Somme American Cemetery and Memorial
Encyclopedia
Somme American Cemetery and Memorial in France is sited in the commune
of Bony
, on a gentle slope typical of the open, rolling Picardy
countryside, in northern France
. The 14.3 acres (57,870.1 m²) cemetery contains the graves of 1,844 of the United States' military dead from World War I
. Most lost their lives while serving in American units attached to the British Army
, or in operations near Cantigny
. The headstones, set in regular rows, are separated into four plots by paths that intersect at the flagpole near the top of the slope. The longer axis leads to the chapel at the eastern end of the cemetery.
A massive bronze door surmounted by an American eagle leads into the chapel, whose outer walls contain sculptured pieces of military equipment. Once inside, light from a cross-shaped crystal window above the marble altar bathes the subdued interior with light. The walls bear the names of 333 of the missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except December 25 and January 1. It is open on host country holidays. When the cemetery is open to the public, a staff member is on duty in the Visitor Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
(Aisne
), France, which is 1¼ miles west of highway N-44, 13 miles (20.9 km) north of Saint-Quentin
and 14 miles (22.5 km) southwest of Cambrai. The road leading to Bony leaves highway N-44 10 miles north of Saint-Quentin, a short distance north of the American monument near Bellicourt
. The cemetery, 98 miles (157.7 km) northeast of Paris, can also be reached by automobile via the Paris-Lille toll autoroute (A-1)
to exit 13, "Vallée de la Somme," then to Vermand
and Bellenglise
, or Lille-Reims toll autoroute (A-26)
exit 9, via highway N-44 south for 7½ miles to Bony. Hotels are available at Péronne
, Saint-Quentin, and Cambrai
, which may be reached by train from Paris (Gare du Nord
).
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...
of Bony
Bony, Aisne
Bony is a commune in the department of Aisne in Picardy in northern France.-References:*...
, on a gentle slope typical of the open, rolling Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
countryside, in northern 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...
. The 14.3 acres (57,870.1 m²) cemetery contains the graves of 1,844 of the United States' military dead from 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...
. Most lost their lives while serving in American units attached to the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, or in operations near Cantigny
Cantigny
Cantigny is a park in Wheaton, Illinois, 30 miles west of Chicago. It is the former estate of Joseph Medill, and his grandson Colonel Robert R. McCormick, publishers of the Chicago Tribune, and is open to the public...
. The headstones, set in regular rows, are separated into four plots by paths that intersect at the flagpole near the top of the slope. The longer axis leads to the chapel at the eastern end of the cemetery.
A massive bronze door surmounted by an American eagle leads into the chapel, whose outer walls contain sculptured pieces of military equipment. Once inside, light from a cross-shaped crystal window above the marble altar bathes the subdued interior with light. The walls bear the names of 333 of the missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except December 25 and January 1. It is open on host country holidays. When the cemetery is open to the public, a staff member is on duty in the Visitor Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
How to get there
Somme American Cemetery is situated ½ mile southwest of the village of BonyBony, Aisne
Bony is a commune in the department of Aisne in Picardy in northern France.-References:*...
(Aisne
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
), France, which is 1¼ miles west of highway N-44, 13 miles (20.9 km) north of Saint-Quentin
Saint-Quentin, Aisne
Saint-Quentin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It has been identified as the Augusta Veromanduorum of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, who is said to have been martyred here in the 3rd century....
and 14 miles (22.5 km) southwest of Cambrai. The road leading to Bony leaves highway N-44 10 miles north of Saint-Quentin, a short distance north of the American monument near Bellicourt
Bellicourt
Bellicourt is a commune in the department of Aisne in Picardy in northern France.It lies on the N44 road between Cambrai and Saint-Quentin and over the principal tunnel of the St. Quentin Canal....
. The cemetery, 98 miles (157.7 km) northeast of Paris, can also be reached by automobile via the Paris-Lille toll autoroute (A-1)
A1 autoroute (France)
The A1 Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Nord , is the busiest of France's autoroutes. With a length of , it connects Paris with the northern city of Lille. It is managed by the Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France...
to exit 13, "Vallée de la Somme," then to Vermand
Vermand
Vermand is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...
and Bellenglise
Bellenglise
Bellenglise is a commune in the department of Aisne in Picardy in northern France.-Geography:The village lies close to the N44, in a loop of the St Quentin Canal, nine kilometres north of St. Quentin.-History:...
, or Lille-Reims toll autoroute (A-26)
A26 autoroute
The A26 is a long French motorway connecting Calais and Troyes. It is also known as the Autoroute des Anglais as it is the main route from the Dover-Calais ferries and the Channel Tunnel to most parts of France and often contains large numbers of British cars, particularly during the summer...
exit 9, via highway N-44 south for 7½ miles to Bony. Hotels are available at Péronne
Péronne, Somme
Péronne is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is close to where the Battles of the Somme took place during World War I...
, Saint-Quentin, and Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
, which may be reached by train from Paris (Gare du Nord
Gare du Nord
Paris Nord is one of the six large terminus railway stations of the SNCF mainline network for Paris, France. It offers connections with several urban transportation lines, including Paris Métro and RER...
).