SAILLY-SUR-LA-LYS CANADIAN CEMETERY
Sailly-sur-la-Lys
Pas de Calais
France
General Directions: The village of Sailly-sur-la-Lys lies approximately 7 kilometres west of Armentieres. From Armentieres follow the road to Estaires, traversing the small town of Ergingham Lys and then joining the D945 to Estaires. Follow the D945 for approximately 5 kilometres until reaching the village of Sailly-sur-la-Lys. Continue through the village on the same road and the Cemetery lies 2 kilometres on the other side of the village, directly on the left hand side of the road opposite the Anzac Cemetery.
Sailly Church was burnt during the open fighting of October 1914, when
French cavalry and British and German infantry fought on the Lys, but from
the winter of 1914-1915 to the spring of 1918 the village was comparatively
untouched. It was captured by the Germans on 9 April 1918, and it remained
in their hands until the beginning of September.
The cemetery was begun by Canadian units in March 1915, and used as a
front-line cemetery until July 1916; it contains 313 Commonwealth burials of
the First World War and one German grave.
The cemetery was designed by
Sir Herbert Baker
Shot at Dawn: S/9405 Rifleman W. Smith, 2nd Bn. Rifle Brigade, executed for desertion 03/10/1915. Plot 1. E. 87
Shot at Dawn: S/9560 Rifleman G. A. Irish, 2nd Bn. Rifle Brigade, executed for desertion 03/10/1915. Plot 1. E. 86.
The mass pardon of 306 British Empire soldiers executed for certain offences during the Great War was enacted in section 359 of the Armed Forces Act 2006, which came into effect on royal assent on 8 November 2006.
Casualty Details: UK 285, Canada 9, Australia 19, Germany 1, Total Burials: 314
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