Pozieres Cemetery

[Peter Woodger]

Hi

On 26th June 1926 the Anglo-French Mixed Committee meeting in Paris agreed to the French objection to 12 free standing memorials to the Commonwealth Missing. The three under construction would continue and one more would be allowed for the missing on the Somme. All others would be incorporated within IWGC cemeteries.

I cannot trace the date at which Pozieres cemetery was decided as the site of the Post March 1918 memorial but from an artist’s impression being used in “Silent Cities” in 1929 it is obvious that the site had been decided by then but the construction was not complete.

Pozieres cemetery register is number Fr 832 which puts its date as late 1928 or 1929. A poor photo exists of Pozieres cemetery in the Australian Archives. There is a low wall at the front, the cross commemorating the men of the Australian 1st Division can be seen and at the right-hand side of the horizontal axis can be seen the Stone of Remembrance.

This means that at a later date the walls were demolished and the stone was moved to its present site.

Offhand I can think of no other Somme cemetery where the stone and the cross stand together.

Can anyone confirm the original issue date of the cemetery register and does anyone have a copy of the plan in the original cemetery register that shows the position of the Stone?

Peter

[Terry Denham]

Peter

The Register was published in 1929.

The plan therein shows the cross in its present position in the rear centre behind the stone. The architectural design of that part of the cemetery looks very deliberate and it certainly looks like part of the original design layout.

[Peter Woodger]

Terry

Thanks for that, Does the Plan show the Memorial walls?

The phto I was looking at is poor and is even worse when I reduce it to post but I think you can see against the Right wall what I have assumed is the stone.

Peter

[Terry Denham]

Yes. All the memorial panels are there just as today. There is no structure along the right hand wall other than the panels and steps in the far right corner with the back wall.

Maybe the photo was taken during construction and the Stone was in the process of being delivered to the rear wall via the side path. Perhaps it was parked there until its base was completed at the far end. Or possibly, it is not the Stone of Remembrance at all but the panels beginning to rise from the base wall. (I agree it does look like the Stone).

[Peter Woodger]

Terry

Thanks again. When you think of the massive gates at the entrance today then the small one in view on the photo leads me to believe that the cemetery was finnished with a small wall before the memorial was planned. The foundations would need to be much bigger for the memorial wall so the whole lot would have to come down. I had hoped that the register had come out before the memorial panels were designed in but no.

Peter

[auchonvillerssomme]

Peter, there is a publication to go alongside the memorial register, called ( I think) an Introduction to the Pozieres Memorial. Not sure what info it has.

[Terry Denham]

The Introduction was published in 1930 and contains the same plan.

It has no information about the construction - simply details of the actions from which the casualties came. Plus regimental lists etc.

[Terry Denham]

Looking at the plan again now that I have seen Peter's photo, you can see that the rows of headstones in the front right portion of the cemetery are shorter than those further back. There is easily enough room in that area to accommodate a Stone.

I suspect that Peter's theory is correct and the wall was rebuilt later and the Stone moved to be part of the central architectural feature at the rear.

[Terry Denham]

The Pozieres Memorial is described as being 'in the course of erection' in the IWGC 1927-28 Annual Report

[Paul Reed]

I have an 'atlas' published by IWGC which shows what is now the Pozieres memorial located at St Quentin. The atlas is dated mid/late 20s from memory. I will see if I can find it and post an extract.

[Peter Woodger]

Hi

I was led astray by the artist's impression in Silent Cities.

Now when monday morning dawns in Australia will anyone have a view of the 1st Division Memorial Cross taken from about the entrance gate!

Thanks for the inputs.

Peter

[Terry Denham]

Paul

I have the IWGC 'atlas' here and it does show the memorial just north of St Quentin. The IWGC District Maps booklet was published in 1927.

[Paul Reed]

Thanks Terry - you've saved me the hunt for mine!