France & England – cemetery / headstone photographs

I will be doing the tourist thing in England & France in late June to late July. As I tour around I will be stopping at various cemeteries to get headstone photos that I know Spidge requires of RAAF / Aussie losses in France. I will also be driving around some parts of England.

While I’m at it, I might as well pick up any requirements for other punters.

I will have a look through various threads on here to see if I can offer any assistance, but anyone can take the lead and either contact me with a list or provide a link to whatever thread their wants lists are already on

The more info up front the better it will be all round as I don’t want to be chasing down obscure requests when the info is readily available to the requester.

 

I have used Google maps to produce an overview of the cemeteries in France that still require graves photos for Spidge & Temptage – predictable enough, there is pretty much zero overlap.

First off, Spidge:

France

ANCERVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY Meuse 1
BRETIGNY-SUR-ORGE COMMUNAL CEMETERY Essonne 2
CHOLOY WAR CEMETERY Meurthe-et-Moselle 15
CRONENBOURG FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY Bas-Rhin 5
ECORCEI CHURCHYARD Orne 2
EPERNON COMMUNAL CEMETERY Eure-et-Loir 1
ESSEY-LES-NANCY CHURCHYARD Meurthe-et-Moselle 1
GRANGES-SUR-VOLOGNE COMMUNAL CEMETERY Vosqes 1
LAVAL (VALFLEURY) COMMUNAL CEMETERY Mayenne 2
LE GUE-DE-LA-CHAINE COMMUNAL CEMETERY Orne 1
LONGUE COMMUNAL CEMETERY Maine-et-Loire 2
MARSON-SUR-BARBOURE CHURCHYARD Meuse 1
MENIL-HUBERT-SUR-ORNE COMMUNAL CEMETERY Orne 1
MOULIN-SOUS-TOUVENT COMMUNAL, CEMETERY Oise 1
PONTGOUIN COMMUNAL CEMETERY Eure-et-Loir 1
RENNES EASTERN COMMUNAL CEMETERY Ille-et-Vilaine 1
SERIS COMMUNAL CEMETERY Loire-et-Cher 1
ST. DOULCHARD COMMUNAL CEMETERY Cher 2
ST. ERBLON COMMUNAL CEMETERY Il-et-Vilaine 1
STE. GEMME-MORONVAL CHURCHYARD Eure-et-Loir 1
STE. GEMMES-LE-ROBERT COMMUNAL CEMETERY Mayenne 1


From

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/46575-photos-of-headstones-and-memorials-of-raaf-australians-still-required-around-the-world/

 

& Temptage:

Avesnes-Sur-Helpe Communal Cemetery (2)
Beaurevoir British Cemetery (1)
Cambrai Memorial (1)
Coulommiers Communal Cemetery (2)
Douchy-Les-Ayette British Cemetery (1)
Houlgate (Beuzeval) Communal Cemetery (1)
Les Baraques Military Cemetery, Sangatte (1)
Metz-En-Couture Communal Cemetery British Extension (2)
Orchard Dump Cemetery, Arleux-en-Gohelle (1)
Roclincourt Military Cemetery (1)
Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt (1)
Roeux British Cemetery (6)
St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen (5)
St. Souplet British Cemetery (1)
Templeux-Le-Guerard British Cemetery (1)
Thiepval Memorial (28)
Tourcoing (Pont-Neuville) Communal Cemetery (1)
Unicorn Cemetery, Vendhuile (1)
Villers Hill British Cemetery, Villers-Guislain (1)



From

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/41568-update-cemeteries-and-memorials-in-france-wanted/

 

& AndyBaldEagle:

