Location 5 – Czech Memorial and Cemetery, and Polish Memorial

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Directions – Continue south on the D937 towards Arras. As you look towards the left you will see the wooded mass of Vimy Ridge stretching along the skyline. In the 1915 battles the French captured the area you’re crossing at this point. Within a few minutes you’ll reach two memorials either side of the road. Park beside the right hand one. Be careful – the traffic really races along this stretch!

The Czech Memorial with the Cemetery beyond. Photo: Mark Sluman. Click on image for full size (888 KB).

The Polish Memorial. Photo: Mark Sluman. Click on image for full size (815 KB).

Historical Notes – The first reaction of the visitor here is usually to ask why Czech and Polish soldiers were fighting in this area. The answer is that they formed, along with soldiers of many other nationalities, part of the French Foreign Legion, who were tasked with taking Vimy Ridge in the attack of 9th May 1915. The Czech contingent suffered 80% casualties in the operation, some of whom are buried here together with dead from the Second World War. Beyond the Polish Memorial opposite you should be able to just make out the stone pylons of the Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial on top of Hill 145 – the objective of the Foreign Legion assault.