ALBERT COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION

Albert is a town 28 kilometers north-east of Amiens. The Communal Cemetery is on the south-east side of Albert and at the junction of the roads to Peronne (D938) and Bray sur Somme (D329), and the extension is entirely enclosed by it. The main entrance to the cemetery is on the Peronne road.

Albert was held by French forces against the German advance on the Somme in September 1914. It passed into British hands in the summer of 1915; and the first fighting in July 1916, is known as the Battle of Albert. It was captured by the Germans on the 27th March 1918, and before its recapture by the 8th East Surreys on the following 22nd August (in the Battle of Albert 1918,) it had been completely destroyed by artillery fire. The town was later "adopted" by the City of Birmingham. The Extension was used by fighting units and Field Ambulances from August 1915 to November 1916, and more particularly in and after September 1916, when Field Ambulances were concentrated at Albert. From November 1916, the 5th Casualty Clearing Station used it for two months. From March 1917, it was not used (except for four burials in March 1918) until the end of August, 1918, when Plot II was made by the 18th Division. During the Second World War the extension was used again, when the French moved into it British casualties from isolated graves in and around Albert. There are now 862, Great War and 25 WW2 casualties commemorated at this site. Of these, 12 WW1 and 8 WW2 are unidentified. Five graves, destroyed by shell fire, are now represented by special memorials. Two soldiers known to be among the casualties buried here, but whose graves could not be identified, are commemorated by special memorials. The 2nd Field Company, Australian Engineers, and the 29th, 73rd and 102nd Canadian Infantry Battalions erected wooden memorials in the Extension to their dead in the Battles of the Somme 1916, but these no longer exist and were removed in the 1920s/30s. 

Further Information

Among those buried here are:

CLIFFORD, Brigadier General Henry Frederick Hugh DSO, Suffolk Regt. Commanding 149th Brigade. Killed by sniper from Delville Wood while inspecting advanced assembly trenches, 11th September 1916, aged 49. Son of Maj. Gen. The Hon. Sir Henry Hugh Clifford, V.C., K.C.M.G., C.B. (I.L.1)