LightNews — News, ranked by scholars

Jonny Dyer

@kaiserjonny.bsky.social

Martinsart British Cemetery, just north of the town of Albert in the Somme region of France. The graves here are marked by headstones made from red Corsehill or Locharbriggs sandstone, rather than the more usual Portland stone. #FWWHistory #GreatWar #WW1 #Somme #France #photography

Martinsart was close to the Allied front line until September 1916, and again from March to August 1918. Martinsart British Cemetery was begun at the end of June 1916, when 14 men of the 13th Royal Irish Rifles, killed by a shell, were buried in what is now Plot I, Row A. It was used as a front-line cemetery until October 1916 and again in September 1918, when bodies were brought in from the battlefields for burial by V Corps. After the Armistice, the cemetery was enlarged when more graves were brought in from the area north, east and south of the village. There are now 488 First World War servicemen buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 155 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate six casualties believed to be buried among them. The cemetery is unusual in that the graves are marked by stones made from red Corsehill or Locharbriggs sandstone, rather than the more usual Portland stone. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

December 15, 2024 at 8:10 AM

Tom Tulloch-Marshall

@sommephantom.bsky.social

Martinsart British Cemetery a few days ago. This cemetery is unusual in that the headstones are made of red Corsehill or Locharbriggs sandstone. 😱 - No really, they're made of red sandstone.

March 2, 2025 at 6:56 PM

Ross MacPherson

@rossco6429.bsky.social

My great uncle, Pvt George McPherson, 18th Highland Light Infantry was killed on 20th May 1918 when his machine gun position took a direct hit from a German shell killing the crew, they are buried side by side in Martinsart British Cemetery.

September 20, 2026 at 7:28 AM

electricbrainstem.bsky.social

@electricbrainstem.bsky.social

Martins & Mushrooms #handdrawn #tattoodesign #commission // #yxeart #yxearts #yxeartist #yxelocal #tattoo #tattoos #tattooidea #tattoostyle #tattooart #tattoosketch #martins #martinstattoo #martinsart #martinsdrawing #mushroom #mushroomtattoo #mushroomart #mushroomdrawing

November 12, 2025 at 11:09 PM

Dan P

@danieljphelan.bsky.social

Private Thomas Brightwell of the Lancashire Fusiliers is buried in an unusual Somme cemetery, where the graves of the fallen are marked with red Corsehill or Locharbriggs sandstone rather than the more familiar Portland stone.

📍Martinsart British Cemetery 🇫🇷

June 1, 2026 at 6:43 PM

Paul

@atticusfinch-105.bsky.social

27 March 1918 2nd Lt Hubert William Ransom of 70 Sqdn Royal Flying Corps was killed in action and buried in the Martinsart British Cemetery. Hubert was 21.

Hubert is remembered on the Hitchin War Memorial and also at @pembroke1347.bsky.social #WW1 #History #HistoryMatters

March 27, 2026 at 10:20 AM

Remember Them

@rememberthem.online

The grave of Private William Ankers, 24146, 13th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. Killed in action 30 July 1916, aged 22. Buried in Knightsbridge Cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsart, France.

#CWGC #WarGrave #WW1 #RememberThem #Somme #France

The grave of Private William Ankers, 24146, 13th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. Killed in action 30 July 1916. Buried in Knightsbridge Cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsart, France.

January 20, 2025 at 12:28 PM

MargaretR

@margr.bsky.social

I very much enjoyed this. My husband’s grandfather was at Serre (Bradford Pals). He returned, with MM.
My Grandfather, RE 49 Div, was in the Bouzincourt - Martinsart area during preparations but had been injured. He was in Bristol hospital on July 1st whilst his Field Co were around Thiepval.

June 12, 2026 at 7:30 AM