Orchard Dump
Webmatters : Nécropole nationale des Buttes (Marcelcave)
Rough map of area

Buttes Cemetery (Marcelcave)

Location

This French Military Cemetery is just outside the village of Marcelcave, 24 kilometres east of Amiens in the Department of the Somme. From Amiens take the D 1029 to Villers Bretonneux. Pass through the town and just after the roundabout for Le Hamel there will be a side road off to the right — it looks like a farm track. Take this and follow it around to the left. The cemetery is in the trees off to your right.

GPSNEOSM
Decimal49.860512.56032 Map
Nécropole nationale des Buttes (Marcelcave)

Historical Information

During the war a number of important French military sites were located in the area of Marcelcave — connected by rail to Amiens.

Apart from munitions dumps and logistical stores an important military hospital (Hôpital d’Opération et d’Evacuation N°13) was constructed out of wooden barrack blocks alongside a small cemetery that had sprung up at the base. The modern cemetery corresponds to the former location of the hospital.

The hospital functioned throughout the war until March 1918 when the German Spring Offensive resulted in the fall of the town. Marcelcave was recaptured by the Canadian Corps on 8th August 1918. There are memorials to the Canadians in the town and a memorial plaque to the 19th Battalion Canadian Infantry a few minutes away on the far side of the railway line.

Created in 1916 the cemetery now contains 1,610 casualties all of whom either died of wounds or sickness. Many of these were brought in from temporary cemeteries in the area. Many of those buried here were Legionnaires, including Spaniards, Greeks, Russians, Italians, Swiss, Turks and Uruguayans.

During during the fighting for Belloy en Santerre on 4th July 1916 the Régiment de Marche de la Légion Étrangère (RMLE) were heavily engaged and their 3e Bataillon wiped out. In five days of fighting 1,368 out of 3,000 soldiers were killed including Commandant Ruelland, commanding the 1er Bataillon who can be found amongst the burials in this cemetery.

Senegalese soldiers

Senegalese soldiers at the rear of the cemetery.
Odd that one row has Muslim headstones but the other no religious markings at all !


Commandant Clément Ruelland

Commandant Clément Ruelland 370
Born 6th September 1863
Angers (49 – Maine-et-Loire)
Class of 1883
1er Régiment de March de la Légion Étrangère
Died on 11th July 1916 aged 52
Son of Yves and Héloïse Ruelland
Died of wounds

Grave: 448

Soldat Théodore Nonnenmacher

Soldat Théodore Nonnenmacher 2261
Born 21st December 1874
Paris 13 (75 – Paris)
Class of 1894
1er Régiment de March de la Légion Étrangère
Died on 26th April 1918 aged 43
Son of Charles and Caroline Nonnenmacher
KIA near Cachy (Somme)

(Although he volunteered for the army he does not appear to have been a very disciplined soldier throughout his career — which helps explain how he ended up in the Légion Étrangère ! )

Grave: 390

Sous-Lieutenant Émile Bréhiniez

Sous-Lieutenant Émile Bréhiniez 104
Born 11th June 1892
Paris 20 (75 – Paris)
Class of 1912
321e Régiment d’infanterie
Died on 11th September 1916 aged 24
Son of Hermonie Bréhiniez
Died of wounds

Grave: 633

Soldat Raphael Degeilh

Soldat Raphael Degeilh 564
Born 3rd August 1895
Le Port (09 – Ariège)
Class of 1915
24e Régiment d’infanterie coloniale
Died on 5th July 1916 aged 20
Son of Léon and Angélique Degeilh
Died of wounds

Grave: 148

Tsingtao

Tsingtao
Travailleur Indo-Chinois
Died on 10th August 1918
KIA Gentelles (Somme)

Grave: 1395


Other cemeteries in the area