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 #
C638	Baldwin	Roland Leonard Walter	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	68657
C105499	Ball	Claude John	Army	World War I, 1914-1918, World War II, 1939-1945	69745, 466136
C35533	Banks	Arthur	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	68638
C679	Banks	Henry Dunbar	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	33098
C105500	Barber	John Harrison	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	69674
C695	Barber	William John	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	68588
C35709	Barker	George Walter	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	69896
C719	Barlow	Alfred	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	12/2207
C105339	Barlow	Herbert Edwin	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	69458
C38011	Barrell	Frank Horace	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	2/21
C772	Barriball	Archie Edgar Claude	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	51299
C35710	Barron	Charles	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	70012
C105169	Barron	Harold Edward	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	70755, 15018, 426801
C36009	Barrowclough	Harold Eric	Army	World War I, 1914-1918, World War II, 1939-1945	24/16, 31490
C81516	Bartle	John Ralph	Army	World War I, 1914-1918, World War II, 1939-1945	30742, 812829, 1/20/299
C104698	Bartlett	Frank William	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	65863
C105095	Baskett	Gilbert William	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	69164
C105501	Bassett	Ernest	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	70081
C104530	Batchelar	William James	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	65930
C105481	Bate	Laurence Frank	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	55578

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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.