Courcelette Cemetery War Stone, 1989
Of the nearly 2000 graves in this cemetery 783 are Canadian. They were killed in the 1916 Battles of the Somme that had been renewed in October. The Canadian objective was the Regina Trench held by the Germans. After unsuccessful attempts earlier in October the attack was somewhat successful on October 21st. Regina Trench was eventually captured on November 11th, 1916. In the official historian's words "Regina Trench", the capture of which had cost so much blood, was no longer a position of strength. Repeated bombardments had reduced it to a mere depression in the chalk... almost filled with debris and dead bodies.