Cerny-en-Laonnois French War Cemetery is at the intersection of the D18CD – (Chemin des Dames) and D967 roads.
Cerny-en-Laonnois French War Cemetery
From this vantage point, the distant spires of the cathedrals of Soissons, Laon, and Reims can be seen on the horizon.
During the First World War, Cerny-en-Laonnois was at the heart of the Battle of the Chemin des Dames, which resulted in the destruction of the village and 18 other settlements along the ridge. The ruins left behind by the battle created a desolate, lunar landscape, which led to the area being classified as a red zone after the war.
The village was rebuilt in 1924, but a few hundred meters from its original location. Today, it serves as a memorial site along the Chemin des Dames, with several commemorative monuments and two military cemeteries, one French and one German.
Cerny-en-Laonnois French War Cemetery – Chemin des Dames
Cerny-en-Laonnois French War Cemetery stands opposite the Chapelle Memorial and the Lanterne des Morts (Lantern of the Dead), which are visible from all points within the cemetery.
Cerny-en-Laonnois French War Cemetery and Memorial Chapel
Created between 1919 and 1925, the cemetery covers 13,515 square metres and contains the remains of those who fell during the offensives on the Vauclerc, Vendresse, and Troyon plateaus. It also houses the remains of the men initially buried in the temporary cemeteries of Beaulne, Paissy, Braye-en-Laonnois, and Moulins.
Cerny-en-Laonnois French War Cemetery provides direct access to the German military cemetery, thus forging a symbol of unity and remembrance.
However, a sad reality remains: of the 5,150 men buried there, 2,386 could not be identified!
Walking through the graves, you will pass endless rows of white cement Christian crosses, as well as several Muslim graves, since the cemetery does not have a separate Muslim section for soldiers of the French Colonial Troops who perished in the region. However, their names are inscribed in Arabic, and they are oriented towards Mecca, in accordance with Islamic tradition.
Muslim and Christian graves
The cemetery also contains the graves of 54 Russian soldiers, reflecting the international dimension of the conflict. On July 8, 1962, General de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer came to pay their respects at the graves of the French and German soldiers resting in the two cemeteries. Their presence symbolised the celebration of peace and reconciliation between our two nations.
Like the neighbouring German cemetery, the French military cemetery at Cerny-en-Laonnois underwent renovation in 1972.
Department of Aisne – Picardie region Coordinates: Lat 49.442627 – Long 3.666462
Saint-Quentin National Necropolis, a WWI French military cemetery where the soldiers who fell during the fights of August 1914 and October 1918 are interred
Connaught Cemetery, a Commonwealth Cemetery open in 1916 at the edge of Thiepval Wood where the British lines were positioned during the Battle of the Somme
Saint-Quentin National Necropolis, a WWI French military cemetery where the soldiers who fell during the fights of August 1914 and October 1918 are interred
Connaught Cemetery, a Commonwealth Cemetery open in 1916 at the edge of Thiepval Wood where the British lines were positioned during the Battle of the Somme
Your story of the Great War is a compilation of the stories some of our readers sent us, the stories of their relatives who died on the battlefields of WWI
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