Sunken Road Cemetery
Location
Boisleux-St. Marc is a village in the department of the Pas-de-Calais, 8 kilometres south of Arras. Sunken Road Cemetery is down a 1 kilometre track on the west side of the road running between this village and the adjacent village of Boisleux-au-Mont (D42E).
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.217337 | 2.789776 | Map |
Historical Information
Boisleux-St. Marc was occupied by Commonwealth troops in March 1917 following the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. The 20th Casualty Clearing Station was established at Boisleux-au-Mont in June and the 43rd in November, but both had left by the end of March 1918.
From April to almost the end of August part of Boisleux-St. Marc was once again in German hands. In September, October and November, six Casualty Clearing Stations were posted at Boisleux-au-Mont for shorts periods
Sunken Road Cemetery was called at one time Boisleux-au-Mont British Cemetery. It was begun by the hospitals in May 1917 and used until July when it began to be shelled. Four burials were made in March 1918 and it was completed the following September and October.
The cemetery contains 416 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, two of them unidentified, and four German war graves.
Private Alexander Fell 23133
1st Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers
Died on 29th September 1918 aged 38
Son of Mrs. Elizabeth Fell
of 64, Cardross St., Dennistoun, Glasgow
Grave: II A 27
Havildar Major Kirpa Singh 566
2nd Div. Ammunition Column
Royal Field Artillery
Indian Army
Died on 12th September 1918
Husband of Punna
of Kaonkh Gujrat, Peshawar
Grave: II A 11
You will note that even though he is not buried here (because Sikhs are cremated) he still has a headstone honouring him.
Serjeant H Trusler MM and Bar PO/17183
1st Royal Marines Light Infantry
Royal Naval Division
Died on 30th September 1918 aged 22
Son of Thomas and Ellen Trusler
of Tadley, Basingstoke. Born at Woking
Grave: III B 11
In the morning
And at the going down of the sun
We will remember him
The first two lines could be considered backwards.
See Mair below.
Private Allan Mair 43144
1st Bn The Cameronians
Scottish Rifles
Died on 28th May 1917 aged 19
Son of Sarah and the late Allan Mair
of 80, Meadowpark St., Dennistoun, Glasgow
Grave: I D 12
He went
With a song to battle
And fell
With his face to the foe
This alludes to the same poem as Trusler’s more frequently quoted lines.
The third and fourth stanzas of Laurence Binyon’s poem, For the fallen
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.