Foncquevillers Military Cemetery
- Country France
- Total identified casualties 602 Find these casualties
- Region Pas de Calais
- Identified casualties from First & Second World War
- GPS Coordinates Latitude: 50.14928, Longitude: 2.62608
Location information
Foncquevillers is a village about 18 kilometres south-west of Arras on the D3. The Military Cemetery is on the western outskirts of the village and a CWGC signpost indicating the direction of the site is situated at the junction just beyond the village green on the D3, coming from Arras.
Visiting information
Foncquevillers Military Cemetery is in the Pas de Calais region of France.
ARRIVAL
18 km southwest of Arras in the village of Foncquevillers
PARKING
The route to the cemetery is a narrow, single vehicle width, concrete farm track. It is possible to park in front of the boundary wall of the cemetery.
ACCESS, LAYOUT AND MAIN ENTRANCE
The main entrance of the cemetery is just off the farm track – a circular raised paved area surrounded by gravel leads to two curved steps. A narrow latched wooden gate, approximately 1 metre wide opens into the cemetery.
Paving leads up to the Cross of Sacrifice, with grass on either side of the path into the cemetery. A narrow cutting strip approx. 50 mm wide separates the paving from the grass.
The Stone of Remembrance is to the left of the Cross of Sacrifice, in line with the shelter building along the left side of the cemetery.
A small shelter building is located at the rear left side of the cemetery and contains a small stone bench. It is part of the cemetery storage building.
The Register Box is located just inside the main entrance of the cemetery next to the gate.
ALTERNATIVE ACCESS
In the far left corner of the cemetery (from the Cross of Sacrifice), is a double width gate, approx. 2 metres wide. The gate opens into the cemetery. Access up to the gate is via a gravel path that leads to a ramp, with the track passing the Stone of Remembrance and shelter building.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The cemetery is permanently open.
The cemetery is in farmland and the single lane, narrow track leading to the cemetery. The track is not suitable for coaches or wide vehicles.
History information
In 1915 and 1916 the Allied front line ran between Foncquevillers and Gommecourt. The cemetery was begun by French troops, and taken over by Commonweatlh forces. It remained in use by units and field ambulances until March 1917, the burials in July 1916 (particularly in Plot I, Row L) being especially numerous. The cemetery was used again from March to August 1918, when the German offensive brought the front line back to nearly the old position. Seventy-four graves were brought in after the Armistice from the battlefields of 1916 and 1918 to the east of the village and the 325 French military graves were removed to La Targette French National Cemetery, near Arras. The village of Foncquevillers was "adopted" by the town of Derby.
The cemetery contains 648 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. 53 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to two casualties known to be buried among them. There are five airmen of the Second World War buried in the cemetery, and four Germans. There is also 1 French Non World War burial.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.