Moeuvres Communal Cemetery Extension
Location
Moeuvres is a village 10 kilometres west of Cambrai and 2 kilometres north of the main Cambrai to Bapaume road (N30).
The Communal Cemetery can be found just outside the village on the D34A road towards Inchy en Artois, and the Extension lies alongside it.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.166219 | 3.062804 | Map |
Historical Information
Moeuvres remained in German hands during the Battle of Cambrai, 1917, in spite of three days of desperate attack by the 36th (Ulster) Division. It was partly taken by the 57th (West Lancashire) Division on 11th September 1918 and cleared by the 52nd (Lowland) Division on the 19th.
The communal cemetery was extended to the west by the Germans between November 1917 and March 1918. The British Extension, was made between September and October 1918 and was enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields on the Cambrai-Bapaume road.
The extension now contains 565 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 263 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials are erected to 31 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate three casualties buried in Boursies Communal Cemetery German Extension, whose graves could not be found.
The German casualties are buries in a mass grave
The cemetery also contains 93 war graves of other nationalities, most of them German.
Lieutenant Charles Pope VC
11th Bn Australian Infantry
Died on 15th April 1917 aged 34
Grave: V D 22
The London Gazette
*th June 1917
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty when in command of a very important picquet post in the sector held by his battalion, his orders being to hold this post at all costs.
After the picquet post had been heavily attacked, the enemy, in greatly superior numbers, surrounded the post. Lt. Pope, finding that he was running short of ammunition, sent back for further supplies. But the situation culminated before it could arrive, and in the hope of saving the position, this very gallant officer was seen to charge with his picquet into a superior force, by which it was overpowered.
By his sacrifice Lt. Pope not only inflicted heavy loss on the enemy, but obeyed his order to hold the position to the last. His body, together with those of most of his men, was found in close proximity to eighty enemy dead, a sure proof of the gallant resistance which had been made.
Private R Stark 42153
4th Bn King’s Own Scottish Borderers
Died on 20th September 1918 aged 18
Son of Mrs Elizabeth Stark
of 19 Wilkie Place, Leith, Edinburgh
Grave: I A 13
Corporal J Cowan MM 200307
4th Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers
Died on 20th September 1918
Grave: I A 12
Captain William Fugeman
23rd Bn Royal Fusiliers
Died on 1st December 1917 aged 20
Son of Mr. and Mrs. F Fugeman
of Holdfast Lane, Haslemere, Surrey
Born at Forest Gate, Essex
Grave: VI B 11