Foncquevillers Military Cemetery

Historical Information (Source: CWGC)

In 1915 and 1916 the Allied front line ran between Foncquevillers and Gommecourt. The cemetery was begun by French troops, and taken over by Commonweatlh forces. It remained in use by units and field ambulances until March 1917, the burials in July 1916 (particularly in Plot I, Row L) being especially numerous. The cemetery was used again from March to August 1918, when the German offensive brought the front line back to nearly the old position. Seventy-four graves were brought in after the Armistice from the battlefields of 1916 and 1918 to the east of the village and the 325 French military graves were removed to La Targette French National Cemetery, near Arras. The village of Foncquevillers was "adopted" by the town of Derby.

 

The cemetery contains 648 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. 53 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to two casualties known to be buried among them. There are five airmen of the Second World War buried in the cemetery, and four Germans. There is also 1 French Non World War burial. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

 

Served with

  • United Kingdom (577)
  • New Zealand (12)
  • Australian (6)
  • Canadian (5)
  • German (2)

Served in

  • Army (593)
  • Air Force (6)
  • Navy (3)
Foncquevillers MC
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VICTORIA CROSS

Captain John Leslie GREEN - Royal Army Medical Corps

Died 01 July 1916

Secondary Unit, Regiment: attd. 5th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)

Country of Service: United Kingdom

Awards: Victoria Cross

Green London Gazette
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Citation

An extract from the London Gazette, No. 29695, dated 4th Aug., 1916, records the following:- "For most conspicuous devotion to duty. Although himself wounded, he went to the assistance of an officer who had been wounded and was hung up on the enemy's wire entanglements, and succeeded in dragging him to a shell hole, where he dressed his wounds, notwithstanding that bombs and rifle grenades were thrown at him the whole time. Captain Green then endeavoured to bring the wounded officer into safe cover, and had nearly succeeded in doing so when he himself was killed."

Grave Reference: III. D. 15.

(Source: Wikipedia)