Vendresse British Cemetery.
Situated in the valley of the River Aisne about 16k South of Laon.
Many burials were brought in from smaller cemeteries in the battlegrounds all around.
[Picture courtesy of - "WW1Cemeteries.com".].
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27th MAY. The following 13 men were killed in action this day and are buried in Vendresse British
Cemetery.
48047 Pte Beaumont Milton. Home at Morley, Yorks. Enlisted at York.
Age 26. Ex 4/111810 RASC.
4437 CSM Chettleburgh Thomas. Home at - 53 Charlotte St, Redcar, N Yorks. Born East Dulwich,
London. Age 38.
35128 Pte Day Cyril, Edmund. Home at 105 Jackson's Rd, Bromley Common, Kent, place of
enlistment. Born Plaistow, London. Age 19.
43670 Pte Fitzhugh Frederick, Stanley. Home at - King's Cliffe, Peterborough. Born
West Haddon, Northampton and enlisted at Glen Parva. Age 19. Ex 71100 87th TR Battn.
33787 Pte Ford Frank, Eric. Home at - Council Houses, Caddington, Luton, Beds, town
of enlistment. Born Portsmouth. Age 28. Ex s/4/199386 RASC.
35147 Pte Gill Leonard. Home at - Hornsey Wood Green, place of birth and enlistment.
Ex T R Battn.
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Captain Herbert Norman Constantine MC.
He was the youngest of three brothers of Harlsey Hall, East Harlsey, Northallerton who were all Officers in the 4th Yorks
Battalion. Educated at Aysgarth, Uppingham, he went up to Clare College, Cambridge where he obtained a BA degree.
He volunteered in August 1914 and was a 2Lt at the start of the War; promoted to Lt in May 1915 at Ypres, where he was
wounded in June. After
recovering in England he returned to duty on the 27th Sep 1915. In January 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross for
gallantry in the Somme area, where the Battalion had been fighting since September 1916. In October 1917 he
was promoted to Captain. At the time of the German attack on the Aisne he was the Transport Officer, charged with
getting supplies up to the men at the Front. It appears, from reports pieced together afterwards, that on the 27th May
1918 he was hit by shrapnel from a German shell and killed. His CO wrote of him - "The loyal, efficient and ungrudging
service which he gave to his battalion was beyond praise. I never knew anyone who was more beloved by his men and by
his fellow offficers."
[Photograph and information kindly contributed by his Great Nephew, Simon Barnard.]
35165 Pte Hodgkin David, Charles. Home at 3 Gladstone Villas, Marden, Folkestone, Kent.
Age 18. Ex 9th T R Battn.
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One of the pieces of shrapnel reputed to have killed Captain Constantine.
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46531 Pte Lacey Octavius, Atack. Born at East Keswick and enlisted at Leeds Yorks.
35655 Pte Prentice William, Donald. Born and enlisted at Glasgow.
Age 21.
35570 Pte Read Joseph. Home at Netherton Worcs. Born at Dudley and enlisted at Worcester.
Age 19. Ex Berks Yeomanry.
43732 Pte Waumsley Harold, Vickers. Home at 97 Queen's Parade, Cleethorpes, Lincs, place
of birth. Enlisted at Grimsby. Age 18. Ex 87th T R Btn.
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Lt Col R E D Kent.
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26555 Pte Robinson Edward. Home at Hinderwell N Yorks. Born at Mickleby and enlisted at
Whitby, N Yorks.
Lt Robert William Mills Close. Killed in action. Commemorated on the Soissons Memorial.
Capt Herbert Norman,Constantine. Killed in action. Age 26. He had been awarded the Military Cross. Home at
Harlsey Hall, Northallerton, Yorks. Buried in La Ville au Bois British Cemetery.
A/Capt Thomas Wiggins Killed in action. Attached to the 5th Battalion. Commemorated on the Soissons Memorial.
Lt Col Ralph Edward Dawson Kent. Killed in action. [ex 81 Train Reserve Bn] Home at Oak Dene, Ferndown, Dorset.
Commemorated on the Soissons Memorial. He had been the Officer in Command of the Battalion at this time. On the first day
of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916, he had been in charge of "A" Company in a Battalion of the 7th Yorkshire Regiment.
