Sunken Road Cemetery
Location
Contalmaison is a village in the Department of the Somme, 6 kilometres east-north-east of Albert. The Sunken Road, from which the cemetery is named, is part of the Contalmaison-Pozières road, and the cemetery lies a little east of the road.
Access to the cemetery is via a rough track which can be inaccessible under bad weather conditions.
Even under good conditions I would not suggest that this is a track for any vehicle with a low undercarriage.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.032077 | 2.731771 | Map |
Historical Information
The Sunken Road Cemetery was made in July-October 1916, during the middle fighting in the Somme offensive.
There are now over 200, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, a small number are unidentified and three Australian graves, which cannot be located, are represented by special memorials. The graves of two German soldiers, buried by the enemy at the end of March 1918, have been removed.
The cemetery covers an area of 1,106 square metres, without the access road and is enclosed by a low red brick wall.
Opposite this cemetery you can see the 2nd Canadian Cemetery
Private John Lewis 157109
19th Bn Canadian Infantry
Central Ontario Regiment
Died on 13th September 1916 aged 21
Son of Mesach and Sarah Lewis
of 17, Nairn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario.
Native of Wales.
Grave: II B 21
Private Stanley Read 4913
46th Bn Australian Infantry
Died on 13th August 1916 aged 18
Son of Emily Cook, of Macarthur, Victoria, Australia, and the late Henry Parson.
Native of Allansford, Victoria
He laid down his life
In the deadly strife
To keep Australia free
Grave: I A 1