Aveluy Communal Cemetery Extension
The Aveluy Communal Cemetery Extension is a cemetery located in the Somme region of France commemorating French and British Commonwealth troops who fought in the Battle of the Somme in World War I. The cemetery honors mainly soldiers who died holding the line near the village of Aveluy from slightly before July 1915 to 26 March 1918.[1]
| Aveluy Communal Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery Extension | |
|---|---|
 Graves at Aveluy | |
| Details | |
| Established | 1915 |
| Location | Aveluy, Somme, France |
| Country | French, British |
| Coordinates | 50.0246°N 2.6568°E |
| Type | Military |
| No. of graves | 613 total, 589 identified |
| Website | cwgc.org |
| Find a Grave | Aveluy Communal Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery Extension |
Location
The cemetery is located just off of the D20 road in the village of Aveluy, which is itself a short distance north of Albert, France.[1][2]
Fighting near Aveluy
The front near Aveluy was held by the French until August 1915, until it was transferred into Commonwealth control. The British held the line until 27 March 1918, when the Germans overran Aveluy in their final Offensive on the Somme. The village was retaken by the British in August 1918.[1]
Establishment
History
The cemetery was begun by the French and was transferred into Commonwealth jurisdiction along with the rest of the line. It was used by fighting units and field ambulances, most notably the 3rd and 9th Casualty Clearing Stations, who used the cemetery until November 1917. The cemetery extension was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.[1]
Statistics
The cemetery contains a total of 613 graves, with 589 of them identified and 26 unidentified. 3 memorials commemorate graves that could not be located from their original burial site.[1]
| Nationality | Number of Burials |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 525 |
| Australia | 54 |
| Canada | 7 |
| India | 2 |
| South Africa | 1 |
| Royal Engineers | 56 | Australian units | 55 |
| Royal Field Artillery | 40 | Highland Light Infantry | 26 |
| Northamptonshire Regiment | 24 | Royal Fusiliers - City of London Regiment | 22 |
| Lancashire Fusiliers | 21 | Royal Garrison Artillery | 18 |
| Rifle Brigade | 17 | Border Regiment | 15 |
| Loyal North Lancashire Regiment | 15 | West Yorkshire Regiment | 15 |
| King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry | 14 | Cameronians - Scottish Rifles | 13 |
| Devonshire Regiment | 13 | Royal Berkshire Regiment | 11 |
| Northumberland Fusiliers | 10 | Royal Sussex Regiment | 10 |
| Middlesex Regiment | 9 | Norfolk Regiment | 9 |
| Queen's - Royal West Surrey Regiment | 9 | Royal West Kent Regiment - Queen's Own | 8 |
| Seaforth Highlanders | 8 | Buffs - East Kent Regiment | 7 |
| Canadian units | 7 | 10th Hussars | 7 |
| Lincolnshire Regiment | 7 | King's Liverpool Regiment | 6 |
| Royal Irish Rifles | 6 | Essex Regiment | 5 |
| Gloucestershire Regiment | 5 | King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment | 5 |
| Royal Warwickshire Regiment | 5 | South Wales Borderers | 5 |
| Army Cyclist Corps | 4 | Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons | 4 |
| Royal Scots | 4 | York & Lancaster Regiment | 4 |
| Black Watch - Royal Highlanders | 3 | East Lancashire Regiment | 3 |
| Gordon Highlanders | 3 | King's Royal Rifle Corps | 3 |
| Machine Gun Corps - Infantry | 3 | Royal Army Medical Corps | 3 |
| Royal Army Service Corps | 3 | Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers | 3 |
| South Lancashire Regiment | 3 | South Staffordshire Regiment | 3 |
| Sherwood Foresters - Notts. & Derbys Regiment | 3 | Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders | 2 |
| Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry | 2 | Duke of Wellington - West Riding Regiment | 2 |
| East Surrey Regiment | 2 | East Yorkshire Regiment | 2 |
| Indian Labour Corps | 2 | Suffolk Regiment | 2 |
| Welch Regiment | 2 | Wiltshire Regiment | 2 |
| Worcestershire Regiment | 2 | Cheshire Regiment | 1 |
| Dorsetshire Regiment | 1 | General List | 1 |
| Glasgow Yeomanry | 1 | Green Howards - Yorkshire Regiment | 1 |
| King's Shropshire Light Infantry | 1 | 22nd Bn. London Regiment - The Queen's | 1 |
| 2nd Lothian - Border Horse | 1 | Manchester Regiment | 1 |
| Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry | 1 | Royal Naval Division | 1 |
| Royal Welsh Fusiliers | 1 | Second Life Guards | 1 |
| South African Labour Corps | 1 |
References
- "Cemetery Details | CWGC". www.cwgc.org. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- "World War One Battlefields : The Somme : Ancre Valley". www.ww1battlefields.co.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- "Aveluy Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France (CWGC)". WW1 Cemeteries.com - A photographic guide to over 4000 military cemeteries and memorials. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- "Aveluy Communal Cemetery Extension". silentwitness.freeservers.com. Retrieved 20 March 2021.