Orchard Dump
Webmatters : Arras Memorial and Flying Services Memorial
Rough Map of Area

Arras 1917-2007

Introduction The Town Centre The Citadel Le Mur des Fusillés The 601e RCR The Abbey of St Vaast
Background History
Dukes of Burgundy Charles Quint Turenne The Battle of Arras 1940
Arrras 1917
The Battle of Arras 1917 The Arras Memorial Wellington Quarry

Location

The Arras Memorial is in the Faubourg-d’Amiens Cemetery, which is in the Boulevard du général de Gaulle in the western part of the town of Arras. The cemetery is near the Citadel, approximately 2 kilometres due west of the railway station.

Follow the signs for the Citadelle.

There is a large parking area opposite.

The Arras Memorial – Main Page
Faubourg d’Amiens Cemetery

Historical Information

The memorial commemorates almost 35 000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7th August 1918 (the eve of the Advance to Victory) and have no known grave.

The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918.

The Cross of Sacrifice

On 8th April 2007 as a mark of respect for those who had died fighting for the town, the Mayor of Arras: Monsieur Jean-Marie Vanlerenberghe, inaugurated a new system of illumination for the memorial, which the town had paid for to mark the 90th Anniversary of the Battle of Arras.

The Battle of Arras 1917

At 2030 hours as the sun was slowly setting on a reasonably warm evening a small crowd of some few hundreds – almost all of whom were French – gathered to listen to a lone piper and witness the new lighting system being switched on.

Visiting the cemetery at dusk

Visiting the cemetery at dusk

A piper played in the arcades

A piper played in the arcades

Monsieur le Maire in the beige coat

Monsieur le Maire, Jean-Marie Vanlerenberghe

As the sun goes down the illuminations came on

As the sun went down the lighting came on

Arras Town

Introduction