CONTALMAISON CHATEAU CEMETERY
Contalmaison
Somme
France
General Directions: Contalmaison is a village about 6 kilometres north-east of the town of Albert and south of the main road from Albert to Bapaume. The Cemetery is on the northern side of the village.
The village was reached on the 1st July, 1916, by small parties of the 34th Division. It was stormed by the 23rd Division on the 7th July, and some men of the Northumberland Fusiliers taken four days earlier were released; but it was lost the same afternoon. It was not finally captured until the 8th and 9th Yorkshire Regiment cleared it on the 10th. However, it was lost again in March, 1918, and recaptured by the 38th (Welsh) Division on the evening of the following 24th August. The underground fortifications made by the enemy before 1916 played an important part in the defence of the village. The cemetery was begun by fighting units on the evening of the 14th July, 1916, and used from September, 1916 to March, 1917 by Field Ambulances. A few burials were made in Plot I, Rows B and C, in August and September, 1918. Graves were added after the Armistice by concentrations from the battlefields of the Somme and the Ancre. 18 German graves and one French were removed to other burial grounds.
Victoria Cross:
Private William Henry Short, VC, 8th Bn. Yorkshire Regiment, died of wounds 07/08.1916 aged 31 years, plot II. B. 16., Son of James and Anne Short, of 35, Vaughan St., Grangetown, Yorks. Born at Eston, Yorks.
Citation: An extract from "The London Gazette," No. 29740, dated 8th Sept., 1916, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery. He was foremost in the attack, bombing the enemy with great gallantry, when he was severely wounded in the foot. He was urged to go back, but refused and continued to throw bombs. Later his leg was shattered by a shell, and he was unable to stand, so he lay in the trench adjusting detonators and straightening the pins of bombs for his comrades. He died before he could be carried out of the trench. For the last eleven months he had always volunteered for dangerous enterprises, and has always set a magnificent example of bravery and devotion to duty."
Casualty Details: UK 264, Canada 4, Australia 21, Total burials: 289
Latest additions to the site | Belgian Cemeteries WW1 Index | French Cemeteries WW1 Index | Turkish Cemeteries WW1 Index
British Cemeteries Index | Other Countries WW1 Index | Belgian Cemeteries WW2 Index | French Cemeteries WW2 Index
Other Countries WW2 Index | Memorial Index | Architects | Roll of Honour Dedications | Roll of Honour
Cemeteries with Victoria Cross burials | Cemeteries with "Shot at Dawn" burials | Regimental Badge Archive
Information on how to submit a photograph or image to the site | Book Reviews | About Us and our task | Links
Site Map | Miscellaneous articles | WW1 Battles Index