Sunken Road Cemetery, Contalmaison (Somme)

Details

Contalmaison is a village and commune in the Department of the Somme, six kilometres East North-east of Albert.

The Sunken Road from which these cemeteries (see 2nd Canadian Cemetery, Sunken Road, Contalmaison) is named is part of the Contalmaison-Pozieres road. The cemeteries lie in the fields a little East of this road, and 124 metres apart; the site was formerly wooded, and Sunken Road Cemetery is in the "Bios Défrichés". and the 2nd Canadian Cemetery in the Vallée du Bios Derrieux". They were made in July - October 1916, during the fighting in the Somme offensive.

Sunken Road Cemetery contains the graves of 148 Canadian and 61 Australian soldiers and five men of the Royal Artillery; three Australian and one Canadian are unidentified, and three Australian graves, which cannot be located, are represented by special memorials. It covers an area of 1,210 square metres, without the access road. It is enclosed by a low red brick wall.

The Graves of two German soldiers, buried by the Germans at the end of March, 1918, have been removed.

Number of burials by Unit

Canadian burials
147
  Australian burials
58
Royal Field Artillery
4
  Royal Field Artillery
1
Identified burials
210
     
Unidentified Australian burials:
3
     
Unidentified Canadian burials:
1
     
Total Unidentified burials
4
     
Total burials
214
     

The layout of the Cemetery

Those having awards in this cemetery

C.S.M. James Barr M.M., "C" Coy. 1st Bn. Canadian Inf. (Western Ontario Regt.). Killed in action 9th Sept. 1916 aged 35. 1.D.21

Pte. R. H. Burgess D.C.M., 18th Bn. Canadian Inf. (Western Ontario Regt.). Died 15th Sept. 1916. 2.A.15

Lt. G. W. Crow M.C., 7th Bty. 2nd Brig. Canadian Field Artillery. Died 17th Sept. 1916 aged 23. 2.D.7

Lt. Charles Green M.C., 20th Bn. Canadian Inf. (1st Central Ontario Regt.). Killed in action 1st Oct. 1916 aged 37. 2.A.11

Sgt. L. Jackson D.C.M., 19th Bn. Canadian Inf. (1st Central Ontario Regt.). Died 11th Sept. 1916aged 22. 2.A.27

Lt. L. R. Lavoie M.M., 22nd Bn. Canadian Inf. (Quebec Regt.). Died 15th Sept. 1916. 2.D.5

Pte. Arthur William McGlashan M.M., 17th Bn. Australian Inf. Killed in action 26th Aug. 1916 aged 20. Native of Narrabri. 1.B.9

Maj. Kenneth Churchill Craigie Taylor D.S.O., 29th Bn. Canadian Inf. (British Columbia Regt.). Died 12th Sept. 1916. 2.A.4