MORVILLARS FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY
(La Nécropole Nationale de Morvillars)
Territoire de Belfort
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 47.54223, Longitude: 6.93048
Image above © Johan Pauwels
Location Information
Morvillars French National Cemetery is a southward extension of the communal cemetery, on the south side of the town.
Historical Information
La Nécropole Nationale de Morvillars brings together the bodies of soldiers who died for France during the fighting on the Alsatian front and those who died in the two temporary hospitals opened in the the Louis Veillard castle and the 54B evacuation hospital opened in 1917. Constructed in 1924, this cemetery was extended in 1979 in order to receive the bodies exhumed from the B de Morvillars Military cemetery and the Chavannes-les-Grands communal cemetery.
Today, this cemetery holds the bodies of 160 soldiers buried in individual graves. Among them are the remains of Thomas Robertson, a Scottish soldier who died in February 1919, and four soldiers who died during the Second World War.
Within the walls of the national cemetery is a memorial lantern, which serves as the commune's war memorial. In 1921, after having granted - in November 1920 - the principle of a permanent plot for the soldiers of the commune who had died for France, the Morvillars municipal council decided to erect the commune's war memorial within the walls of the military cemetery. This memorial, in the form of an 8 metre lantern, was inaugurated in 1923. Crowned by a Greek cross, this monument therefore carries the names of the 32 natives of Morvillars who died in 1914-1918 and those of the five who died in 1939-1945. Twelve graves of soldiers originating from Morvillars surround this monument, arranged in a semi-circle.
Total Burials: 160.
World War One Casualties: France 159, United Kingdom 1. Total 160.
Burial Details
44283 Private Thomas Robertson, "B" Company, 9th Bn. Royal Scots, died 3rd January 1919, aged 20. Third son of John and Rachel Robertson, of 12, Clapperton Place, Abbeyhill, Edinburgh. His headstone bears the inscription "Until The Day Breaks And Shadows Flee Away"
Morvillars French National Cemetery is a southward extension of the communal cemetery, on the south side of the town.
Historical Information
La Nécropole Nationale de Morvillars brings together the bodies of soldiers who died for France during the fighting on the Alsatian front and those who died in the two temporary hospitals opened in the the Louis Veillard castle and the 54B evacuation hospital opened in 1917. Constructed in 1924, this cemetery was extended in 1979 in order to receive the bodies exhumed from the B de Morvillars Military cemetery and the Chavannes-les-Grands communal cemetery.
Today, this cemetery holds the bodies of 160 soldiers buried in individual graves. Among them are the remains of Thomas Robertson, a Scottish soldier who died in February 1919, and four soldiers who died during the Second World War.
Within the walls of the national cemetery is a memorial lantern, which serves as the commune's war memorial. In 1921, after having granted - in November 1920 - the principle of a permanent plot for the soldiers of the commune who had died for France, the Morvillars municipal council decided to erect the commune's war memorial within the walls of the military cemetery. This memorial, in the form of an 8 metre lantern, was inaugurated in 1923. Crowned by a Greek cross, this monument therefore carries the names of the 32 natives of Morvillars who died in 1914-1918 and those of the five who died in 1939-1945. Twelve graves of soldiers originating from Morvillars surround this monument, arranged in a semi-circle.
Total Burials: 160.
World War One Casualties: France 159, United Kingdom 1. Total 160.
Burial Details
44283 Private Thomas Robertson, "B" Company, 9th Bn. Royal Scots, died 3rd January 1919, aged 20. Third son of John and Rachel Robertson, of 12, Clapperton Place, Abbeyhill, Edinburgh. His headstone bears the inscription "Until The Day Breaks And Shadows Flee Away"
