Rue-des-Berceaux Military Cemetery
Location
Richebourg is a village and commune to the north of Béthune in the Pas de Calais. From the church in Richebourg, head south on the D166. The Cemetery will be found on the right hand side of the road 950 metres from the church.
The cemetery lies near the village of Richebourg-l’Avoué which is 9 kilometres north-east of Béthune. From Béthune follow the D 171 toward Armentières and progress onto the D 166 proceeding into the outskirts of Richebourg. The cemetery is on your left just before turning right into the centre of the village.
It should be understood that the two villages of Richebourg l’Avoué and Richebourg St Vaast (which is how they are still shown on some maps) now form the one administrative entity : Richebourg.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.57226 | 2.74457 | Map |
Historical Information
The cemetery was begun in January 1915, and used until February 1917; two German soldiers were buried in it in April 1918, and some further British burials were made in Plot I, Row D in September 1918.
Plot II was made after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields in the neighbourhood and from certain smaller cemeteries, including:
Albert Road Cemetery, Richebourg-l’Avoué, was on a cross road running from the Rue-des-Berceaux to the Rue-du-Bois. It contained the graves of 27 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1915.
Edgware Road Cemetery, Neuve-Chapelle, was on the more Northerly of the two roads from the Estaires-La Bassée road to Neuve-Chapelle village. It contained the graves of 28 soldiers from the United Kingdom, one officer of the RNAS, and one Indian soldier, who fell in 1914-15.
Edward Road Cemetery No1, Richebourg-l’Avoué, was begun by the 2nd Middlesex in December 1914, and used until May 1915. It was 1,372 metres North of the village of Richebourg-L’Avoué, and it contained the graves of 20 soldiers from the United Kingdom.
Edward Road Cemetery No5, Richebourg-l’Avoué, was 460 metres North of the village, and was used from May-August 1915. It contained the graves of 14 soldiers from the United Kingdom, three from India, and two German prisoners.
There are now over 450, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly half are unidentified and three special memorials record the names of soldiers from the United Kingdom buried in Edgware Road Cemetery, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. The cemetery covers an area of 2,515 square metres and is enclosed by a low rubble wall.
Private James Burns 2304
14th Bn London Regiment
London Scottish
Died on 9th May 1915 aged 23
Son of William and Jessie Burns,
of 8, Halemead Terrace, Dundee
Grave: I D 15
Guardsman F Dearden 12288
1st Bn Coldstream Guards
Died on 13th April 1915
Grave: I C 10
Private E Nunne 4939
11th Bn Royal Sussex Regiment
Died on 30th June 1916
Grave: I F 10
A Victim of the Boar’s Head attack intended to mask the opening day on the Somme.
Lieutenant Wilfred Grenville-Grey
1st Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps
Died on 16th May 1915 aged 20
Son of G and Ellinor Grenville-Grey,
of 141, Ebury St., London
Grave: I E 9