BETHUNE TOWN CEMETERY,

BETHUNE, Nord, France

Bethune is 29 kilometres north of Arras. From the town centre of Bethune, turn right in front of the Tribunal and second right at the bottom of the road down to the cul-de-sac where the cemetery will be found.

For much of the First World War, Bethune was comparatively free from bombardment and remained an important railway and hospital centre, as well as a corps and divisional headquarters. The 33rd Casualty Clearing Station was in the town until December 1917. Early in 1918, Bethune began to suffer from constant shell fire and in April 1918, German forces reached Locon, five kilometres to the north. The bombardment of 21 May did great damage to the town and it was not till October that pressure from the Germans was relaxed. Bethune Town Cemetery contains 3,004 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, including 26 men of the 1/8th Manchester Regiment who were killed by a bomb on 22 December 1917 while marching to rest billets. Second World War burials number 19. There are also 122 French and 87 German war graves. The Commonwealth section of the cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

No. of Identified Casualties: 3181 Courtesy of the Commonwealth Wargraves Commission.

BETHUNE TOWN CEMETERY

Serjeant SD/388 Sidney Ware AKEHURST

11th Bn.

Died: 10/07/1916 of wounds

Born: Christchurch, Sussex

Enlisted: Eastbourne

Grave Reference: V. F. 76.

Private SD/2857 Robert BOTTING

13th Bn.

Died: 30/06/1916 of wounds

Born: Balcombe

Enlisted: Horsham

Grave Reference: V. F. 13.

Private SD/409 Lionel DENNIS

11th Bn.

Age: 36

Died: 11/07/1916 of wounds

Born: Willingdon

Enlisted: Eastbourne

Son of Thomas and Lucy Dennis, of Willingdon, Eastbourne.

Grave Reference: V. F. 75.

Private SD/912 Ambrose DRIVER

11th Bn.

Age: 30

Died: 01/07/1916 of wounds

Born: Framfield

Enlisted: Lewes

Son of Thomas and Ellen Driver, of Hawkhurst Gate, Blackboys, Uckfield, Sussex.

Grave Reference: V. F. 24.

L/Cpl SD/410 Thomas James EARL

11th Bn.

Died: 13/07/1916 of wounds

Age: 22

Born: Christchurch, Sussex

Enlisted: Eastbourne

Son of Charles and Mary Ann Earl, of Eastbourne.

Grave Reference: V. F. 81.

Private SD/2373 Albert John GRAINGER

12th Bn

Died: 23/07/1916 of wounds

Born: Hove

Enlisted: Worthing

Grave Reference: V. G. 27.

Private SD/2762 Joseph Frank PELLETT

13th Bn.

Age: 22

Died: 14/07/1916 of wounds

Born: Brighton

Enlisted: Hove

Son of Mr. and Mrs. Pellett, of 14, Holland St., Brighton.

Grave Reference: V. F. 89.

Private SD/3188 Percival Philip PERRIN

13th Bn.

Age: 35

Died: 30/06/1916 of wounds

Born: Liss, Hampshire

Enlisted: Chichester

Son of Alfred and Matilda Perrin, of Rake, East Liss, Hants.

Grave Reference: V. F. 18.

Private SD/362 Harold SLOMAN

11th Bn.

Died: 27/07/1916 of wounds

Born: Hampstead,Middx

Enlisted: Eastbourne

Grave Reference: V. G. 41.

Serjeant L/8164 Frederick James STURT

2nd Bn.

Age: 30

Died: 01/07/1916 of wounds

Son of Frederick and Elizabeth Sturt, of Tarrant St., Arundel, Sussex.

Grave Reference: V. F. 23.

Private 4/4142 Charles Edward BRACHER

12th Bn.

Age: 29

Died: 03/08/1916 of wounds

Son of Samuel and M. Annie Bracher, of 43, George Rd., Farncombe, Surrey.

Native of Plummers Plain, Horsham.

Grave Reference: V. G. 87.

Second Lieutenant Norman Cecil CARTER

13th Bn.

Age: 22

Died: 23/07/1916 of wounds

Born: Oxford

Son of W. C. and Lucy Carter, of 46, Claverton St., Pimlico, London..

Grave Reference: III. K. 33.

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