Forgotten Front

For one of the great untold stories

of the First World War, follow the

Forgotten Front Remembrance Trail

in Pas de Calais. This often

overlooked sector of the former

Western Front lies north of the

Somme Battlefields and south of the

Ypres Salient and was the scene of

some of the heaviest fighting of the

early years of the War.

The trail tells the stories of men like

Albert Whippy, one of eight children

born to Arthur and Alice Whippy in

the East End of London.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission isresponsible for the commemoration of almost1,700,000 members of the Commonwealth forceswho gave their lives in the two world wars. Thegraves and memorials of these men and women,who came from all parts of the Commonwealthand who were of many faiths and of none, arefound around the globe in 153 countries.

Enquiries on location of individual burials orcommemorations may be directed to the officesbelow or to the Commissions web site atwww.cwgc.org

CWGC France AreaTel: +33 (0) 3 21 21 77 00Email: faoffice@cwgc.org

CWGC Head OfficeTel: +44 (0) 1628 507200 Email: enquiries@cwgc.org

The Forgotten Front R

emembrance Trail, Pas de C

alais

www.cwgc.org

In January 1915 Albert

joined a draft of

reinforcements to the

Northamptonshire

Regiment who were

holding the line near

Neuve Chapelle. On

9 May, his battalion

attacked just south of

Rue du Bois and was

cut to pieces by enemy

fire. Over 540 officers

and men were killed,

wounded or taken prisoner. Albert s body was

never found and he is now commemorated on

the Le Touret Memorial.

Private Whippyis just one of manythousands

of Commonwealth servicemen buried or

commemorated in this region in some of the

most striking cemeteries and memorials

maintained by the Commonwealth War

Graves Commission.

Along the trail, personal stories of some of the

men who fought and died here can be accessed

using your mobile phone to create a moving

picture of life and death on the Western Front.

The trail is yours to explore as youchoose, but we recommend starting atGorre British and Indian Cemetery andfinishing at Fromelles (Pheasant Wood)Military Cemetery. Take a look at themap inside for the clearest route.

Total distance: Approximately 30kilometres.

Estimated completion time: 4 hours.

Discover more: Why not download afree QR code reader to your phonebefore tackling the trail? This will allowyou to scan the QR code on theinformation panel in each cemetery giving you access to further informationabout the cemetery and thosecommemorated there.

*Please be aware that although scanning theQR code costs nothing, you may incur dataroaming charges from your mobile phoneoperator, depending on your contract.

THEIRNAMELIVETHFOREVERMORE

Front Cover: Officers of the 1/5th King's LiverpoolRegiment in the line at Givenchy, March 1918

Battl e of Estai res 1918: A party of the 55th Di vi si on goi ng i nto acti on near Bthune

How to use the trail

The Forgotten Front

Remembrance Trai l , Pas de Cal ai s

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F o r o n e o f t h e g r e a t u n t o l d s t o r i e s

o f t h e F i r s t W o r l d W a r , f o l l o w t h e

F o r g o t t e n F r o n t R e m e m b r a n c e T r a i l

i n P a s d e C a l a i s . T h i s o f t e n

o v e r l o o k e d s e c t o r o f t h e f o r m e r

W e s t e r n F r o n t l i e s n o r t h o f t h e

S o m m e B a t t l e f i e l d s a n d s o u t h o f t h e

Y p r e s S a l i e n t a n d w a s t h e s c e n e o f

s o m e o f t h e h e a v i e s t f i g h t i n g o f t h e

e a r l y y e a r s o f t h e W a r .

T h e t r a i l t e l l s t h e s t o r i e s o f m e n l i k e

A l b e r t W h i p p y , o n e o f e i g h t c h i l d r e n

b o r n t o A r t h u r a n d A l i c e W h i p p y i n

t h e E a s t E n d o f L o n d o n .

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission isresponsible for the commemoration of almost1,700,000 members of the Commonwealth forceswho gave their lives in the two world wars. Thegraves and memorials of these men and women,who came from all parts of the Commonwealthand who were of many faiths and of none, arefound around the globe in 153 countries.