Aire Communal Cemetery (1)
Banneville La Campagne (11)
Bayeux War Cemetery (15)
Bieville Sur Orne (5)
Beny-sur-Mer Canadian Cemetery (5)
Bourghelles Communal Cemetery (1)
Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery (2)
Brouay (1)
Cassel Communal Cemetery Extension (1)
Calais Canadian War Cemetery (6)
Chambon-La-Foret (1)
Chateua de Frecquiennes (1)*
Chilleurs-Aux-Bois (2)
Choloy War Cemetery (16)
Clichy Northern (6)
Crain Communal (2)
Essoyes (1)
Fatouville-Gerstein (Carbec) (3)
Fleurbaix Communal Cemetery (1)
Graffigny-Chemin (13)
Haucourt Communal Cemetery (1)
Hermanville War Cemetery (1)
Honfleur (3)
La Bernerie-En-Retz Communal Cemetery (1)
La Delivrande War Cemetery (25)
Le Vast Churchyard (1)
Marisell French National Cemetery (5)
Mazargues War Cemetery (31)
Moussey Churchyard (10)
Periers-En-Auges (1)
Pihen-Les-Guines Communal Cemetery (1)
Ranrupt Mixed National Cemetery (1)
Ranville War Cemetery (a lot!)
Rennes Eastern Communal Cemetery (26)
Ryes War Medal (5)
Seris Communal Cemetery (1)
St Charles de Percy War Cemetery (1)
St Desir War Cemetery (1)
St Mesmin New Communal Cemetery (1)
St Sever Cemetery Extension (2)
St Sylvain (7)
Tannay Communal Cemetery (1)
Terre Natale Communal Cemetery (1)
Tilly sur Seulles War Cemetery (4)
Tourgeville Military Cemetery (5)
Trouville Communal Cemetery (1)
Vauville Churchyard (1)
Velorcey Communal Cemetery (1)
Verneuil-sur-Avre Communal Cemetery (1)
Villaine-les-Prevotes (2)
Villeneuve St George Old Communal Cemetery (1)


From:

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/19601-airborne-forces-headstones/

 

Hi DaveB

From spidges list the ones in Morbihan (Lorient, Plougomelen & Quiberon) are done - he has the photos from those - check with him first though to be 100%

TD

edited to add:
If departments can be added to the cemetery name it helps work out roughly where they are located - thanks

 

Thanks for the heads-up TD - I have now replaced the list I originally used (from post #1 of Spidge's thread) with the list from post #107


I will double check everything before I start my driving just to make sure I don't detour hours out of my way for something that has already been completed by another contributor.


Whilst I am happy to meander around the countryside to get wanted shots, I would rather they not be in vain.

cheers


Dave

 

Good questions, and ones I wish I had some good answers for. Basically I am showing my daughters (& myself) around the French countryside for a week or so with no real itinerary as yet. I thought doing the RAAF / CWGC photos would give me an excuse to drive into parts of France I wouldn't see otherwise.

We are spending a week or so in London at the start and a week or more in Paris at the end of the trip, mainly so the girls can go to EuroDisney - probably while I potter around by myself.


As you can see, the planning is very fluid at the moment.

 

Hi Dave,

Just make sure you enjoy yourself and don't spend all your time behind the wheel.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Dave,

thank you so much for including my list in your possible itinerary.

A few pointers on my list.

Thiepval can be crossed off completely, all photos now received.

Houlgate (Beuzeval) Communal Cemetery is on order from someone visiting Normandy for the 70th Anniversary and is staying within walking distance of the Cemetery.

The only one on my list that I would really appreciate help with would be at Coulommiers, as it is a lone wolf from my list. Plus it may be an easy-ish one for you with it being relatively close to Paris.

I finally had the balls to tell, yes, TELL my wife that I am going back to France at some point in the summer, so as daft as it seems, I want my list to remain all but as is so I have a nice bit of travelling round northern France.

For my sins I have decided that when I go I may make a foray into the land of the impossible, St Sever in Rouen, for a day of photographing as I dare say that many a photo will be requested from there.

If you want to drive through stunning scenery I would suggest along the physical line from Strasbourg in the east, across to Le Mans and St Malo in the west. That way many Cemeteries can be taken in for both Spidge and AndyBaldEagle.

