Harman Patil (Editor)

Canadian Cemetery No. 2

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Established
  
April 1917

Phone
  
+33 3 21 21 77 00

Total commemorated
  
29

Total burials
  
2,965

Canadian Cemetery No. 2

Location
  
near Neuville-Saint-Vaast, Pas-de-Calais, France

Address
  
62580 Neuville-Saint-Vaast, France

Vimy ridge memorial canadian cemetery no 2 a c osborne


Canadian Cemetery No. 2 is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of World War I situated on the grounds of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial Park near the French town of Neuville-Saint-Vaast.

Contents

The cemetery was originally named CD 5 and established as a battlefield cemetery of the Canadian 4th Division for Canadian troops killed in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Battlefield clearances of the surrounding area in 1919 significantly increased the size of the cemetery. The cemetery was again reopened for burials in 1931, receiving its last Canadian burial in 1947. Despite the cemetery's name, the large majority of the dead are British.

The cemetery now contains the graves of 2,965 Commonwealth soldiers, a large portion of which are unidentified. The cemetery covers an area of 10,869 square metres and is enclosed by low walls of coursed stone.

Commemoration

29 Canadian soldiers buried in 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade Cemetery & near Gunner's Crater, both in Givenchy-en-Gohelle, but whose graves are now lost are commemorated by special memorial headstones, inscribed to this effect.

Notable graves

Private Charles Milligan, 10th Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was executed for desertion June 3, 1917. He is now buried in plot 19. A. 14.

References

Canadian Cemetery No. 2 Wikipedia