In Memory of
Frederick Charles Starling
Private G/4049
7th Bn., Royal Sussex Regiment
who died on
Friday, 7th July 1916.
Commemorative Information
Cemetery:
SERRE ROAD CEMETERY No. 2
Grave Reference/
Panel Number:
XV. A. 6.
Location:
The village of Serre is 11 kilometres north-north-east of Albert.
Using the D919 from Arras to Amiens you will drive through the villages of Bucquoy,
Puisieux then Serre Les Puisieux (approximately 20 kilometres south of Arras). On
leaving Serre Les Puisieux, 1.3 kilometres further along the D919, Serre Road No.2
Cemetery can be found on the left hand side.
Historical Information:
The "Serre Road" was, in June, 1916, the road leading out of Mailly-Maillet, in
British
hands, and entering No Man's Land about 1,170 metres South-West of Serre, which
was held by the Germans. The 31st and 4th Divisions attacked North and South of
this road on the 1st July, 1916; parties of the 31st Division reached Serre, but the
attack failed. The 3rd and 31st Divisions renewed the attempt, without success, on
the 11th November. The Germans evacuated Serre on the 24th February, 1917, and
the 22nd Manchesters entered the village on the following morning.
In the spring of 1917 the battlefields of the Ancre were cleared by the V Corps and a
number of cemeteries made, three of which are named from the Serre Road. They fell
into enemy hands on the 25th March, 1918, but were recovered on the following 14th
August.
In the cemetery, Plots I and II, containing 489 graves, were made by the V Corps in
May, 1917; the remainder is due to the concentration of graves (mainly of 1916) from
the battlefields of the Department of the Somme, and from certain other cemeteries,
during the years 1922 and 1926-34.
There are now over 7,000, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of
these, over two-thirds are unidentified. Twenty-one soldiers, whose graves in the
cemetery are closely but not exactly identified, are commemorated by headstones
superscribed "Buried near this spot". Six French and two German graves have been
removed to other cemeteries.
The cemetery covers an area of 27,429 square metres and is enclosed by low stone
rubble wall.
In the immediate neighbourhood are the HEBUTERNE FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY,
containing the graves of 817 French soldiers, and the SHEFFIELD-SERRE MEMORIAL
PARK, a memorial to the 12th York and Lancaster Regiment.
British graves from the following cemeteries were brought to Serre Road Cemetery
No.2:-
BAIZIEUX COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of March,
1918.
BOISMONT CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of October, 1914.
BUCQUOY COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Pas-de-Calais): 25 United Kingdom graves of
August, 1918.
ERCHEU CHURCHYARD (Somme): United Kingdom grave of March, 1918.
FRETTECUISSE CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of September,
1916.
HERVILLY CHURCHYARD (Somme): one R.F.C. grave of September, 1916.
HOLNON COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Aisne): five United Kingdom graves of April, 1917.
LABOISSIERE CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of April, 1917.
LE SARS GERMAN CEMETERY (Pas-de-Calais): one United Kingdom grave.
MADAME MILITARY CEMETERY, CLERY-SUR-SOMME (Somme): three United Kingdom
graves of February, 1917.
MEAULTE CHURCHYARD (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of April, 1916.
POZIERES COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Somme): one Canadian grave of September, 1916.
REMIENCOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Somme): one United Kingdom grave of April,
1918.
SOMME AMERICAN CEMETERY, BONY (Aisne): two United Kingdom graves of July and
October, 1918, and one Australian of September, 1918.
VOYENNES CHURCHYARD (Somme): seven United Kingdom graves of March, 1918.
YTRES CHURCHYARD (Pas-de-Calais): 14 United Kingdom and four New Zealand
graves of September, 1918, mainly from the 15th Field Ambulance.
Copyright The Commonwealth War Graves Commission