When I did the Somme last year i covered over 500 miles in 4 days, visiting 44 Cemeteries and Memorials plus various museums and POI's and not once did I drive on a motorway. Guaranteed beautiful scenery wherever you look.

 

Dave,

As regards your motoring,a good aid is the Michelin Tourist and Motoring Atlas, Scale 1:200000.

While the UK edition is available here in the UK,you should be able to buy it at any French supermarket .

The other point is, if you have internet access,the Michelin site is very good for the continental traveler...www.viamichelin.com gives a wide range of information for the motorist.

Have a good trip and a good motoring experience.

 

Dave
A most generous offer, could you PM me your email address so i can give you details of the 'chaps' please.
Any that you could get would be a bonus but please do not go too far out of the way to get just one chap.

Regards

Andy

 

Dave

Trying not to flood you with information - re maps, most newsagents or motorway service stations stock Michelin Maps, and the ones I use for general motoring in France are the 500 series (and are orange in colour for ease of identification) eg 513 Regional is for Normandy, 512 Regional is for Brittany - http://www.frencheuropean.com/travel/michelin%20maps%20france.htm

Have a good trip and if you are going to be heading Brittany way, I'll put the kettle on (or some tinnies in the fridge)

TD

 

Hi Dave,

If your in the Oxford area your more then welcome to pop in and i'll be happy to show you the sights of the county, [don't blink or you may miss them, lol]. Spidge dropped in when he was over the other year and we had a nice time. If your coming to England first i have a map book you can have a loan of which shows all the war cemeteries in France and Belgium. Its published by the CWGC and is on a Michelin Road Map. If you can give me a week or so's notice on what day you may arrive i can get the day off from work.

Kind regards
Mike

 

Cheers Spidge – I am actually looking forward to searching out some of these out of the way places. I think I will get enough of the mainstream touristy stuff when I am in London & Paris so this will be a good distraction.

 

Cheers TT - I understand where you are coming from with planning on doing most of yours in your own trip, I presume you will get to some of Andy’s in that region too.

I might take your advice – the ones to the north of Paris might eat into my time a bit more than I could manage. However, that does knock over most of Spidge’s requirements and a bunch of Andy’s (plus Coulommiers for you).

For now I have added Coulommiers to the list for Spidge with your name noted alongside. Oh, I will need the bloke’s name that I am looking for.

 

Good advice on the maps, I plan on picking some up once I get there. My daughters will have smartphones so we can look stuff up on the internet as required.

 

Cheers Andy – PM sent. As I said I am actually looking forward to searching out some of these out of the way places. By the looks of it I will be focussing on the ones to the east & west of Paris. Leaving Northern France for Temptage and I don’t think I will get far enough south for Marisell & Bourdeaux.


Assuming I haven't stuffed it up, the destinations that most align with the Spidge map are these 20 cemeteries:

Chambon-La-Foret
Chilleurs-Aux-Bois
Choloy War Cemetery
Clichy Northern
Crain Communal
Essoyes
Graffigny-Chemin
La Bernerie-En-Retz Communal Cemetery
Moussey Churchyard
Ranrupt Mixed National Cemetery
Rennes Eastern Communal Cemetery
Seris Communal Cemetery
St Charles de Percy War Cemetery
St Mesmin New Communal Cemetery
Tannay Communal Cemetery
Terre Natale Communal Cemetery
Velorcey Communal Cemetery
Verneuil-sur-Avre Communal Cemetery
Villaine-les-Prevotes
Villeneuve St George Old Communal Cemetery

 

Thanks TD - good advice on the maps, and once I work out where Britanny is I will let you know if I'm going anywhere nearby.......

 

Thanks for the offers Mike - not too sure if I'm going anywhere near Oxford, but anything is possible at this point. I will let you know if I'm going anywhere nearby.......