Heestert Military Cemetery
History Information (Source: CWGC)
The village of Heestert was taken by Commonwealth forces towards the end of October 1918. In about February 1919, the Burgomaster issued instructions for the creation of the military cemetery, which was made when the farmers of the Commune cleared their farms of Commonwealth and German battlefield graves from the October and November fighting. Later, three further graves were brought in from MOEN CHURCHYARD.
There are now 127 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 26 of the burials are unidentifed, but there are special memorials to eight men believed to be buried among them. The cemetery also contains 57 German war graves, 39 being unidentified.
Private BUTTERWORTH, George Edward
Service Number 93300
Died 25/10/1918 - Aged 19
20th Bn. Durham Light Infantry
Son of the late Thomas and Mary Butterworth, of Sheffield.
INSCRIPTION
"HE SERVES HIS COUNTRY BEST
WHO JOINS THE TIDE THAT LIFTS HER NOBLY ON"
H. 5.
Photo courtesy of Tony Butterworth
(Pte Butterworth was his great uncle)
Arthur Keith Harding, Captain in the Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) and Thistle Robinson, Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers were awarded the Military Cross (MC).
The corporals J.G. Young and Harry Shortman Peter Burridge and the Soldiers F. Byrne, T. Grindle, F.J. Boulton, T. W. Gelder, Harry Richard Foulger and Abraham Barker received the Military Medal (MM).
German War Graves
