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In memoriam

Bethune Town Cemetery

 

 

Bethune Town Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. For much of the First World War, Bethune was comparatively free from bombardment and remained an important railway and hospital centre, as well as a corps and divisional headquarters. The 33rd Casualty Clearing Station was in the town until December 1917. Early in 1918, Bethune began to suffer from constant shell fire and in April 1918, German forces reached Locon, five kilometres to the north. The bombardment of 21 May did great damage to the town. Bethune Town Cemetery contains 3,004 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. Second World War burials number 19. There are also 122 French and 87 German war graves.

One man who may have served in the North Irish Horse, Corporal W. J. Leinster, is buried here.The location of his grave is shown on the CWGC cemetery plan below.

Image kindly provided by Kevin McFarlane via Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/balmypalmy. Information and cemetery plan sourced from Commonwealth War Graves Commission www.cwgc.org.