World War Two Cemeteries - A photographic guide to the cemeteries and memorials of WW2
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PONTAVERT COMMUNAL CEMETERY

Aisne

France

GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 49.40806, Longitude: 3.82509

Location Information

Pontavert is a village and commune 17.5 miles (28 kilometres) south-east of Laon, on the northern side of the river Aisne. It is about 3 miles (5 kilometres) west of the Laon-Reims road (N.44) and is approximately 15 miles from Reims. Both these towns are on the Paris-Luxembourg railway line, and are the most convenient stations for Pontavert. Although there are bus services from both to the village the services are extremely poor, and it is best to go by taxi. The communal cemetery is on the eastern side of the village on the N.325 road, which leads to the Laon-Reims road. Some ten yards south-west of the Calvary in the centre of the cemetery is the grave of an airman of the Royal Canadian Air Force.


Flight Details provided by Barry Cuttell

Base: R.A.F. Wyton, Cambridgeshire
Unit: 83 Sqdn. Bomber Command
Aircraft: Lancaster Mk I, serial R5484
Target: Pizen

Incident: The aircraft crashed at Pontavert. The following survived the crash and were take prisoner:
Flt. Lieut. H. H. F. Beaupre (R.C.A.F. 
Warrant Officer C. W. Hobbs (R.C.A.F.)
Flt. Lieut. T. W. Lewis (R.C.A.F.)
Warrant Officer G. C. Mott (R.A.F.)
Flt. Sgt. H. R. Willis (R.A.F.




Images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels

Pontavert Communal Cemetery
Pontavert Communal Cemetery
Pontavert Communal Cemetery
Pontavert Communal Cemetery
Pontavert Communal Cemetery
Picture
J/17109 Flying Officer
Glen Alexander McNichol 
Pilot in 83 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
7th April 1943, aged 21. 

Son of Mark A. McNichol and Mae McNichol, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

His headstone bears the inscription "Greater Love Hath no Man Than This. That Le Lay Down His Life For Another"


NEARBY CWGC CEMETERIES & MEMORIALS
​

BEAUREPAIRE FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY
LA VILLE-AUX-BOIS BRITISH CEMETERY
CRAONNELLE FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY

World War One Cemeteries
​

Please ask permission if you wish to use any of our images by using the contact tab above
​
Picture
 Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Picture
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Picture
Australian War Memorial
Picture
New Zealand Online Cenotaph


​​© COPYRIGHT TERENCE HEARD AND BRENT WHITTAM
​
​ 2005-2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
.​

Disclaimer


The casualty numbers for each cemetery are taken from the C. W. G. C. site. We are aware that there can be discrepancies in the numbers quoted.
(The G. P. S. Coordinates are also taken from the C. W. G. C. site)


  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Australia
  • Belgium
    • HAINAUT
    • OOST-VLAANDEREN
    • VLAAMS-BRABANT
    • WEST-VLAANDEREN
    • OTHER BELGIAN DEPARTMENTS
    • BELGIAN NON COMMONWEALTH CEMETERIES
  • France
    • CEMETERIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
    • AISNE
    • ARDENNES
    • CALVADOS
    • EURE AND EURE-ET-LOIR
    • FINISTÈRE
    • MARNE
    • NORD
    • OISE
    • PAS DE CALAIS
    • SEINE-MARITIME
    • SOMME
    • OTHER FRENCH DEPARTMENTS, A - L
    • OTHER FRENCH DEPARTMENTS, M - Z
    • FRENCH NON COMMONWEALTH CEMETERIES
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • United Kingdom
  • Other Countries
  • Miscellaneous
  • Victoria Cross