Barastre
Encyclopedia
Barastre is a commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...

 in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

Geography

A farming village located 19 miles (30 km) southeast of Arras on the D20 road. The entire commune was destroyed during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

.

History

During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the village was occupied by British troops in March 1917, before being lost a year later to the Germans. The village was retaken on September 5 following an advance by the 42nd British division (East Lancashire). Nearly 10 British soldiers are buried in this cemetery (one of whom was buried by the Germans in 1916). In the cemetery extension are the graves of 284 German soldiers, 46 French, 39 British, four New Zealanders and one Australian.
The commune was awarded the Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...

in 1920.

Population

Places of interest

  • The ruins of an early castle.
  • The church of St. Martin, dating from the twentieth century.
  • The war memorial.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK