This photograph shows a number of graves in Bois Guillaume Communal Cemetery which is located in the north east of Rouen.
The two plots in the cemetery were reserved for Commonwealth burials from September 1914 to March 1917. For the most part, the burials took place from No. 8 General Hospital which was quartered in a large private house and grounds. The second plot contains the graves of servicemen killed in a railway accident on February 14, 1917. What is unusual is that all the burials pictured are double grave plots. Each grave has two wooden crosses at its head.
I was able to identify the location thanks to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Debt of Honour website - a searchable database for First and Second World War casualties. A grave on the right is to Private Alfred Jacob Cripps of the Army Veterinary Corps. Attached to the 7th Veterinary Hospital, he died on February 2, 1915. Click on the image, and then again, for a close-up view.
2 comments:
Hi Laurie, do you know when was the photo taken ? In any case, a fascinating glimpse. Obviously before the Commonwealth Commission put white stone markers on all the commonwealth graves. So many graves...
Hi Owen, The big wreath on the right of the front row bears the date 18/1/15 so quite early. I found an album the other day with 500 First World War France and Flanders war grave cemetery postcards. I've not seen one like this before.
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