LIESSE COMMUNAL CEMETERY
Aisne
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 49.60618, Longitude: 3.80513
Location Information
The village of Liesse is situated 15 kilometres north-east of Laon on the D977, Laon to Montcornet road. Exit the Calais to Reims motorway (A26 - E17) at Junction 13 "To Laon". At the exit roundabout, take the right exit, N2, towards Laon and then follow the road signs to Montcornet. After 4 kilometres, turn right and then first left onto the D977, still following the signs for Montcornet, and passing through the villages of Athies-Sous-Laon, Sammousey and Gizy. After 16 kilometres you will arrive at the village of Liesse. Follow the One-Way and Toute direction signs until you come to a 'T' junction in the village centre. Turn right following the road sign towards Reims. The Communal Cemetery is 300 metres along this road on the right (D24) and the Commonwealth War Graves Plot is situated 80 metres inside the cemetery near the central axis path.
History Information
The Department of the Aisne was on one of the routes flown by Allied aircraft on bombing missions to various places which were important to the German war effort. Although some of the aircraft were brought down in this area by anti-aircraft fire, or in aerial combat, not all the airmen perished. The French underground movement was active and contrived numbers of escapes. In one instance two airmen who had parachuted from a damaged plane about 20 kilometres east of Liesse were ingeniously hidden in a herd of cows guarded by "cowherds" who were members of the Resistance, and so were passed from the danger zone directly under the eyes of the German guards to escape channels. Of the less fortunate members of the same crew, some were killed and are buried in Liesse Communal Cemetery, while another was taken prisoner. Two other airmen, who escaped wounded from a plane which fell in flames in the commune of Lesquelles-St. Germain, were secreted in the village and despite a vigorous search by the Germans, who threatened death to anyone succouring the enemy, remained succesfully hidden until they could safely be sent through the underground escape channels. Members of their crew, too, are buried in Liesse Communal Cemetery. The enemy used this cemetery not only for the burial of airmen who fell in the commune, but also for the re-burial of others from Pierrepont, Leuze and Lesquelles-St. Germain in the Aisne and from Menil-Annelles and St. Quentin-le-Petit in the adjoining Department of the Ardennes. After the war, the Army Graves Service transferred to the cemetery casualties found at Leuze and at Mons-en-Chaussee (Somme). The burials originally included ten American airmen, but these were removed in 1946 by the American Graves Service.
There are 55, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 3 are unidentified.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 37, Canada 10, Australia 5. Total 52.
Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 3.
Images in this gallery © Johan Pauwels
R/78950 Flight Sergeant
Christopher Norman Chalken
408 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
29th August 1942.
Row B. 14.
Christopher Norman Chalken
408 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
29th August 1942.
Row B. 14.
1341584 Sergeant
William Craig, D. F. M.
61 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
25th February 1944.
Row D. Collective Grave 4-6.
William was born in Larkhall, Scotland in 1922. The picture of his wedding to Margaret Cook Robertson was taken on 4th April 1942. Margaret kept in touch with the wife of Flight Sergeant Garret (picture below) who is buried in the same plot. Both Airmen left little girls behind.
Images and additional text courtesy of Steven Ross (Nephew)
William Craig, D. F. M.
61 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
25th February 1944.
Row D. Collective Grave 4-6.
William was born in Larkhall, Scotland in 1922. The picture of his wedding to Margaret Cook Robertson was taken on 4th April 1942. Margaret kept in touch with the wife of Flight Sergeant Garret (picture below) who is buried in the same plot. Both Airmen left little girls behind.
Images and additional text courtesy of Steven Ross (Nephew)
R/81030 Sergeant
Harold Walter Fill
408 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943.
Row B. Coll. Grave 1-4.
Harold Walter Fill
408 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943.
Row B. Coll. Grave 1-4.
1543513 Flight Sergeant
Arthur Thomas Garrett
61 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
25th February 1944.
Row D. Coll. Grave 4-6.
Arthur Thomas Garrett
61 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
25th February 1944.
Row D. Coll. Grave 4-6.
R/55551 Warrant Officer
Joseph Jacques Alfred Guay
408 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943, aged 22.
Row B. 5.
Son of Joseph Donat Louis Guay and Maria Guay.
His headstone bears the inscription "L'Heritage De Papa Et Maman N'est Pas Perdu..."
Joseph Jacques Alfred Guay
408 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943, aged 22.
Row B. 5.
Son of Joseph Donat Louis Guay and Maria Guay.
His headstone bears the inscription "L'Heritage De Papa Et Maman N'est Pas Perdu..."
R/117684 Flight Sergeant
Lloyd George Haines
408 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943, aged 24.
Row B. Coll. Grave 1-4.
Son of Richard George and Ida Haines, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "He Died That Others MIght Live"
Lloyd George Haines
408 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943, aged 24.
Row B. Coll. Grave 1-4.
Son of Richard George and Ida Haines, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "He Died That Others MIght Live"
Original Grave Markers
R/180403 Sergeant
Leonard Norman Jonasson
76 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943, aged 17.
Row B. 12.
Son of Otto Jonasson, and of Asrun Jonasson, of Point Roberts, Washington, U.S.A.
His headstone bears the inscription "Rest In Peace, Beloved Leonard"
Leonard Norman Jonasson
76 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943, aged 17.
Row B. 12.
Son of Otto Jonasson, and of Asrun Jonasson, of Point Roberts, Washington, U.S.A.
His headstone bears the inscription "Rest In Peace, Beloved Leonard"
R/88100 Flight Sergeant
Irving MacDonald
408 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943.
Row B. Coll. Grave 1-4.
Irving MacDonald
408 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943.
Row B. Coll. Grave 1-4.
R/133280 Flight Sergeant
John Reid Martyn
35 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
16th April 1943, aged 24.
Row A. Coll. Grave 3-6.
Son of John Blake Martyn and Margaret Clark Martyn, of Haney, British Columbia, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "Pro Patria" Haney, British Columbia, Canada"
John Reid Martyn
35 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
16th April 1943, aged 24.
Row A. Coll. Grave 3-6.
Son of John Blake Martyn and Margaret Clark Martyn, of Haney, British Columbia, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "Pro Patria" Haney, British Columbia, Canada"
R/90867 Flight Sergeant
Francois Rolland Pilon
408 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943.
Row B. Coll. Grave 1-4.
Francois Rolland Pilon
408 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943.
Row B. Coll. Grave 1-4.
R/99150 Flight Sergeant
Francis Owen Ross
76 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943, aged 23.
Row B. Coll. Grave 6-11.
Son of Joseph H. Ross and Helen L. Ross, of Milltown, New Brunswick, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "REQUIEM AETERNAM DONA EI, DOMINE; ET LUX PERPETUA LUCEAT EI
Francis Owen Ross
76 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th April 1943, aged 23.
Row B. Coll. Grave 6-11.
Son of Joseph H. Ross and Helen L. Ross, of Milltown, New Brunswick, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "REQUIEM AETERNAM DONA EI, DOMINE; ET LUX PERPETUA LUCEAT EI
