CWGC Cemetery: RAPERIE BRITISH CEMETERY, VILLEMONTOIRE

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Local Information

Villemontoire is just to the west of the main D1, Chateau-Thierry to Soissons road, approximately 10 kilometres from Soissons. From the N2, Soissons Ring Road, take the D1 towards Chateau-Thierry. Ignore signs for Villemontoire and continue on the D1 until the crossroads signed for Vierzy. Turn right here along the D1280 towards Vierzy, then take the first left turn (1.2 kilometres) at the second CWGC sign, and the Cemetery will be found on your left after 150 metres.

Historical Information

Villemontoire is connected entirely with the victorious advance of the 15th (Scottish) and 34th Divisions, under French leadership, in the period from the 23rd July to the 2nd August, 1918. The cemetery was made, after the Armistice, by the concentration of graves from the battlefield and from several small burial grounds made by the Burial Officers and units of the two Divisions. There are now over 600, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 100 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to eleven men of the Herefordshire Regiment and one of the Royal Scots who are known or believed to be buried among them. The cemetery covers an area of 2,576 square metres and is enclosed by a low rubble wall forming an arc at the back. The following were among the burial grounds from which British graves of July and August, 1918, were brought to this cemetery: BILLY-SUR-OURCQ CHURCHYARD, which contained the graves of five soldiers. BILLY-SUR-OURCQ COMMUNAL CEMETERY, which contained the graves of three soldiers. CHESHIRE CEMETERY, PARCY-ET-TIGNY, which contained the graves of 16 men of the Cheshire and Herefordshire Regiments. HARTENNES ROAD CEMETERY, PARCY-ET-TIGNY, containing the graves of 23 soldiers who fell on the 24th July. HEREFORD CEMETERY, PARCY-ET-TIGNY, which contained the graves of 21 soldiers of the Herefordshire Regiment and two others who fell on the 23rd July. RAPERIE QUARRY CEMETERY, 365 metres to the East, made by the 15th Division burial officer on the 9th August, and containing the graves of 103 officers and men, almost all of whom belonged to the 9th Royal Scots and fell on the 1st and 2nd August.