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Webmatters : Naves Communal Cemetery Extension

Naves Communal Cemetery Extension

Location

Naves is a small village about 5 kilometres north-east of Cambrai on the road to Saulzoir (D114). The Communal Cemetery is on the south side of the road a little south-west of the village at the entrance to the village coming from Cambrai.

GPSNEOSM
Decimal50.1979323.309299 Map
Naves Communal Cemetery Extension

Historical Information

The Extension was begun by the 49th (West Riding) Division in October 1918, after the capture of the village on the 10th. The 31 graves then made are now in Plot V; Plots I to IV were made after the Armistice, by the concentration of graves from smaller cemeteries and from the battlefields of Cambrai.

Many of the graves are unidentified

Among the graves thus concentrated were those of many Lancashire Fusiliers and King’s Own Royal Lancasters who fell in August 1914.

The following were among the burial grounds from which British graves were removed to Naves Communal Cemetery Extension :

  • Eswars Communal Cemetery German Extension, which contained the graves of seven soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Canada who fell in October 1918.
  • Hilltop Cemetery, Lesdain, between Lesdain and Seranvillers, containing the graves of 17 New Zealand and six German soldiers who fell in October 1918.
  • Maurois British Cemetery, on the Maurois-Maretz road, containing the graves of 15 South African soldiers who fell on the 14th October 1918.
  • Paillencourt British Cemetery, close to the Sensee river, containing the graves of twelve soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Canada who fell on the 16th October 1918.
  • Thun-St. Martin British Cemetery, in the middle of the village. Here were buried 18 soldiers from the United Kingdom (mainly of the 51st (Highland) Division) and three from Canada, who fell in October 1918.

There are now nearly 450, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over a quarter are unidentified and special memorials are erected to four soldiers of the 8th Northumberland Fusiliers, buried in Eswars German Cemetery, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The grave of one American soldier has been removed to another cemetery.

The Extension covers an area of 1,446 square metres and is enclosed by a low red brick wall.

Naves Communal Cemetery Extension
Private John Laurie

Private John Laurie 2356417
19th Bn Canadian Infantry
Died on 10th October 1918 aged 36

Grave: V A 19

Private W Ritters

Private W Ritters 17687
1st Regiment South African Infantry
Died on 19th October 1918 aged 22
Son of Mrs H Ritters
of Vereeniging, South Africa

Grave: II G 13

Private G Priest

Private G Priest 49546
1st Bn Hertfordshire Regiment
Died on 8th October 1918 aged 19
Son of George and Mary Priest
of West View, Honey Hill, Blean, Canterbury

Grave: III C 9

Gone beyond the veil
From mum, dad
Brothers and sisters
Always in our thoughts

Private David Taylor

Private David Taylor 62176
1st Bn 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
Died on 8th October 1918

Grave: IV E 20

Serjeant A Parsons

Serjeant A Parsons 26910
3rd (King’s Own) Hussars
Died on 9th October 1918 aged 38
Son of J. and A. Parsons
Husband of Clara Parsons
of 34, Cholmley St., Hull

Grave: I D 5

Serjeant Archibald Gray

Serjeant Archibald Gray 522845
15th Bn Canadian Infantry
48th Highlanders of Canada
Died on 1st October 1918 aged 30
Son of Archibald Gray
of 21, University St., Glasgow, Scotland

Grave: II B 1


Other cemeteries in the area