Rancourt Military Cemetery

• Country France
• Total identified casualties 76 Find these casualties
• Region Somme
• Identified casualties from First & Second World War
• GPS Coordinates Latitude: 49.99815, Longitude: 2.90985

Location information

Rancourt is a small village on the main N17 road between Bapaume and Peronne. The Military Cemetery is on the outskirts of the south side of the village. It lies in the fields to the right of the main road facing a large French military cemetery.

Visiting information

The cemetery is signposted, it is opposite Rancourt French Military cemetery and close to the Rancourt German Military Cemetery, on the D1017

ARRIVAL

The cemetery is in agricultural land, enclosed by a brick wall.

A gravel track runs from the parking at the side of the main road towards the cemetery for approximately 25 metres. From the end of the gravel path, a grass pathway leads to the main entrance, a further 10 metres. There are large stones along the edges of the grass pathway, up to 100 mm above ground.

PARKING

There is a paved layby area for buses at the side of the road closest to an access path, approximately 50 metres from the main entrance.

There is space for a single vehicle at the end the of layby. The ground is flat and firm with a tarmac surface.

It is also possible to park on a grass verge alongside the main road, opposite Rancourt French Military Cemetery.

ACCESS LAYOUT AND MAIN ENTRANCE

There is a semi-circular paved area in front of the main entrance. The paving is level with the grass in front of the cemetery. The main gate is 110 centimetres wide, a mid-level, thigh height black, metal gate with an up and down latch on the top left corner. The gate opens inwards into the cemetery.

Paving carries on under the gate and inside the cemetery. The paving is level with the grass outside and inside the cemetery.

The Cross of Sacrifice is at in the centre of the cemetery, in line with the entrance.

The Register Box is built into the wall to the right of the entrance, viewed from inside the cemetery.

Internal paths are grass, the ground is flat and firm.

ALTERNATIVE ACCESS

There are no alternative entrances into the cemetery.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The cemetery is permanently open.

History information

Rancourt was captured by the French on 24 September 1916, and remained in Allied hands until 24 March 1918 and the German advance. It was recaptured by the 47th (London) Division on 1 September 1918.

The cemetery was begun by units of the Guards Division in the winter of 1916-17, and used again by the burial officers of the 12th and 18th Divisions in September 1918. After the Armistice, six graves from the surrounding battlefields were brought into Row E.

Rancourt Military Cemetery contains 93 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 20 of the burials are unidentified but there is a special memorial to one casualty known to be buried among them. There are also three Second World War burials in the cemetery.

The cemetery was designed by N A Rew.