RANDLE, Absalom

Visit to Heilly Station Cemetery 12th July 2014

By Michele Giles

On Saturday 12th July 2014, I went to pay my respects at the grave of my great uncle Absalom Randle. I had read that he may be in a grave with 2 other soldiers and indeed he was.  In those first few days of the Battle of the Somme, there were so many casualties that many had to be buried 3 to a grave. On these headstones, the cap badges were omitted but were instead engraved on the cloister wall. The cemetery at Heilly Station, Mericourt-L'Abbe was so peaceful and beautifully maintained it was a comfort to know that this was his final resting place away from the horrors of the battlefield. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is doing a splendid job in looking after these cemeteries - so glad I made the trip.