The Fallen - Escoublac la Baule War Cemetery
(Cimetière Anglais)

 

Carefully and respectfully maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this site dates from the early years of World War two and is the last resting place of the 56 'Charioteers' named below. Containing a total of 329 burials, 74 of which remain unidentified, the cemetery also contains the graves of airmen shot down during  the many raids on this area, and servicemen lost both prior to the retreats of 1940, and when the troopship 'LANCASTRIA' was sunk offshore on 17 June, that same year. Now a haven of tranquility and dominated by an imposing 'Cross of  Sacrifice', the site was much more isolated during the war years during which time Mlle Louise Jaouen, a resident of la Baule, devoted herself to maintaining the graves. Money donated locally allowed her to provide crosses and plant a hedge. Her dedication would later be recognized with the award of the King's Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom.                               

     

Above, framing an image of the grave of Sergeant Tommy Durrant VC, are two views of the same general area: to the left as it was in the spring of 1942, with a flag-draped coffin being lowered into the ground by four survivors of the raid (Lieutenant Purdon, Corporal Johnson, Sergeant Jones and Stoker Butcher); and to the right as it is today, with the register shelter in the background.

Within the cemetery, graves are arranged in two plots (see plan below) within each of which rows are given alphabetical designations: grave 1A1 would therefore be - Plot 1, Row A, Grave 1. To aid in identification, I have included in brackets a reference to the vessels on which individual Commandos travelled to Saint-Nazaire.

BARTLETT, Arthur, Ord Sea, RN: ML267: 2C4
BEART, Eric, Lt, RNVR: CO-ML267: 1D2
BELL, Gordon, Ord Sea, RN: ML267: 2B10
BENNETT, Alexander, Motor Mech, RN: ML306: 1D10
BEVERIDGE, Robert, Sgt, 5 Cdo: (HMS CAMPBELTOWN): 1D3
BIRNEY, David, Capt, 2Tp-2Cdo: (ML447): 2C9
BLOUNT, Arthur, Cpl, 12Cdo: (HMS CAMPBELTOWN): 2A7
BOOTH, Henry, CPO, RNZN: HMS CAMPBELTOWN: DSM: 2B7
BOYCE, John, Pte, 3Cdo: (ML262): 2C13
BRENTON, William, Ld Sto, RN: HMS CAMPBELTOWN: 2B23
BROOME, David, Sto (1), RN: ML447: 2B5
BURNS, Ronald, Lance -Cpl, 6Tp-2Cdo: (ML268): 2C14
BURTINSHAW, Robert, Lt, 5Cdo: (HMS CAMPBELTOWN): MiD: 1D6
DEANS, James, Cpl, 9Cdo: (ML457): 1D14
DURRANT, Thomas, Sgt, 1cdo: (ML306): VC: 1D11
FERGUSON, William, Sgt, 5Cdo: (HMS CAMPBELTOWN): 1D7
FISHER, Norman, Cpl, 6Tp-2Cdo: (ML192): 2C7
GARNER, Thomas, Ord Sea, RN: ML306: 1D2
GARRATT, Arthur, Lance-Cpl, 2Tp-2Cdo: (ML447): 2B9
GWYNNE, John, Pte, 5Tp-2Cdo: (HMS CAMPBELTOWN); MiD: 2A18
HALE, Ord Sig, RN: ML192: 2A13
HAMPSHIRE, Kenneth, Lt, RNVR: ML457: 2C16
HARKNESS, Peter, Lance-Sgt, 6Tp-2Cdo; (ML268): 1D9
HARRISON, Maurice, Lance-Sgt, 6Tp-2Cdo: (ML192): 2C5
HEMPSTEAD, Stanley, Sgt, 2Tp-2Cdo: (ML262): 2B2
HENDERSON, Ian, Lt, RNVR: CO-ML306: MiD: 2A20
HILLS, Kenneth, Sub-Lt, RNVR: ML262: 1D13
HODDER, Reginald, Sto PO, RN: HMS CAMPBELTOWN: 2A19
HUDSON, George, Lance-Cpl, 6Tp-2Cdo: (ML268): 2C21
IDE, George, Sgt, 5cdo: (HMS CAMPBELTOWN): 1D1
JOHNSON, Bertie, Lance-Sgt, 5Cdo: (HMS CAMPBELTOWN): 2B14
KELLY, Francis, Pte, HQ-2Cdo: (MGB314): 2C6
KEMP, Leslie, PO, RN: HMS CAMPBELTOWN: DSM: MiD: 1D5
LIDDEL, Charles, AB, RN: MTB74: 2C23
LLEWELLYN, Fred, Cpl, 1Cdo: (ML306): 2A3
LUCY, Albert, Fus, 6Tp-2Cdo: (ML192): 2A23
MARTIN, William, AB, RN: ML262: 2B6
MATHER, Harry, Lance-Cpl, 4Tp-2cdo: (ML268): 2C19
MOSS, Alan, RSM, HQ-2Cdo: (ML267); 2C8
ONSORGE, Slavoj, Lead Sea, RN: ML457: 2C15
PENNINGTON, Harry, Lt, 4Cdo: (ML268): 2C2
PRITCHARD, William, Capt, RE: (ML457): MC: MiD: 2A5
ROACH, Thomas, Rfn, 6Tp-2Cdo: (ML177): 2A6
ROSS, Alexander, Ord Sea, RN: HMS CAMPBELTOWN: 1D4
SARGENT, Walter, Lead Sea, RN: ML306: MiD: 2A12
SMITH, Leslie, Sto (11), RN: ML298: 2C10
SPAUL, William, Lance-Cpl, 6Tp-2Cdo: (ML192): 2B16
STOKES, George, lance-Cpl, 5cdo: (HMS CAMPBELTOWN): 2A9
TAYLOR, Gerald, Sgt, HQ-2Cdo: (ML267): 2B15
TOMBLIN, Edward, Pte, 1Cdo: (ML306): 2A14
TOMSETT, Reginald, Cpl, 6Tp-2Cdo: (ML192): 2C1
WALTON, George, Gdsm, 2Tp-2Cdo: (ML447): 2B8
WALTON, Philip, Lt, 1Tp-2Cdo: (ML457): 1D8
WARD, Raymond, PO, RN: MTB74: 2A16-17
WESTWELL, Albert, Sig, RN: HMS CAMPBELTOWN
WINTHROPE, William, Surg-Lt, RCNVR: HMS CAMPBELTOWN: MiD: 2B4

(Image courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

This, the main War Cemetery, is to be found some 11 km west of Saint-Nazaire, at  the eastern end of the Baie du Pouliguen where the coast road along the north shore of the Loire estuary enters la Baule, becoming the Boulevard de l'Ocean. Follow the Boulevard - which fronts onto four miles of golden sand - for a little over two kilometres, then turn right where the Boulevard is joined by the Avenue de Rhuys. Turn right again onto the Avenue de Locmariaquer and continue past the Polyclinique, on the left side of the road. As you enter the Foret d'Escoublac, turn right onto the Route de la Ville Halgand, which winds through an extensive residential area. Here, amidst smart villas, you will find the bijou Cimetière Anglais, whose size and  garden setting echo fittingly the intimacy of the ties which bound together the men of 'Chariot'.