Roll of Honour - Overseas - Alencon, France

Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget

The Royal British Legion

ALENÇON (ST LEONARD’S) CEMETERY, ORNE, FRANCE

There are 17 Commonwealth War Graves in St Leonard’s Cemetery at Alençon, which stand in a row next to a group of French First World War graves within the communal cemetery.

During the First World War, huge quantities of timber were required for use in the trenches for shoring them up, or using as duckboards. Much of this was imported at considerable danger to both the ships and the crews. Timber was in plentiful supply both in the United Kingdom and in France, away from the fighting zone. However, there were few people in these countries with the necessary forestry skills and in 1916 it was suggested that a Forestry Battalion should be raised in Canada where “logging” was a common occupation. Money was provided for the necessary equipment and eventually 22,000 men were employed as forestry workers in the UK and in France. The vast forests of Bellême which were to the east of Alençon became home to many of these men. Forestry is a dangerous occupation and there were many casualties, some of whom lie in the cemetery at Alençon.

BARNES	Joseph	Private 684751. 38th Company, Canadian Forestry Corps. Died on 25th June 1918. Private Barnes was born on 31st March 1889 in Windsor, Ontario. His next of kin is given as his sister Katherine Barnes of Chicago, Ill. USA. He was a labourer who had served in the Serbian Army in the Balkan Wars. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.6.
CONNELL	Matthew	Private 285114. 2nd/1st Bucks Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Formerly 243175 Hampshire Regiment. Died on 10th May 1918. Born and lived Dublin. Enlisted Winchester. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.3.
COOPER	Early	Private 931718. 2nd Construction Company, Canadian Engineers attached to Canadian Forestry Corps. Died on 12th June 1918. Private Cooper was born on 12th February, year unknown, in Darlinton, South Carolina, USA. His next of kin is given as his sister Sadie Cooper. He was a cook. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.5.
DESROSIERS (served as MILLER)	Oscar	Private 141948. 44th Company Canadian Forestry Corps. Died on 30th October 1918. Husband of R. A. Desrosiers, of 139, East Hollis St., Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S.A. Private Desrosiers was born on 26th September 1887. He gives his next of kin as his father, Eugene Miller from Nashua, New Hampshire and states he is unmarried. He was a labourer. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.12.
FLOWERS	Gordon McKinley	Sergeant 763578. 43rd Company, Canadian Forestry Corps. Died on 7th January 1919. Aged 21. Son of Frank Edward and Sarah Maude Flowers, of Gravenhurst, Ontario. Sergeant Flowers was born on 19th December 1897 in Gravenhurst, Ontario. He was a railroader. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. B.3. HE GAVE HIS BEST HE GAVE HIS ALL HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR YOU
HAMBLIN	Edgar James	Private 1048791. 20th Company, Canadian Forestry Corps. Died on 8th February 1918. Aged 24. Son of Mr. and Mrs. George Hamblin, of Pembroke, Ontario. Private Hamblin was born on 17th November 1893 at Pembroke, Ontario. He was a clerk. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.1. GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
HUNT	Eugene Gerald	Private 1048716. 20th Company, Canadian Forestry Corps. Died on 6th December 1918. Aged 22. Son of Porter F. and Mary E. Hunt, of Greenfield, Queens County, Nova Scotia. Private Hunt was born on 9th June 1896 in Greenfield. He was a timberman and teamster. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.14. REMEMBERED AS LAST WE SAW YOU FORGET YOU, WE CANNOT. FRIENDS, HOME
KELSEY	Harry	Private M2/320687. 78th Auxiliary Petrol Company, Army Service Corps. Died on 19th November 1918. Aged 38. Son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Kelsey; husband of Ellen Kelsey, of 5, Harris Rd., Hillsborough, Sheffield. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.13. IN THE MIDST OF LIFE WE ARE IN DEATH
LEMIEUX	Adjutor	Private 904467. 38th Company, Canadian Forestry Corps. Died on 1st July 1918. Private Lemieux was born in 1878 in Alberta. He was a cook. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.7.
LITTLEWOOD	Herbert	Private M2/181773. 78th Auxiliary Petrol Company, Mechanical Transport, Army Service Corps. Died on 12th October 1918. Aged 26. Born and lived Longsight. Enlisted Manchester. Son of James Edward and Catherine Littlewood, of Manchester; husband of Miriam E. Littlewood, of 12, Daisy Bank Rd., Longsight, Manchester. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.10. SWEET SACRED HEART OF JESUS HAVE MERCY ON HIM RIP
McMULLIN	James	Pioneer 26531. 343rd Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers. Formerly 3/6818 Connaught Rangers. Died on 5th September 1918. Aged 42. Born Corrocrumph, co. Donegal. Lived Cleland, Lanarkshire. Enlisted Hamilton, Lanarkshire. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles McMullin, of Co. Donegal. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. B.1. SLEEP ON DEAR BROTHER GOD THOUGHT IT BEST TO TAKE THEE TO THY HEAVENLY REST
MYERS	Harry Adolph	Private 2157500. 41st Company, Canadian Forestry Corps. Died on 21st October 1918. Private Myers was born on 11th July 1898 in Kingston, Ontario. He lived with his mother Mary at 216 Colbourne Street in Kingston. He was a munitions worker. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.11.
NIELSEN	Neils Christian Wilhelm	Lance Corporal 913070. 30th Company, Canadian Forestry Corps. Died on 2nd September 1918. Aged 43. Son of Yens and Ane Marie Nielsen; husband of Maren Frederikke Nielsen, of Ponoka, Alberta. Born at Ingersley, Denmark. L/Cpl Nielsen was born on 3rd August 1875. He was a carpenter. He had served in the Danish Coast Defence. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.9. ALWAYS REMEMBERED BY HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN AND ALL WHO KNEW HIM
PIATKROVICH	E	Private 288518. 43rd Company, Canadian Forestry Corps. Died on 29th December 1918. Private Piatkrovich was born on the 15th January 1889 in Batol, Serbia. He lived at 889 Manitoba Avenue, Winnepeg. He was a labourer. His next of kin was given as his brother Dan Piatkrovich of Highbank, Minnesota, USA. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. B.2.
SEYMOUR	Noel	Private 2203395. 42nd Company, Canadian Forestry Corps. Died on 10th June 1918. Aged 33. Son of George and Margaret Seymour, of Seabird Island Indian Reserve, British Columbia. Native of Cheam Indian Reserve. Private Seymour was born on 19th October 1887 in Agassis, British Columbia. His next of kin is given as his wife, Josephine who lived at 637 Powell Street, Vancouver. He was a rigging slinger and teamster. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.4. BRITISH COLUMBIAN INDIAN DIED FOR KING AND COUNTRY
SHANNON	John	Private 297604. 30th Company, Canadian Forestry Corps. Died on 14th April 1918. Aged 35. Son of Robert J. and Martha Shannon, of 43, Kansas Avenue, Belfast. Private Shannon was born in Belfast on 2nd April 1883. He was a lumberjack. He served in the 95th Battalion, Volunteers. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.2. BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD WHICH TAKETH AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD. John 1 – 29
STOUTE	Seifert	Private 931128. 2nd Construction Company, Canadian Overseas Railway Construction Corps. Died on 15th July 1918. Private Stoute was born in Barbados in 1896. His mother, Louise Stoute of Barbados is given as his next of kin. He was a driver. Buried: Alençon (St. Leonard) Cemetery, Orne, France. Ref. A.8.

29 August 2004

War Memorials Trust