Orchard Dump
Webmatters : Carnoy Military Cemetery
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Carnoy Military Cemetery

Location

Carnoy is a village just north of the road, D938, from Albert to Peronne, about 10 kilometres east-south-east of Albert. The Military Cemetery is on the south side of the village, on the north side of the road to Maricourt.

GPSNEOSM
Decimal49.982052.75514 Map
Carnoy Military Cemetery

Historical Information

The cemetery was begun in August 1915, by the 2nd King’s Own Scottish Borderers and the 2nd King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, when the village was immediately South of the British front line.

It continued in use by troops holding this sector until July, 1916, when Field Ambulances came up and a camp was established on the higher ground North of the village. It was closed in March 1917.

From March to August 1918, it was in German hands, and German (and a few British) graves were made between the British graves and the entrance, and also in a German Cemetery alongside; but the German graves and the German Cemetery were removed in 1924.

There are now over 850, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly 30 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 17 soldiers and one airman from the United Kingdom, known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery covers an area of 4,441 square metres and is enclosed by a red brick wall.


Captain Wilfred Percy Nevill

Captain Wilfred Percy Nevill
1st Bn East Yorkshire Regiment
Attached 8th Bn East Surrey Regiment
Died on 1st July 1916

Grave: E 28

Captain Nevill bought four footballs, one for each of his platoons. The idea being that on the day of the First Battle of the Somme, the footballs would be “kicked into No Man’s Land” as far towards the German line as was possible, and the winner would receive a prize from the Captain, who “kicked off” the first ball — the prize was never collected as Nevill died on the day. One of the footballs was inscribed, The Great European Cup, The Final, East Surreys v Bavarians, Kick Off at Zero.

Two examples are now held by the National Army Museum and the Queen’s Regiment Museum, Dover Castle, Kent.

Lt Colonel John Lenox-Conyngham

Lieutenant Colonel John Lenox-Conyngham
6th Bn Connaught Rangers
Died on 3rd September 1916 aged 54
Third son of Sir Wm F Lenox-Conyngham, KCB,
of Spring Hill, Moneymore, Co Londonderry
Husband of the late Violet Lenox-Conyngham
Served with 1st and 2nd Bn Connaught Rangers from 1881 to 1911;
recalled October 1914, to command 6th Bn which he trained from its beginning

Grave: R 33

Lt Colonel Fitzroy Curzon

Lieutenant Colonel Fitzroy Curzon
6th Bn Royal Irish Regiment
Died on 9th September 1916 aged 57
Raised and trained the battalion
Mentioned for DSO in Sir Douglas Haig’s
Despatch of 13th November 1916
Son of the late Colonel The Hon E Curzon
(52nd Oxfordshire LI)
Born at Gopsall Hall, Atherstone

Grave: R 34

Lt Colonel Ronald Carden

Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Carden
17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge’s Own)
Commanding: 16th Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Died on 10th July 1916 aged 40
Son of the late Lt Col Sir F Carden, 2nd Bart,
and Lady Carden, of Stargroves, Newbury, Berks

Grave: S 22

Captain Bernard Ayre

Captain Bernard Ayre
8th Bn Norfolk Regiment
Died on 1st July 1916 aged 24
Son of Robert and Lydia Ayre, of Brookdale,
St. John’s, Newfoundland.
His brother Eric also fell on the same day

Grave: D 10

Captain Ayre was one of four cousins killed this day — the others all served in the Newfoundland Regiment.

The brother, Eric

The cousins, Wilfred

and Gerald

Rifleman A Claridge

Rifleman A Claridge C/9893
20th Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps
Died on 8th July 1916 aged 17
Son of Alice Claridge, of 14 Watling St,
Bexleyheath, Kent
and the late Ernest Claridge

Never forgotten by Mum
Brother and Sisters

Grave: G 43

Rifleman T Hull

Rifleman T Hull 6155
12th Bn The Rifle Brigade
Died on 26th August 1916 aged 17
Son of Mr and Mrs T Hull, of 96 Greenway St,
Small Heath, Birmingham

Ever in our thoughts
Lest we forget

Grave: H 27

There is a third 17 year old at grave: P 13
Private J Mullock, King’s Regiment
20th January 1916


Shot at Dawn

Shot at Dawn
Private Ernest Harris 23992
10th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers
Died on 3rd February 1917 aged 20
Son of Edward and Lavinia Harris,
of 90, Nether Edge Rd., Sheffield
Driver Robert Murray 96498
147th Brigade Royal Field Artillery
Died on 3rd February 1917
Husband of Edith Murray,
of Helmingham Road,
Otley, near Ipswich, Suffolk

Grave: Z 11


Grave: Z 10

Private Harris who was known as Jack was serving in the 10th Lancashire Fusiliers in 17th Division. He had already received two previous suspended sentences the latter being a death sentence. When he went AWOL for a third time his fate was sealed.

Driver Murray had arrived in France on the 25th September 1915 and was granted leave the following year. When he returned he decided to go absent. However rather than try his arm in getting back to England Murray managed to make his way to the south of France where he set up home with a prostitute. He made the mistake of arguing with her and she reported him to the Gendarmerie who promptly had him arrested.


Other cemeteries in the area