Tuesday, 7 February 2017

An Irishman's Diary - Chinese Cemetery, Noyelles-sur-Mer

I have just written an Irishman's Diary article in the Irish Times newspaper about the Chinese Cemetery in Noyelles-sur-Mer. Read it here.
Detail from the entrance arch to the Chinese Cemetery, Noyelles-sur-Mer.

The cemetery was constructed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) in 1921 on (or near) the site of the camp where the men lived. On this page of the CWGC website, you can view photographs of the cemetery and read original documents such as casualty records. 
                                      Headstones in the Chinese Cemetery, Noyelles-sur-Mer

The men who worked in the Chinese Labour Corps (CLC) and stayed behind after the war are said to have established Chinatowns in France. Why not have a look at the blog of the UK National Archives for information on the CLC for more information? Read it here.