Le Quesnoy

The orders: “The New Zealand Rifle Brigade will mop up Le Quesnoy”

ZERO Hour: 05.30

A hot meal was served during the early hours of the 4th.

Attack was launched in the morning. The outer wall was stormed, and while the guns were breaching the inner citadel some of the New Zealand battalions swept around the outskirts of the town and charged the enemy guns. An aeroplane dropped a message summoning them to surrender, and a New Zealand officer entered the breach, and by word of mouth invited the German garrison to come out.

The taking of Le Quesnoy was the last major action of the New Zealand Division.

A week later the Armistice was signed and the war was at an end.

Taken altogether the 4th of November was probably the most successful day for the New Zealand Division during the war.

This list includes those who are buried at Le Quesnoy Communal Cemetery and Romeries Communal Cemetery Extension in addition to others identified as being involved in the conflict.

The 194 records that include a reference to "NZEF CASUALTIES - LE QUESNOY", as noted in the Appendix of Dr Christopher Pugsley’s book: Le Quesnoy 1918: New Zealand’s Last Battle, was compiled by Richard Stowers and Herb Farrant, and added to by Christopher Pugsley. Please forward any additional names and details to the author through Oratia Media. The portion of the list covers period 1–7 November 1918 and those who died after from wounds received in this period.

The Le Quesnoy Campaign research was undertaken by the New Zealand Society of Genealogists as part of the development of New Zealand Liberation Museum - Te Arawhata (Le Quesnoy France). This research project was led by CJ Barbour (NZSG), BI Silvester, HH Farrant (NZMHS) with the support of NZSG volunteers (2022). The individuals included in this research data set were verified as serving in Le Quesnoy.

Sources:

The Official History of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade by W.S. Austin, 1924.

"The Capture of Le Quesnoy", New Zealand War Graves Project.

Armistice Day. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 6 November 2015.

McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers

Pugsley, C. (2018). Le Quesnoy, 1918 : New Zealand's Last Battle. Auckland, New Zealand : Oratia.

Results

Record ID	Family name	First names	Force	Wars	Service #
C163	Allan	William	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	69744
C37499	Angus	Alex James Cyril	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	4/61
C69696	Anderson	Allen Draper	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	23784
C64056	Anderson	Andrew	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	16/1252
C262	Anderson	Ernest	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	71546
C105493	Anderson	Henry Matthew	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	70214
C35524	Anderson	James John	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	52551
C105337	Ansley	Peter Leonard	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	69383
C112116	Anton	Sidney James	Army	World War I, 1914-1918, World War II, 1939-1945	72446, 2/18/42
C105166	Anderson	Thomas	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	69910
C35518	Appleby	Douglas	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	55388
C105650	Appleyard	Horace Bennett	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	50183
C371	Appleyard	John	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	48889
C105317	Armstrong	Edward William	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	57000
C105167	Argent	George Charles	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	67692
C105494	Arkle	George Harold	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	70587
C105495	Artha	John Phillip	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	65927
C452	Arthur	Leslie George	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	70080
C437	Arnott	Robert Henry	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	53995
C37597	Ashby	Albert	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	24/676

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The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.