CWGC Cemetery: DOUAI COMMUNAL CEMETERY

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Local Information

Douai is a large town about 24 kilometres north-east of Arras and the communal cemetery is on the south-east of the town. From the town centre follow the signs for Derain and Auberchicourt. Traverse the bridge over the main railway line and the civil cemetery is located 45 metres further on to the left. The communal cemetery is located at the very rear of the civil cemetery when viewing from the entrance.

Historical Information

Douai was occupied by French troops and the Royal Naval Air Service on the 22nd September, 1914, and captured by the Germans on the 1st October; it remained in enemy hands until the 17th October, 1918. The 42nd Casualty Clearing Station was posted in the town from the 28th October, 1918, to the 25th November, 1919. Douai Communal Cemetery was used during the occupation years of 1914-18 by the Germans for prisoners of war and British, French, Russian, Rumanian and Italian soldiers, as well as German soldiers were buried in it. During the 1939-45 War Douai was in British hands until the German break through in May, 1940. The 1st Corps Headquarters were at Cuincy, on the western edge of the town, from October, 1939 onwards and Douai was one of the towns from which the Allied advance into Belgium was launched early in May, 1940, only to be followed by the collapse of the French and Belgian units and the consequent withdrawal of the British element towards Dunkirk. There are now over 200, 1914-18 and nearly 50, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly 20 from the 1914-18 War are unidentified.