GUARDS GRAVE
Villers-Cotterets Forest
Aisne
France
General Directions: Villers-Cotterets is a small town 22 kilometres south-west of Soissons in the direction of Meaux. From Soissons take the N2 (signposted to Paris, Meaux, Senlis), passing after 3.5 kilometres the Military Cemetery of Vaubuin and after a further 6 kilometres a French War Memorial on the right. Ignore the sign which takes you towards the town of Villers-Cotterets, but continue along the N2 as the Cemetery is north of the town. Take the next right hand slip road and then turn right along the D81 towards Vivieres. After a further 3 km you will arrive at the Cemetery which is set down in a hollow next to the road to the right.
To the north and north-east of Villers-Cotterets is the great forest through which the I Corps marched on 1 September 1914 and it was on that day the three Rearguard Actions of Villers-Cotterets were fought. In one of these actions the 4th (Guards) Brigade, covered the rear of the 2nd Division and the Irish Guards, the 2nd Grenadiers and the 3rd Coldstreams fought their way to Villers-Cotterets with some loss. The main action began about the "Rond de la Reine", a clearing on the main road now marked by the Guards' Memorial; the Guards' Grave is just south-west of the memorial on the south-east side of the main road. The Guards' Grave was made originally by the people of Villers-Cotterets and was put nearly into its present form by the Irish Guards in November 1914. The graves of four officers and one man of the Guards were moved here from Villers-Cotterets Communal Cemetery after the Armistice.
Casualty Details: UK 98, Total Burials:98
Latest additions to the site | Belgian Cemetery Index | French Cemetery Index
Other Cemeteries and Memorials around the world | British Cemeteries and Memorials | 1939-1945 Cemetery Index
Cemeteries with Victoria Cross burials | Cemeteries with "Shot at Dawn" burials | Regimental Badge Archive | Roll of Honour
Information on how to submit a photograph or image to the site | Book Reviews | About Us and our task | Links
Contact Us (We always reply) | Site Map | Miscellaneous articles