Foncquevillers
Commune
The church of Foncquevillers
The church of Foncquevillers
Coat of arms of Foncquevillers
Coat of arms
Location of Foncquevillers
Foncquevillers is located in France
Foncquevillers
Foncquevillers
Foncquevillers is located in Hauts-de-France
Foncquevillers
Foncquevillers
Coordinates: 50°08′55″N 2°37′54″E / 50.1486°N 2.6317°E / 50.1486; 2.6317
CountryFrance
RegionHauts-de-France
DepartmentPas-de-Calais
ArrondissementArras
CantonAvesnes-le-Comte
IntercommunalityCC Sud-Artois
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Christophe Lagniez[1]
Area
1
9.3 km2 (3.6 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2021)[2]
399
 • Density43/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
62341 /62111
Elevation138–162 m (453–531 ft)
(avg. 150 m or 490 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Foncquevillers (French pronunciation: [fɔ̃kvile]) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.[3]

Geography

A farming village situated 12 miles (19 km) south of Arras, at the junction of the D3, D6 and the D28 roads.

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 404—    
1975 388−0.58%
1982 389+0.04%
1990 383−0.19%
1999 466+2.20%
2007 473+0.19%
2012 465−0.34%
2017 435−1.32%
Source: INSEE[4]

World War I

Foncquevillers Military Cemetery

Foncquevillers was on the Allied front line during almost all of the period of hostilities between 1914 and 1918 and was almost destroyed as a result. The neighbouring village of Gommecourt to the east, in German hands, was the subject of an assault starting from Foncquevillers on 1 July 1916 which formed the northernmost part of what is known in Britain as the Battle of the Somme.

British troops taking part in that attack came from the 46th (North Midland) Division, and many are buried in the Foncquevillers Military Cemetery. After the war Foncquevillers established a friendship with the English East Midlands cities of Derby and Nottingham which continues today. The Hotel de Ville in Foncquevillers has a plaque dedicated to "Derby, notre marraine" - "to Derby, our Godmother".

Places of interest

  • The church of Notre-Dame, rebuilt after the First World War.
  • The Foncquevillers Military Cemetery, which contains 648 Commonwealth burials of the First World War.[5] There are two graves of Chinese Labour Corps, one of a French civilian, four belong to German prisoners. The remainder are Allied servicemen's graves.[6]
  • At the side of the church is a memorial to five Canadian airmen who died when a Halifax bomber crashed near here in June 1944. Parts of the aircraft have been preserved nearby.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 9 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ↑ INSEE commune file
  4. ↑ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  5. ↑ Foncquevillers Military Cemetery (CWGC)
  6. ↑ Waters, D., "The Chinese Labour Corps in the First World War: Labourers Buried in France", in Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch, Vol. 35, 1995, pp. 199-203
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