in April 1918, but recaptured on the following 25th August by the 38th (Welsh) Division. The commune has been adopted, with Fricourt, by the County Borough of Ipswich.
The Communal Cemetery Extension was begun immediately after the capture of the village, and used until December 1916, as a front-line cemetery.
The Military Cemetery was begun at the end of July 1916, and used until May 1917, as a front-line cemetery. It contains the graves of 116 soldiers from the United Kingdom, 55 from Australia and 10 from South Africa. Fifteen of the graves are those of unidentified soldiers. Thirty-three German graves were removed in 1923.
The cemetery covers an area of 1,824 square yards. It is bounded by a low rubble wall and a hornbeam hedge, and planted with scarlet thorn trees and flowering shrubs. Outside the Western wall is a German dug-out.
There are two War Graves in the Communal Cemetery, 186 in the Extension and 181 in the Military Cemetery.
Captain Harold Teague
11th Bn Australian Infantry
Died on 14th February 1917 aged 39
Son of John and Elizabeth Teague
Native of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Grave: G 11
The Commemorative Headstone
In Loving Memory of the late Captain
H O Teague, Killed in action
on 14 February 1917
As a token of love and admiration
from the NCOs and men
of the 2nd Australian
Field Ambulance
Private Robert Dumper L/898
16th (The Queen’s) Lancers
Died on 8th November 1916
Grave: C 8
Private John Heathcote 6899
4th Regt South African Infantry
Died on 14th October 1916 aged 16
Son of John and Amelia Heathcote
of Glen-Avent, Umtata, Cape Province
South Africa
Grave: C 13
Private Cecil Raab 4167
1st Regt South African Infantry
Died on 11th October 1916 aged 24
Son of Mrs A Raab and the late A Raab
of 9, Park Lane, Uitenhage, Cape Province
South Africa,
Grave: B 9