ROCQUIGNY-EQUANCOURT ROAD BRITISH CEMETERY

Manancourt

Somme

France

General Directions: Rocquigny and Equancourt are two villages in the Department of the Somme, some 13 kilometres north of Peronne and 12 kilometres south-east of Bapaume. Rocquigny and Equancourt are approximately 8 kilometres apart and the Rocquigny-Equancourt British Cemetery lies about halfway between the two villages on the north side of the road just west of the crossing road from Etricourt to Ytres.

Etricourt was occupied by Commonwealth troops at the beginning of April 1917 during the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. It was lost on the 23 March 1918 when the Germans advanced, but regained at the beginning of September. The cemetery was begun in 1917 and used until March 1918, mainly by the 21st and 48th Casualty Clearing Stations posted at Ytres, and to a small extent by the Germans, who knew it as "Etricourt Old English Cemetery". Burials were resumed by Commonwealth troops in September 1918 and the 3rd Canadian and 18th Casualty Clearing Stations buried in it in October and November 1918.

Victoria Cross: Serjeant John Harold Rhodes, VC, DCM and bar, 3rd Bn. Grenadier Guards, died 27/11/1917, plot III. E. 1.

Shot at Dawn: Private J. Bateman, 2nd Bn. South Staffordshire Regiment, executed for desertion 03/12/1917, plot 6. A. 27.

Casualty Details: UK 1766, Canada 34, Australia 5, New Zealand 21, South Africa 12, Germany 198, France 10, Total Burials: 2046

DM2/208215

Private Francis Ratcliffe

893rd Mechanical Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps.

Accidentally killed 04/01/1918, aged 20.

Son of Charles and Elizabeth Ratcliffe, of 20, Glover St., Preston, Lancs. Native of Burnley.

Plot IX. B. 30

Picture courtesy of John Garlington

249443 Sapper

Lewis Howell Giles

38th Div. Signal Company,

Royal Engineers

12/10/1918, aged 24.

Picture courtesy of Suzanne Townsend,  great niece of this soldier

Used with permission www.cwgc.org

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