CWGC Cemetery: ROISEL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION

Visiting Information

Wheelchair access to site possible - maybe by alternative entrance. For further information regarding wheelchair access, please contact our enquiries dept. on 01628 634221.

Local Information

Roisel is a small town 11 kilometres east of Peronne. The Communal Cemetery is on the east side of the road to Villers-Faucon and the Cemetery Extension is immediately to the north of the Communal Cemetery.

Historical Information

Roisel town was occupied by British troops in April, 1917, and evacuated after a strong defence by the 66th (East Lancashire) Division in the evening of the 22nd March, 1918. It was retaken in the following September. Roisel Communal Cemetery Extension was begun by German troops, who buried immediately to the North of the Communal Cemetery. It was developed in October and November, 1918, by the 41st, 48th, 53rd and 58th Casualty Clearing Stations, and it was completed after the Armistice by the concentration of British and German graves from the country North, East and South of Roisel. There are now 877, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 120 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 12 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Australia who are known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of two soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in other cemeteries, whose graves could not be found on concentration. The graves of 88 soldiers of the United States Army buried here in October, 1918, have been removed to another cemetery. There are also 514, German Foreign Nationals commemorated in this site, 190 being unidentified. The cemetery covers an area of 6,010 square metres and is enclosed by a rubble wall on three sides. The following were among the burial grounds from which British graves were removed to the Extension:- BERNES CHURCHYARD, in which 49 soldiers of the 46th (North Midland) Division and the Royal Field Artillery were buried in September, 1918; and the GERMAN EXTENSION, in which one soldier from the United Kingdom was buried in September, 1917. HESBECOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, in which 35 Australian soldiers and 28 from the United Kingdom were buried by the 59th (North Midland) Division in April, 1917, and by Australian units in September and October, 1918. L'ABBAYE GERMAN CEMETERY, VERMAND, between the village of Vermand and the hamlet of Villecholles, which contained the graves of 300 German soldiers and ten from the United Kingdom and one from Canada who fell in April and May, 1917. ROISEL CHURCHYARD, in which one R.F.C officer was buried in August, 1916. VERMAND COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION, in which seven soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried by the enemy in March and April, 1918.