Historical Information
Pont-du-Hem was in German hands from mid-April to mid-September 1918. The Cemetery was begun, in an apple-orchard, in July 1915, and used until April 1918, by fighting units and Field Ambulances; these original burials are in Plots I, II and III, and Rows A and B of Plot IV. In April and May 1918, German burials were made in Plots III and IV. After the Armistice, 426 German graves were removed to other cemeteries; the Portuguese graves of 1917-1918 were removed to the Portuguese cemetery of Richebourg-L'Avoue; and British graves were brought in from the suurounding battlefields and from smaller burial grounds, including:-
BEAUCAMPS COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION, a cemetery of 1,800 graves: 104 U.K., A.I.F. and N.Z.E.F., 1914-18.
BOUSBECQUE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (2,300 Germans): 21 U.K., 2 A.I.F., 1917-18.
COMINES COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (2,400 Germans): 21 U.K., 1 Canadian, 1 A.I.F., 1 N.Z.E.F., 1915-17.
DEVASIER FARM GERMAN CEMETERY, WAMBRECHIES, on road to Quesnoy-sur-Deule (1,500 Germans): 19 U.K., 1916-18.
EDWARD ROAD CEMETERY No.3 (WINDY CORNER), RICHEBOURG-L'AVOUE: 12 U.K., 1914-15.
ENNEQUIN COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION, LOOS (near Lille): 977 Germans, 9 U.K., 2 A.I.F., 1917-18.
ESTAIRES CONVENT CEMETERIES No.1 and No.2, made by the Germans, on the North side of town: 4 U.K., 1918.
FERME DELOUX-BOQUET, NOUVEAUMONDE, La GORGUE: 17 U.K., 1 A.I.F., 1915-16.
FESTUBERT NORTH CEMETERY, on North-West side of village: 20 U.K. and 5 Canadian, 1915-16.
HALLUIN COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (2,216 Germans): 36 U.K., 3 Canadian, 1 N.Z.E.F., 1917-18.
INDIAN VILLAGE GRAVEYARDS No.1 and No.2, RICHEBOURG-L'AVOUE and FESTUBERT, North of Rue de Cailloux: 39 U.K. and 1 Canadian, May-Sept., 1915.
LA CORDONNERIE FARM CEMETERY, North of FROMELLES: 58 of the 2nd R.W.F., Oct.-Nov. 1914.
LACOUTURE CHURCHYARD: 1 R.F.A., Oct. 1914.
LA FOSSE GERMAN CEMETERY, in a chateau garden South of LESTREM: 6 U.K., 1918.
LAVENTIE NORTH GERMAN CEMETERY, near the railway station.
LE TROU-BAYARD GERMAN CEMETERY, ESTAIRES: 36 U.K. (mainly 50th Div.) and 2 A.F.C., April-Nov. 1918.
LOCON CHURCHYARD: 1 U.K., Nov. 1914.
RUE MASSELOT GERMAN CEMETERY (made round the British Cemetery, and called by the Germans WANGERIE): 8 U.K. and 1 Italian, 1918.
VERLINGHEM GERMAN CEMETERY, on South-West outskirts of village (1,152 Germans): 14 U.K. and 1 A.I.F., 1916-17.
VIEILLE-CHAPELLE CHURCHYARD: 14 U.K., 1914-15.
There are now over 1,500, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over half are unidentified and special memorials are erected to nine soldiers from the United Kingdom believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 44 soldiers from the United Kingdom, two from Canada, two from Australia and one of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry, buried in this or other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire, and of five Indian soldiers whose bodies were cremated. There are 107 German burials and 1 American.
The cemetery covers an area of 6,433 square metres.
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