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McCrae's Battalion Great War Memorial is a 
The battalion was notable for its high number of professional sportsmen and fans drawn from the football clubs
McCrae's Battalion Trust
{{World War I War Memorials in France 2004 establishments in France Buildings and structures completed in 2004 Heart of Midlothian F.C. World War I memorials in France McCrae's Battalion Cairns (stone mounds) Monuments and memorials in Somme (department)
McCrae's Battalion Great War Memorial is a World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
memorial cairn
A cairn is a human-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the (plural ).
Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehistory, t ...
located in the village of Contalmaison, France. Designed by the historian, Jack Alexander, it was unveiled in 2004 after being first proposed by survivors of the battalion in 1919. As such, it is the last of the 'original' Great War memorials to be built. It commemorates the dead of the 16th Royal Scots volunteer battalion formed by Sir George McCrae, known as 'The Sporting Battalion', who participated in the First Battle of the Somme, July 1916.
The battalion was notable for its high number of professional sportsmen and fans drawn from the football clubs Heart of Midlothian FC
Heart of Midlothian Football Club, commonly known as Hearts, is a professional football club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The team competes in the , the top division of Scottish football. Hearts, the oldest football club in the Scottish capital, wa ...
, Hibernian FC
Hibernian Football Club (), commonly known as Hibs, is a professional football club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The team competes in the , the top division of Scottish football. The club was founded in 1875 by members of Edinburgh's Irish commun ...
, Raith Rovers FC, Falkirk FC and Dunfermline FC and a variety of other sporting clubs. Visiting the Contalmaison Cairn has become something of a pilgrimage - particularly for football supporters and school groups.
References
External links
McCrae's Battalion Trust
{{World War I War Memorials in France 2004 establishments in France Buildings and structures completed in 2004 Heart of Midlothian F.C. World War I memorials in France McCrae's Battalion Cairns (stone mounds) Monuments and memorials in Somme (department)