Pont-Du-Hem Military Cemetery, La Gorgue

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; 1st Portuguese graves of 1917-1918 were removed to the Portuguese cemetery of Richebourg-L'Avoue; and British graves were brought in from smaller burial grounds and from the surrounding battlefields.

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.

The cemetery covers an area of 6,433 square metres.

The following are brief particulars of the burial grounds from which British graves were moved to Pont-du-Hem:-

BEAUCAMPS COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION, a permanent cemetery of 1,800 graves: 104 U.K., A.I.F. and N.Z.E.F., 1914-18.

BOUSBECQUE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (permanent, 2,300 G.): 21 U.K., 2 A.I.F., 1917-18.

COMINES COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (permanent, 2,400 G.): 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 (permanent, 1,500 G.): 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 G., g U.K., 2 A.I.F., 1917-18.

ESTAIRES CONVENT CEMETERIES No. 1 and No. 2, made by Germans, on 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 (permanent, 2,216 G.): 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 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 railway station.

LE TROU-BAYARD GERMAN CEMETERY, ESTAIRES: 36 U.K. (mainly 50th Div.) and 2 A.F.C., April-Nov., 1914.

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 (permanent, 1,152 G.): 14 U.K. and 1 A.I.F., 1916-17.

VIEILLE-CHAPELLE CHURCHYARD: 14 U.K., 1914-15.