Y Ravine 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 the dead of

World War I 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 ...

situated on the grounds of Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park near the French town of

Beaumont-Hamel Beaumont-Hamel () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. During the First World War, Beaumont-Hamel was close to the front line, near many attacks, especially during the Battle of the Somme, one of the larg ...

History and layout

"Y" Ravine runs east–west about 800 metres south of Beaumont-Hamel, from "Station Road" to the front line of July 1916. It was a deep ravine with steep sides, lined with dug-outs, and extending two short arms at the west end. The village of Beaumont-Hamel was attacked and reached on 1 July 1916, by units of the 29th Division which included the

Royal Newfoundland Regiment The Royal Newfoundland Regiment (R NFLD R) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of the 5th Canadian Division's 37 Canadian Brigade Group. Predecessor units trace their origins to 1795, and since 1949 Royal N ...

, but it could not be held. It was attacked again and captured, with the ravine, by the 51st (Highland) Division on 13 November 1916. The Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Memorial site, and the 29th and 51st Divisional Memorials within it, commemorate these engagements, and "Y" Ravine Cemetery is within the park. The cemetery was made by the British V Corps in the spring of 1917, when these battlefields were cleared. It was called originally "Y" Ravine Cemetery No. 1. No. 2 cemetery was concentrated after the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...

into Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel. There are now over 400 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over a third are unidentified. The cemetery covers an area of 1,166 square metres and is enclosed by a rubble wall.

Commemoration

A special memorial are erected to 53 soldiers from the United Kingdom and eight from Newfoundland who are known or believed to be buried in the cemetery grounds.

External links

* {{cwgc cemetery, 2076500
Y Ravine Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel
at

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Canadian military memorials and cemeteries Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in France 1917 establishments in France World War I cemeteries in France Battle of the Somme Newfoundland in World War I Cemeteries in Somme (department)