Mailly Wood Explained

Mailly Wood Military Cemetery
Body:Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Use Dates:1915-1918
Established:1916
Designer:Sir Reginald Blomfield
Coordinates:50.0748°N 2.5992°W
By Country:Allied Powers
By War:World War I

Mailly Wood Cemetery (French: cimetière de Mailly Wood) is a military cemetery with casualties from the First World War, located in the French village of Mailly-Maillet (Somme). It is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Design

It was designed by the British architect Reginald Blomfield.[1] The site covers an area of 2,099 m² and is surrounded by a brick wall covered by white capstones. There is a Cross of Sacrifice (a feature designed by Blomfield for cemeteries containing 40 or more graves). It stands centrally against the northwest wall. The Stone of Remembrance (designed by Lutyens) stands against the northeast wall.

Memorials

Most of the burials are of British soldiers. There are also New Zealanders and South Africans.[2] 60 of the burials are unidentified.

There is a Duhallow Block, a special memorial for those whose graves have been lost. It commemorates 6 soldiers whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

Distinguished soldiers

Access

The cemetery is located in the fields 450 m southwest of the village church.It is reached by a track which can be difficult to pass in winter.

Related site

About 1,250 m north of Mailly Wood is a smaller military cemetery known as Mailly-Maillet Communal Cemetery Extension. This is adjacent to the village cemetery.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mailly Wood Cemetery . 29 December 2022 . Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
  2. Web site: Mailly Wood Cemetery . New Zealand History.
  3. Web site: Harold John Colley . 30 December 2022 . Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
  4. Web site: Mailly-Maillet Communal Cemetery Extension . 29 December 2022. Commonwealth War Graves Commission.