"Largest Commonwealth war cemetery in France." Étaples by breughel

Étaples Travel Guide: 7 reviews and 14 photos

I'm not surprised to be the first to write something on VT about Etaples at a few Km from Le-Touquet-Paris-Plage.
It is a little port at the estuary of the river Canche with nothing really interesting or typical to visit at first sight.

On the other hand I'm surprised because a few Km north of the centre is the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in France.
During WW I as many as 100.000 commonwealth soldiers were housed just outside Etaples which was the main Allied base camp.

We visited the cemetery with 12.000 graves with the same feelings we had when visiting Ypres and the Field of Flanders cemeteries in Belgium.

Etaples port on the Canche estuary.

Last visit to Étaples: Jun 2010
Intro Updated Jun 28, 2010
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Reviews (7)

Maintenance and re-engraving of the... Things to Do (4)

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintains over a million war graves as well as hundreds of memorials honouring... more travel advice

"Back from bull ring" painting by Iso Rae 1917. - Étaples

Étaples WWI Commonwealth camps and... Things to Do (4)

During WW I Etaples called "Eat Apples" by the British was notorious because 100.000 troops were camped in the area as... more travel advice

The grave of James Clark, Army Cyclist Corps. - Étaples

The grave of James Clark, Army Cyclist... Things to Do (4)

I stopped at this headstone because it was the first time in my visits to Commonwealth War Cemeteries that I saw the... more travel advice

Étaples Military Cemetery - Memorial. - Étaples

Étaples Military Cemetery. Things to Do (4)

This is the largest Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in France. The cemetery, a few Km north of Étaples on the road... more travel advice

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Comments (3)

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LoriPori Mar 26, 2012 at 3:54 AM

Good to know that the markers are maintained so well. It is sad though to see just how many markers there is here and it is just one of many cemeteries.
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Greggor58 Dec 12, 2010 at 7:53 AM

As is the case in Ieper or Ypres...the numbers of casualties buried here at Étaples is staggering...I struggle to accept this..Thank goodness that for the most part the World thinks differently today than it did when these cemeteries were created!
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Nemorino Jul 1, 2010 at 12:53 AM

Yes, it is surprising that no one else has written about the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in France. I was not aware that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission had built so many war cemeteries and memorials worldwide.