Heath Cemetery

Location

Heath Cemetery is situated on the south side of the straight main road (D1029) from Amiens to St Quentin, approximately 13 kilometres from Villers-Bretonneux. CWGC signposts will be seen directing visitors to the cemetery.

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Historical Information

Harbonnières was captured by French troops in the summer of 1916. It was retaken by the Germans on 27th April 1918, and regained by the Australian Corps on 8th August 1918.

Heath Cemetery, so called from the wide expanse of open country on which it stands, was made after the Armistice, next to a French Military Cemetery, now removed.

Graves were brought into it from the battlefields between Bray and Harbonnières and from other burial grounds in the area, including :

• Bayonvillers British Cemetery, at the North end of the village, which contained the graves of 37 Australian soldiers, 11 from the United Kingdom, one from Canada, and one French Interpreter, all of whom fell in August, 1918.
• Bayonvillers French Military Cemetery, at the South end of Bayonvillers, in which one soldier from the United Kingdom was buried in March 1917
• Bayonvillers German Cemetery, near the Church, in which 14 Australian soldiers and 11 from the United Kingdom were buried by their comrades in August, 1918.
• Cerisy-Gailly Communal Cemetery French Extension which contained 157 French and 108 German graves, and those of three soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in July, 1916.
• Clump Trench Cemetery, Rosières-de-Picardie, 300 metres East of the road to Vauvillers, which contained the graves of 20 Australian soldiers and three from the United Kingdom who fell in August, 1918.
• Copse Corner Cemetery, Vauvillers, by a copse 900 metres North of Clump Trench Cemetery, which contained the graves of 22 men of the 7th Australian Battalion who fell on the 9th August 1918, and one soldier from the United Kingdom.
• Davenscourt Churchyard, in which five unidentified soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried.
• Étinehem (or Cote 77) French Military Cemetery, near the crossing of the roads from Étinehem to Meaulte and from Bray to Corbie. Here were buried 290 French soldiers, now reburied in Cote 80 French National Cemetery, and 16 from the United Kingdom and one from Australia.
• Framerville British Cemetery (or Quarry Cemetery), near the track leading to Herleville, which contained the graves of 23 soldiers from the United Kingdom and three from Australia who fell in August, 1918.
• The French Military Cemetery, on the road to Proyart, which contained the graves of two soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1917.
• Harbonnières Communal Cemetery Extension in which 44 soldiers from the United Kingdom and 19 from Australia were buried by their comrades in August 1918.
• Lone Farm (or Lone House) Cemetery, Harbonnières, about 900 metres East of Heath Cemetery. Here were buried 35 soldiers from Australia and nine from the United Kingdom, most of whom fell in August 1918.
• Louvrechy French Military Cemetery, at the West end of Louvrechy village, which contained the graves of two R.A.F. officers who fell in July 1918.
• Memorial Cemetery, Vauvillers, a little South-East of the crossing of the Vauvillers-Rosieres and Harbonnières-Lihons roads, which contained graves of 19 soldiers of the 9th Australian Battalion who fell in August 1918 .
• Méricourt-sur-somme Communal Cemetery, in which one R.F.C. officer was buried in September 1916.
• Mérignolles British Cemetery, Proyart, half-way between Proyart and Chuignolles, which contained the graves of 21 Australian soldiers who fell the 23rd August 1918.
• Morcourt Communal Cemetery, in which three soldiers from United Kingdom were buried by the Germans; the Extension, in which Australian soldiers and eight from the United Kingdom were buried by their comrades in August 1918; and the German Cemetery “by the Church”, which the Germans buried two men of the Rifle Brigade in April 1918.
• Proyart Communal Cemetery Extension, made by the Germans in April-June, 1918, and used by the British in August and September, 1918, for the burial of 64 soldiers and airmen from the United Kingdom and 3 Australian soldiers.
• Ridgeway Cemetery, Lihons, on the road from Lihons to Rosieres, which contained the graves of 23 Australian soldiers who fell in August 1918.
• Sailly-Laurette Military Cemetery, 800 metres due North of Sailly-Laurette village. Here were buried 38 soldiers from the United Kingdom mainly of the 58th (London) Division and two from Australia, who fell in August 1918.
• Vermandovillers German Cemetery, from which the grave of one R.A.F. officer was brought. The earliest date of death is September 1915, the latest October 1918, but the majority died in March or August 1918.

There are now 1,860 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 369 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 26 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 21 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves could not be found.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

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