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| Additional Information: | Son of Thomas and Sarah Shakespeare, of 83, Barmston St., Hull. |
| Cemetery: | EUSTON ROAD CEMETERY, COLINCAMPSSomme, France |
| Grave or Reference Panel Number: | II. Q. 7. |
| Location: | Colincamps is a village 11 kilometres north of Albert. From Arras take the D919 in the direction of Amiens for 28 kilometres. The cemetery is situated about 1 kilometre from the D919 on the right hand side of the road. Pass Serre Road Cemetery No 2 and continue for 2 kilometres. Take the first right, and the CWGC direction sign to Euston Road Cemetery will be seen at the next Y junction. |
| Historical Information: | Colincamps and "Euston" were within the British lines before the British offensive of July 1916, and the Cemetery was used as a front line burial ground during and after the unsuccessful attack on Serre on the 1st July. After the German retreat in March 1917 it was scarcely used, and towards the end of March 1918 it passed, with Colincamps, into enemy hands; but that was the limit of the German advance. The line was held, and pushed forward, by the New Zealand Division; and the Cemetery was used again for burials in April and May 1918. The Cemetery is particularly associated with three dates and engagements; the attack on Serre on the 1st July 1916; the capture of Beaumont-Hamel on the 13th November 1916; and the German attack on the 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade trenches before Colincamps on the 5th April 1918. The whole of Plot I, except five graves in the last row, represents this original Cemetery of 501 graves. After the Armistice, graves were brought in from the neighbouring communes. Some were in small Cemeteries and the rest were scattered over the battlefields. There are now over 1,000, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly 200 are unidentified and special headstones are erected to 17 New Zealand soldiers, 14 British and 1 Canadian known, or believed, to be buried among these. In addition, 1 British and 1 New Zealand soldier are commemorated as buried in small Cemeteries where their graves "were destroyed in later battles." The Cemetery covers an area of 3,894 square metres and is surrounded by a red brick wall with stone coping. The following Cemeteries were concentrated into Euston Road Cemetery:- COLINCAMPS CHURCHYARD, containing 14 New Zealand graves and one British, of March and April 1918. The church has been rebuilt on a new site. COLINCAMPS BRITISH CEMETERY, on the Eastern outskirts of the village. It was used from March 1917 to September 1918, and it contained the graves of 96 soldiers from the United Kingdom, 23 from New Zealand, and one unidentified. SOUTHERN AVENUE CEMETERY, MAILLY-MAILLET, about 900 metres East of Euston Road Cemetery, close to Southern Avenue Trench. It contained 14 New Zealand graves of March and May 1918. WHITE CITY CEMETERY, AUCHONVILLERS, in the fields about 900 metres North-East of Auchonvillers. It was used in 1916 and 1918, and contained the graves of 106 soldiers from the United Kingdom, nine from New Zealand, and three from Canada. BAYENCOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, made by the 1st Essex Regiment in an orchard in April 1918, and containing eleven British graves. JEAN BART BRITISH CEMETERY, SAILLY-AU-BOIS, near Jean Bart Trench, between Hebuterne and Colincamps, containing the graves of fifteen men of the 1st Bn. 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade who fell on the 5th April 1918. JOHN COPSE BRITISH CEMETERIES, HEBUTERNE, called from one of four little woods on the 1916 front line, opposite Serre. These Cemeteries were made by the V Corps in 1917. No. 1 contained 38 and No. 2 139 graves, all of soldiers from the United, and almost all of the 12th and 13th East Yorkshire Regiment. LONELY BRITISH CEMETERY No. 2, COLINCAMPS, about 1.6 kilometres North-East of the Village, and close to Central Avenue Trench. It contained 17 New Zealand graves of March and May 1918. |
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