The Scottish War Graves Project

jrah60 · Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 2413 Location: East Kibride

AVELUY WOOD CEMETERY, (LANCASHIRE DUMP), MESNIL-MARTINSART

Country: France
Locality: Somme
Identified Casualties: 208

The Cemetery is about 5 Kms north of the town of Albert and situated in woodland on the eastern side of the road (D50) from Albert to Hamel. The Cemetery is signposted in the village of Aveluy, which you pass through on the way to the cemetery.
The cemetery was begun in an area known to the Army as 'Lancashire Dump' in June 1916, a few days before the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, and was used by fighting units and field ambulances until the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in February 1917. It then remained unused until the German advance in the spring of 1918. On the night of 26-27 March, the Germans entered Aveluy Wood and by 5 April it was mostly in their hands, in spite of the stubborn defence of the 12th (Eastern), 47th (London) and 63rd (Royal Naval) Divisions. The wood was attacked in vain by several divisions before it was finally cleared at the end of August, and in September the V Corps Burial Officer added graves of April-September 1918 to Row H of Plot I.
After the Armistice, Plots II and III were added when isolated graves were brough in from Aveluy Wood itself, and in 1923 Rows I to M of Plot I (124 graves) were added by concentrations from a wider area.
Aveluy Wood Cemetery now contains 380 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 172 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 20 casualties known to be buried among them.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

jrah60 · Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 2413 Location: East Kibride

ALLTOFT, ALFRED
Rank: Private
Service No: 350320
Date of Death: 11/04/1918
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: Highland Light Infantry 12th Bn.
Grave Reference: II. I. 3.
Cemetery: AVELUY WOOD CEMETERY, (LANCASHIRE DUMP), MESNIL-MARTINSART
Additional Information: Husband of Edah Alltoft, of Stafford House, Meadow Rd., Netherfield, Notts. Native of Netherfield.

jrah60 · Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 2413 Location: East Kibride

DOCHERTY, WILLIAM CAMPBELL
Rank: Private
Service No: 1967
Date of Death: 10/07/1916
Age: 19
Regiment/Service: Royal Scots 5th/6th Bn.
Grave Reference: I. B. 7.
Cemetery: AVELUY WOOD CEMETERY, (LANCASHIRE DUMP), MESNIL-MARTINSART
Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Docherty, of 13, Bank St., Edinburgh.

jrah60 · Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 2413 Location: East Kibride

LAWSON, JOHN HERBERT
Rank: Private
Service No: 350345
Date of Death: 09/04/1918
Age: 23
Regiment/Service: Highland Light Infantry 12th Bn.
Grave Reference: II. I. 2.
Cemetery: AVELUY WOOD CEMETERY, (LANCASHIRE DUMP), MESNIL-MARTINSART
Additional Information: Son of Henry and Rebecca Lawson; husband of Ada Elizabeth Jarvis (formerly Lawson), of 13, Aldred Rd., Crookes, Sheffield.

jrah60 · Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 2413 Location: East Kibride

MAXWELL, WILLIAM
Rank: Private
Service No: 16152
Date of Death: 23/07/1916
Regiment/Service: King's Own Scottish Borderers 2nd Bn.
Grave Reference: I. K. 19.
Cemetery: AVELUY WOOD CEMETERY, (LANCASHIRE DUMP), MESNIL-MARTINSART
Additional Information: Place of birth Tyldesley Lancs (SNWM).

John