Hem Farm Military Cemetery
Hem-Monacu
Somme, France
32100
This cemetery, begun in 1917 and later enlarged with Somme burials, is a regular east‑facing layout set five steps below the road, with graves aligned on a central path between an elevated roadside War Stone terrace and a Cross of Sacrifice opposite, all contained within a low, height‑stepped boundary wall.
Please log in to view the description, bibliography, and record details.
Description
Construction was begun by British troops in January 1917. The cemetery was in use until September 1918, although with interruptions. These graves lie in plot i, rows e, f and g. After the Armistice the cemetery was further extended with graves from the battlefield of the Somme.
The cemetery is regular in its layout, which also applies to the part constructed during the war. Only the rows there are somewhat longer. The War Stone stands on a plateau on the east side of the cemetery and the Cross of Sacrifice on the other side, at the end of the central path. The head- stones are oriented toward the east.
The field lies five steps below the road and descends a little away from the road. The War Stone stands on a plateau two steps lower than the road and is thus three steps higher than the field with graves. Because the Stone is standing in the middle, two points of access have been made on either side, issuing out on to the plateau with two steps. A third entrance, with a slope, has been created for maintenance tasks. A wall, around 1 metre high, runs alongside the road. Because the field is lower on the other three sides, the wall is lower and follows the slope of the ground with its sudden decreases in height.(Geurst, 2010, p.325)
Bibliography
Geurst, J. (2010) Cemeteries of the Great War by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Rotterdam: 010 Publishers.
,