He was later blamed in some quarters for the ill-fated attack that this Unit made on the German held village of Fricourt
on that day.
34046 Cpl Belton James. Home at - North St, Cowdon, Edenbridge, Kent, place of birth. Enlisted
at Shirehampton. Killed in action. Age 35. Buried at La Ville Aux Bois British Cemetery. Ex R/4/065783
RASC.
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Lt R W M Close.
[Both Photos kindly contributed by David Blanchard of Skipton, N Yorks.]
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201051 Pte Kay John, William. Home at - Skinningrove N Yorks. Born at Stairfoot, Yorks and
enlisted at Loftus, Yorks. Killed in action. Buried at La Ville Aux Bois British Cemetery.
203064 Pte Lonsdale Albert. Home at Wallsend Newcastle, place of birth. Enlisted at Richmond,
N Yorks. Died. Age 25. Buried at La Ville Aux Bois British Cemetery.
34962 Pte Rees Gwyn. Born at Penclawdd, Glam and enlisted at Swansea Glam. Killed in
action. Buried at Craonnelle French National Cemetery. Ex Welsh Regt.
203044 Pte McEvoy Thomas. Home at Hounslow Isleworth, place of enlistment. Killed in
action. Buried at Marfaux British Cemetery.
243744 Pte Baker Frederick. Born at Great Bridge, Staffs. Enlisted at West Bromwich.
Killed in action. Buried at Montcornet Military Cemetery.
28th MAY. Diary - "About 4 a.m. the enemy broke through and the party
[the few who were left, who had been making a stand on the hills to the South of Beaurieux] withdrew with the French on
to Fismes.
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Medals of Capt H N Constantine. Military Cross and medals generally issued after the War.
[Kindly contributed by his Great Nephew, Simon Barnard]
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This party, after using
all ammunition were then told to report to Div HQ near Arcis Le Ponsart, where they rested for the night."
200243 Cpl Hayne James, William. Home at - 140 West Row, California, Eston, N Yorks, place
of birth. Enlisted at Normanby, N Yorks. Died. Age 22. Buried at Vailly British Cemetery.
29th MAY. This party then took up a position at Romigny.
30th MAY. The enemy drove in the line held at Romigny and a position was held from Bligny to Champlat.
203276 Pte Haines Henry Herbert Home at Hindringham, Walsingham, Norfolk, place of birth.
Enlisted at Cromer, Norfolk. Died. Age 35. Buried at Hautmont Communal Cemetery.
235514 Sgt Newlove John, R. Born and enlisted at Stockton on Tees. Died. Buried at
Montcornet Military Cemetery.
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The Ruins of Soissons.
[Picture from - "Das Archiv zum 1. Weltkrieg ".].
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31st MAY.
241610 Company Sergeant Major A. E. Groves of Scarborough was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. London Gazette
citation reads - "During the period March to August, 1918, he has displayed great gallantry and devotion
to duty as Platoon Serjeant and acting C.S.M., particularly during an enemy attack at Romigny on 30th May, 1918, when he
kept his men well in hand by continuously visiting the posts, although exposed to heavy shell and machine-gun fire.
His cheerfulness and gallantry on this occasion inspired confidence in the men and enabled them to hold on and maintain
their position against greatly superior enemy forces."
Casualties for the month are given in Btn Diary as:-
Missing believed killed, A/Lt Col R E D Kent.
Missing - A/Major L Newcombe, Capt H N Constantine, A/Capt A L Goring, A/Capt H N Howes, Lt V W W S Purcell,
Lt C K Kelk, Lt J F Johns, Lt R Gates, Lt R W M Close, Lt J C Story, Lt T Wiggins, Lt T A Robson, Lt H R Burn-Bailey,
Lt G G W Mackay, 2/Lts H E Webb, C W Stirk, W H Jones, A W Appleby, V H Derrett, H A Clidero, W A Shooter, A G V Marsh.
Wounded - Capt T H Hutchinson, Lt G S Mitchinson.
Other Ranks - Killed 3, Wounded 52, Missing 566.
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