In Memory of
Frank Starling
Private 2210
9th Bn., Australian Infantry, A.I.F
who died on
Saturday, 22nd July 1916. Age 31.
Additional Information:
Son of Samuel and Sarah Ann Starling. Native of Langham, Essex, England.
Commemorative Information
Cemetery:
DELVILLE WOOD CEMETERY, LONGUEVAL
Grave Reference/
Panel Number:
XXIII. R. 6.
Location:
Longueval is a village 11 kilometres east of Albert. Delville Wood Cemetery is east of
the village and on the south side of the road from Longueval to Ginchy. The cemetery
is directly opposite the South African National Museum which is well signposted from
the N17 at Bapaume.
Historical Information:
The Bois Delville (or d'Elville) was a tract of woodland, nearly 1 kilometre square, the
Western edge of which touched the village of Longueval in the Somme. On the 14th
July the greater part of Longueval village was taken by the 9th (Scottish) Division,
and on the 15th the South African Brigade of that Division captured Delville Wood,
except the North-West corner. The Wood at this time was a Salient in a right-angle
corner of the line, Waterlot Farm and Mons Wood, on the South flank, being still in
the hands of the enemy; and, owing to the height of the trees, no close artillery
support to the defence was possible. On the 18th, what remained of the three
Battalions was forced back to "Buchanan Street"; and on the evening of the 20th,
after six days of the fiercest fighting by day and night, the survivors, a mere handful
of men, were relieved. On the 27th, the 2nd Division retook the Wood and held it
until the 4th August. The 17th Division then took it over. On the 18th and 25th
August it was cleared of all enemy resistance by the 14th (Light) Division. The Wood
was lost at the end of April, 1918, and retaken by the 38th (Welsh) Division on the
following 28th August.
The Cemetery was made after the Armistice, by the concentration of a few small
cemeteries and of isolated graves (almost all of July, August and September, 1916)
from the battlefields.
There are now over 5,500 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of
these, nearly two-thirds are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 26
soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from South Africa, known or believed to be
buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of three soldiers from
the United Kingdom, buried in Courcelette Communal Cemetery German Extension,
whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. Fifteen French graves have been removed
to another cemetery.
The Cemetery covers an area of 21,408 square metres and is enclosed by a rubble
wall. It stands opposite the South African Memorial, and the Cemetery and the
Memorial form one architectural scheme.
Of the cemeteries from which British graves were concentrated into Delville Wood
Cemetery:-
ANGLE WOOD CEMETERY, GINCHY, was a group of graves in an "excavated
shell-hole" in Angle Wood, to the North-West of Maurepas; and in them were buried
27 soldiers from the United Kingdom (mainly of the London Regiment) who fell in
August and September, 1916.
BATTERY COPSE CEMETERY, CURLU (called by the French Bois Vieux No. 2 Mixed
Cemetery), was between Curlu and Maurepas. It contained, in addition to French
graves, those of 17 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1916-18.
BAZENTIN-LE-PETIT GERMAN CEMETERY was at the South-East end of the village; it
contained the graves of 2,178 German soldiers, one French, and five (who fell in
March and April, 1918) from the United Kingdom.
COURCELETTE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION contained the graves of
three soldiers from the United Kingdom, one from Canada, and 1,040 German.
FERME-ROUGE FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY, CURLU (called by the French Bois-Vieux
"B" Cemetery), was close to Battery Copse Cemetery. It contained 138 French
graves
and that of one soldier from the United Kingdom who fell in March, 1917.
GUILLEMONT GERMAN CEMETERY No. 1, at the West end of the village, containing
221 German graves and those of seven soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in
May and July, 1918.
LONE RIDGE CEMETERY, LONGUEVAL, between Delville Wood and the centre of the
village, contained the graves of 52 soldiers of the 38th (Welsh) Division and the 6th
Dragoon Guards who fell at the end of August, 1918.
MARICOURT (DE LA COTE) GERMAN CEMETERY, on the South West side of the village,
contained the graves of five soldiers and airmen from the United Kingdom.
MARTINPUICH GERMAN CEMETERY No. 1, at the North-East end of the village,
contained the graves of six soldiers and one sailor from the United Kingdom who fell
in March 1918.
MARTINPUICH GERMAN CEMETERY No. 2, 365 metres West of No. 1, contained the
grave of one soldier from the United Kingdom.
Copyright The Commonwealth War Graves Commission