Thistle Dump Cemetery
Location
Longueval is a village 11 kilometres east of Albert. Travel north-east from Albert on the D929 in the direction of Bapaume. After 10 kilometres take the D6 in the direction of Martinpuich, then follow the signs for Longueval. At the D6/D20 junction stands a CWGC signpost for Thistle Dump Cemetery. The Cemetery is situated off the D20 down a track to the right.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.02960 | 2.78533 | Map |
Historical Information
High Wood was fiercely fought over during the Battle of the Somme until cleared by 47th (London) Division on 15th September 1916.
It was lost during the German advance of April 1918, but retaken the following August.
Thistle Dump Cemetery was begun in August 1916 and used as a front line cemetery until February 1917. It was later increased after the Armistice by the concentration of 56 graves from the Somme battlefields.
There are now 196 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 59 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to four casualties known to be buried among them.
The cemetery also contains seven German war graves.
Private Bernard Fay G/11034
11th Bn Queen’s Own
Royal West Kent Regiment
Died on 15th September 1916 aged 18
Son of Mrs Fay, of 42 Decima St
Tower Bridge Rd, Bermondsey, London
Grave: C 14
Sergeant Douglas Park 9/1086
New Zealand Pioneer Battalion
Died on 15th September 1916 aged 25
Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Park
of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
Also served in Egypt and Gallipoli
Grave: C 27
Private William Pennal 8/3730
2nd Bn Canterbury Regiment
New Zealand Infantry
Died on 16th September 1916 aged 17
Son of Thomas Pennal, of Belfast, Ireland
Grave: C 23
Sapper J Cave
1st/1st (Durham) Fortress Company
Royal Engineers
Died on 1st July 1916 aged 17
Son of John and Jane Cave
of 531, Stanhope Rd., Tyne Dock, South Shields
Grave: F 10
Rifleman Bartley Meliar 26/589
4th Bn New Zealand Rifle Brigade
Died on 22nd September 1916
Grave: D 12