Enquiries on location of individual burials orcommemorations may be directed to the officesbelow or to the Commissions web site atwww.cwgc.org

CWGC France AreaTel: +33 (0) 3 21 21 77 00Email: faoffice@cwgc.org

CWGC Head OfficeTel: +44 (0) 1628 507200Email: casualty.enq@cwgc.org

The Forgotten Front Remembrance Trail, Pas de Calais

www.cwgc.org

I n J a n u a r y 1 9 1 5 A l b e r t

j o i n e d a d r a f t o f

r e i n f o r c e m e n t s t o t h e

N o r t h a m p t o n s h i r e

R e g i m e n t w h o w e r e

h o l d i n g t h e l i n e n e a r

N e u v e C h a p e l l e . O n

9 M a y , h i s b a t t a l i o n

a t t a c k e d j u s t s o u t h o f

R u e d u B o i s a n d w a s

c u t t o p i e c e s b y e n e m y

f i r e . O v e r 5 4 0 o f f i c e r s

a n d m e n w e r e k i l l e d ,

w o u n d e d o r t a k e n p r i s o n e r . A l b e r t s b o d y w a s

n e v e r f o u n d a n d h e i s n o w c o m m e m o r a t e d o n

t h e L e T o u r e t M e m o r i a l .

P r i v a t e W h i p p y i s j u s t o n e o f m a n y t h o u s a n d s

o f C o m m o n w e a l t h s e r v i c e m e n b u r i e d o r

c o m m e m o r a t e d i n t h i s r e g i o n i n s o m e o f t h e

m o s t s t r i k i n g c e m e t e r i e s a n d m e m o r i a l s

m a i n t a i n e d b y t h e C o m m o n w e a l t h W a r

G r a v e s C o m m i s s i o n .

A l o n g t h e t r a i l , p e r s o n a l s t o r i e s o f s o m e o f t h e

m e n w h o f o u g h t a n d d i e d h e r e c a n b e a c c e s s e d

u s i n g y o u r m o b i l e p h o n e t o c r e a t e a m o v i n g

p i c t u r e o f l i f e a n d d e a t h o n t h e W e s t e r n F r o n t .

The trail is yours to explore as youchoose, but we recommend starting atGorre British and Indian Cemetery andfinishing at Fromelles (Pheasant Wood)Military Cemetery. Take a look at themap inside for the clearest route.

Total distance: Approximately 30kilometres.

Estimated completion time: 4 hours.

Discover more: Why not download afree QR code reader to your phonebefore tackling the trail? This will allowyou to scan the QR code on theinformation panel in each cemetery giving you access to further informationabout the cemetery and thosecommemorated there.

*Please be aware that although scanning theQR code costs nothing, you may incur dataroaming charges from your mobile phoneoperator, depending on your contract.

T H E I R N A M E L I V E T H F O R E V E R M O R E

Front Cover: Officers of the 1/5th King's LiverpoolRegiment in the line at Givenchy, March 1918

B a t t l e o f E s t a i r e s 1 9 1 8 : A p a r t y o f t h e 5 5 t h D i v i s i o n g o i n g i n t o a c t i o n n e a r B t h u n e

How to use the trail

T h e F o r g o t t e n F r o n t

R e m e m b r a n c e T r a i l , P a s d e C a l a i s

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Gorre British and Indian CemeteryIn the Spring of 1918 the men of the WestLancashire Division held the line here during thelast major German offensive of the war.

Post Office Rifles Cemetery, FestubertNamed after a volunteer unit largely composed ofPost Office employees. In two weeks of fighting in1915, this close-knit unit suffered some 600casualties out of an original strength of 900.

Le Touret Memorial and Military CemeteryMore than 14,000 men are buried orcommemorated here most of whom died duringthe first 12 months of the war.

St. Vaast Post Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L'avoueClose to this cemetery, in June of 1916, men ofthe South Downs Pals attacked the Boars HeadSalient and in just over five hours of fighting,suffered 1,000 casualties.

Neuve-Chapelle MemorialCommemorating almost 5,000 Indian soldiers wholost their lives on the Western Front during theFirst World War this memorial marks the vitalcontribution and sacrifice of Indian servicemen.

Laventie Military Cemetery, La GorgueThe men of the 61st (2nd South Midland) Divisionbegan burying their fallen comrades here at theend of June 1916.

Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, FleurbaixOriginally the site of 12 Battalion burialgrounds this large cemetery contains thegraves of men from almost every nationthat served with the Commonwealthforces during the First World War, manyof whom died of wounds in a nearbydressing station.

Le Trou Aid Post Cemetery, FleurbaixOne of the most aesthetically strikingcemeteries on the Western Front, Le Troucontains more than 350 burials of menkilled in fighting from 1914 to 1916.

V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery andMemorial, FromellesThe only uniquely Australian cemetery onthe Western Front. It contains the gravesof 410 Australian soldiers who werekilled during the Battle of Fromelles and amemorial to a further 1,200 whosegraves are not known.

Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) MilitaryCemeteryThe first CWGC cemetery to be built inmore than 50 years, it is the final restingplace of 250 soldiers whose remains