Sailly-Saillisel British Cemetery



Sailly-Saillisel, standing at the North end of a ridge, was the objective of French attacks in September and October, 1916, and was captured on the 18th October. It remained in possession of the Allies until the 24th March, 1918; and on the 1st September, 1918, it was recaptured by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Division. The British Cemetery was made after the Armistice, by the concentration of graves from small graveyards and isolated positions chiefly South and East of the two villages. There are now over 400, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly two-thirds are unidentified and special memorials are erected to commemorate eight soldiers from the United Kingdom known, or believed, to be buried among them. The cemetery covers an area of 2,313 square metres and is enclosed by a red brick wall with a stone coping. The more important Cemeteries concentrated into Sailly-Saillisel British Cemetery were the following:- Charing Cross Cemetery, Sailly-Saillisel, 800 metres to the South-West. It was made by fighting units in December, 1916-March, 1917; and it contained the graves of 46 soldiers from the United Kingdom, of whom 34 belonged to the Foot Guards. Hebule Military Cemetery, Sailly-Saillisel, on the South side of the road to Morval, named from a quarry close by. It was made by fighting units in December, 1916-1917; and it contained the graves of 30 soldiers from the United Kingdom, of whom 28 belonged to the Foot Guards. Aldershot Cemetery, Bouchavesnes, about 800 metres North of Bouchavesnes village. It contained the graves of 34 soldiers from the United Kingdom, belonging mainly to the 58th (London) Division which took Bouchavesnes on the 1st September, 1918; but it had been used also in February and March, 1917. Morval New Cemetery, on the North side of the Morval-Sailly road just before it crossed a side road to Le Transloy and Combles. It contained the graves of 39 soldiers of the 38th (Welsh) Division who fell on the 31st August-4th September, 1918.