Les Baraques Military Cemetery will be found on the western side of Calais. It is just off the D940, the road to Sangatte, and CWGC signposts are in place directing visitors to the cemetery.
Although within the Commune of Sangatte the cemetery is in an area better known as Blériot-Plage. From the Calais Ports or Eurotunnel come off the A16 Autoroute at Junction 43 and follow the road (D940) towards the coast. At the final roundabout turn left towards Sangatte/ Blériot-Plage. After a hundred metres, you will see the green CWGC sign turning you right. The CWGC cemetery is on the left hand end of the Communal cemetery.
If you are coming from Boulogne or the Cité d’Europe it is probably quicker and easier to come off at Junction 41 (on leaving the Cité turn left towards the Outlet Store) and follow the road towards Sangatte. Turn right for Calais and follow the coastal road into Blériot-Plage where you will now turn left at the sign.
GPS | N | E | OSM |
---|---|---|---|
Decimal | 50.959707 | 1.822888 | Map |
In April 1915, No.6 Base Supply Depot was started at Calais to help relieve the pressure on Boulogne and to provide a base nearer to the front than Havre or Rouen. The base remained open until the last Commonwealth forces left France in March 1921.
The 30th, 35th and 38th General Hospitals, No.9 British Red Cross Hospital and No.10 Canadian Stationary Hospital were also stationed in the town providing about 2,500 beds. For three years, Commonwealth burials were made in Calais Southern Cemetery, but it later became necessary to start a new site and in September 1917, the first burials took place at Les Baraques. The cemetery continued in use until 1921.
The cemetery now contains 1,303 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, together with more than 250 war graves of other nationalities, all but two of them German. The cemetery also contains seven Second World War burials.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.
Pioneer James Newman 605411
Royal Engineers
Died on 13th December 1919 aged 63
Son of James and Jane Newman
Husband of Mary Ann Newman
of 11, Unicorn St., Portsea, Portsmouth
Grave: XX A 2
Sergeant Harold Collison DCM P/3479
GHQ Detective Staff
Military Police Corps
Died on 4th July 1918
Grave: IV C 13
Sergeant Collison was shot dead whilst trying to arrest 2nd Lt John Paterson. Paterson was executed for the murder and is buried in Terlincthun British Cemetery.
Liu Ch’un Ch’eng 8178
21st Company
Chinese Labour Corps
Died on 5th July 1918
Grave: IX C 14
Private H Kettlewell 39044
8th Bn East Lancashire Regiment
Died on 20th March 1919 aged 20
Son of Mrs. M Kettlewell
of Sutton Bank, Thirsk, Yorks
Private H Binder S/363754
16th Field Bakery
Royal Army Service Corps
Died on 14th March 1919 aged 23
Son of Mrs. Edith Binder
of Great Bowden, Market Harborough, Leicestershire
Grave: VIII G 19
Joseph Leng
Died on 2nd October 1919 aged 7
Drowned at Audruicq
Grave: XIX A 9
Beloved son of
Sapper and Mrs J Leng
New Shildon, England
Private Come-Come Makwale Masulu
South African Native Labour Corps
Died on 4th June 1917
Husband of Matube
of Het Fort, P.O. Secocoenie, Lijdenburg, Transvaal
Grave: XVI A 13
Leading Seaman W Smith S/1052L
SS River Thames
Died on 6th November 1918 aged 27
Son of Gilbert and Jane Smith
of Westing, Uyeasound, Shetland
Grave: IV D 8A
Private James Murray 27502
9th Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Died on 11th November 1918 aged 36
Son of George and Bertha Murray
of Muff, Co. Donegal
Husband of Isabel Murray
of Culmore, Londonderry
Grave: VI E 2
First Class Engineer Yioshto
Japanese Merchant Marine service
Died on 31st December 1918
Grave: VII D 11
Private Joseph Chandler 50079
Served as Joseph McIntyre
10th Bn Lincolnshire Regiment
Died on 8th November 1919
Husband of Nora Chandler
of 5, Burndon Street, Gateshead-on-Tyne
Grave: XIX A 1
Shot at Dawn for murder
Having carried out a number of robberies with three fellow soldiers, Chandler murdered one of them thinking that he was concealing part of their ill gotten gains.
Wang En Jung 10299
29th Company
Chinese Labour Corps
Died on 26th June 1918
Grave: IX C 11
Shot at Dawn for murder
Wang and his compatriot Yang Ch’ing Shan (IX C 12) were executed for the murder of the owner of a local estaminet during a robbery that went wrong.