Foncquevillers Military Cemetery is a

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...

burial ground for military personnel who died on the Western Front during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. It is located in the

Pas de Calais The Strait of Dover or Dover Strait (french: Pas de Calais - ''Strait of Calais''), is the strait at the narrowest part of the English Channel, marking the boundary between the Channel and the North Sea, separating Great Britain from continent ...

region of France. Originally established in 1915 by the French military for its soldiers, it was later used for British personnel. Designed by

Sir Reginald Blomfield Sir Reginald Theodore Blomfield (20 December 1856 – 27 December 1942) was a prolific British architect, garden designer and author of the Victorian and Edwardian period. Early life and career Blomfield was born at Bow rectory in Devon, w ...

and administered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, there are 648 soldiers of the First World War interred in the cemetery with 53 of them unidentified. Another four graves are for German soldiers of the First World War, while five Canadian airmen who died in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and a French civilian are also buried in the cemetery.

History

Foncquevillers Foncquevillers () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography A farming village situated south of Arras, at the junction of the D3, D6 and the D28 roads. Population World War I Foncquevil ...

is a village on the D6, northwest of Gommecourt, held by the Germans for much of the First World War and the scene of intensive fighting on the opening day of the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

, and

Bapaume Bapaume (original Dutch name Batpalmen) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. The inhabitants of this commune are known as ''Bapalmois'' or ''Bapalmoises''. Geography Bapaume is a far ...

. In 1915, the frontlines were between Allied-controlled Foncquevillers and Gommecourt.

Foundation

The cemetery was initially started by French soldiers in early 1915 on the western outskirts of Foncquevillers. The British took responsibility for the area in the summer of 1915 and it was used by the units and field ambulances stationed in the area until March 1917. During the German spring offensive of March–April 1918, it was brought back into use due to the fighting that occurred in the area. After the war, the graves of 325 French soldiers interred in the cemetery were moved to the La Targette National Cemetery, near Arras. At the same time, 74 graves of British personnel killed in the area to the east of Foncquevillers in the fighting of 1916 and 1918 were consolidated to the cemetery.

Cemetery

and administered by the

, the Foncquevillers Military Cemetery is located on the Rue Bacon, a road running to the northeast of village of Foncquevillers. The main entrance is along the north wall of the cemetery and immediately inwards of this, a

Cross of Sacrifice The Cross of Sacrifice is a Commonwealth war memorial designed in 1918 by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission). It is present in Commonwealth war cemeteries containing 40 or ...

is located. A

Stone of Remembrance The Stone of Remembrance is a standardised design for war memorials that was designed in 1917 by the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens for the Imperial War Graves Commission (IWGC). It was designed to commemorate the dead of World War I, to b ...

is positioned in the northeast corner of the cemetery. Along the north wall, is a memorial to two soldiers whose graves are believed to be among those unidentified. The cemetery contains the remains of 657 military personnel and one French civilian who died in the postwar period. Some 648 interments are Allied personnel of the First World War, of which 595 are identified. Of these 577 are British, 12 are soldiers of the

New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

while there are six personnel of the Australian Imperial Force. There are also four German soldiers buried in the cemetery although two of these are among the 53 unidentified burials. There are also five Canadian airmen who died in June 1944, during the Second World War, buried in the cemetery. A notable burial at Foncquevillers is Captain John Leslie Green, a Victoria Cross recipient who was killed in action on 1 July 1916.

Notes

References

* * {{refend Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in France World War I cemeteries in France World War I in the Pas-de-Calais Cemeteries in Pas-de-Calais Reginald Blomfield buildings World War II cemeteries in France