Longueau British Cemetery, on the outskirts of Amiens.
I’d hoped to visit this little cemetery at some point, but it was late in the day, we were heading back to the hotel, and were on the wrong road anyway. I was just bemoaning the fact to Baldrick that I’d maybe never get round to visiting it when, lo! and behold, there it was! So we weren’t, as it turned out, on the wrong road. Well, we were, you understand, but not in terms of finding the cemetery.
Longueau is now a south eastern suburb of Amiens that, if you look at a map, is rather curiously detached from the city, surrounded as it is by the valley of the Somme to the north and the Avre to the west and south, and part of the Amiens ring road, the N25, to the east.
On entering the cemetery, the first five rows comprise Plot II, as you can see from the cemetery plan, courtesy of the CWGC.
There’s evidence of later fighting here.
You fear for the unfortunate individual crouched behind this headstone as bullets searched him (or her) out. British, German, French Resistance? Who knows. A forgotten life-or-death incident of World War II.
Plot I. The cemetery was begun in April 1918, as the desperate fighting to contain the German advance continued.
Plot III. The cemetery was used until August…
…by which time it contained just under 170 burials. Post-war, Plot IV (above) was added as men were brought here from battlefield graves, and two other nearby burial grounds. Two World War II graves can be seen on the far right.
Unusual sandstone headstone of an early R.A.F. casualty in Plot IV.
Fourteen of the burials here are unidentified, the majority, unsurprisingly, also in Plot IV.
Panning across Plot I (above & below).
There’s a lot of bullet damage, if you look carefully, to these headstones.
Plot I.
Longueau British Cemetery is rarely visited, apart from the occasional relative of one of the men buried here, and the CWGC official whose remit presumably includes this cemetery.
But I’m glad we went there.
Interesting exploration… the battle damage to the headstones really brings it home – looks like a mix of rifle and subgun or pistol strikes.
You know me Andrew. I like to find off-the-beaten-track places if I can. The men who lie here seldom get remembered. Glad you found it of interest. I shall take your word for the likely calibre of the bullet holes.
Sadly proof that it wasn’t ‘the war to end all wars’
Indeed. I have a feeling I know what ‘the war to end all wars’ will be. Hope I’m not around to see it.
Indeed!
I noticed that the two gentlemen who signed the register two weeks afore ye are from Goderich, Ontario about an hour and a half drive up the Lake Huron shore from me. They remember in the register Sgt Frederick John Kelland, 1st Canadian Machinegun Corps who fell 8th August 1918. Buried III E 7. He was born at Exeter Ontario about halfway between they and I. I did some Canadian Archive research and found something I will forward soon !
Hello my friend. Interesting. I await with expectation…
I have recently found out that my great-uncle is buried in this cemetery and greatly appreciate your documentation of it, including the pictures. We hope to make the trip in 2018 to visit.
Thank you Susan. Glad you found this post of interest, and have a wonderful trip next year. Amiens is a nice place to stay, and of course the cathedral is well worth a visit – or you can have a look at it here:
https://thebignote.com/2016/05/07/travels-on-the-somme-part-nineteen-amiens-cathedral/
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, my Great Uncle James Cunningham S20584 is buried there,hoping to visit in MAY for the first time.Wish I knew how he died,he was transferred from 15th Company to 4th Company LABOUR CORPS where he succumbed to his injuries.
4 months later the wars over,so sad!
R.I.P James
Always remembered,never forgotten!
Well said, Paul. I hope you have a great trip—I like Amiens. Thanks for commenting! I had a quick look for your Great Uncle but found nothing that tells what happened, I’m afraid.
Thanks for looking anyway,much appreciated.
So many lost,not surprised theres no information.
Private
JAMES CUNNINGHAM
Service Number: S/20584
Regiment & Unit/Ship
Seaforth Highlanders
4th Labour Coy.
Date of Death
Died 18 June 1918
Age 28 years old
Buried or commemorated at
LONGUEAU BRITISH CEMETERY
I. F. 6.
France
Commonwealth War Graves Commission – Headstone Placeholder
Secondary Unit, Regiment
transf. to (8492) 15th Coy. Labour Corps
Then I came across this which explains his renumbering?
Original companies formed under Army Council Instruction 611 of 1917
Original regiment Unit Becomes Labour Company number Men are renumbered from to
Royal Scots 19th (Labour) Battalion 1 1 600
ditto ditto 2 601 1200
Scottish Rifles 14th (Labour) Battalion 3 1201 1800
ditto ditto 4 1801 2400
Black Watch 12th (Labour) Battalion 5 2401 3000
ditto ditto 6 3001 3600
Cameron Highlanders 9th (Labour) Battalion 7 3601 4200
ditto ditto 8 4201 4800
Royal Scots Fusiliers 1st Infantry Labour Company 9 4801 5400
ditto 2nd Infantry Labour Company 10 5401 6000
ditto 3rd Infantry Labour Company 11 6001 6600
Seaforth Highlanders 1st Infantry Labour Company 12 6601 7200
ditto 2nd Infantry Labour Company 13 7201 7800
ditto 3rd Infantry Labour Company 14 7801 8400
ditto 4th Infantry Labour Company 15 8401 9000
Lincolnshire Regiment 12th (Labour) Battalion 16 9001 9600
But none the wiser for where he was fighting and died sadly.
No, I think you’re unlikely to get that much detail. There would be a war diary of some sort, I suppose, but quite what you look for to find it I am not really sure. And only a few tend to mention casualties by name anyway.