VIGNACOURT BRITISH CEMETERY
Vignacourt
Somme
France
General Directions: Vignacourt is a village in the Department of the Somme on the west of the road from Amiens to Doullens, the D933. From the D933 take the D113 from Flesselles and 5 kilometres along this road the Cemetery will be found at the entrance of the village.
When the German advance began in March 1918, Vignacourt was occupied by the 20th and 61st Casualty Clearing Stations. It also became a headquarters of Royal Air Force squadrons. The cemetery was begun in April and closed in August, and the burials reflect the desperate fighting of the Australian forces on the Amiens front. Six burials made in the communal cemetery between October 1915 and March 1918 were brought into the cemetery after the Armistice.
The cemetery also contans a monument erected by the village in honour of the Commonwealth dead, unveiled in August 1921. It is a statue of a French soldier, on the base of which are engraved the words: "Freres D'armes de L'Armee Britannique, tombes au Champ D'Honneur, dormez en paix. Nous veillons sur vous." ("Brothers in arms of the British Army, fallen on the field of honour, sleep in peace; we are watching over you.").
Casualty Details: UK 148, Canada 1, Australia 424, India 1, Total Burials: 524
3191 Private
Cyrille Knockaert
27th Bn. Australian Infantry,
A. I. F.
11/08/1918, aged 24.
Cyrille Knockaert was born on November 20th 1893 in Nieuwpoort, Belgium, His mother was my great grandmother Bertha Denolf and his father Cyrillus Knockaert, Cyrille had 4 older and 3 younger brothers and sisters amongst which my grandmother was the youngest.
He emigrated (from Belgium) to Australia and joined the army there on august 6th, 1915 as private 3191, 27th Battalion Australian Infantry, A. I. F. He died of wounds on august 11th 1918 age 25 during the Battle of Amiens.
Picture courtesy of Monique Vankeerberghen
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