Contalmaison

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Contalmaison
Contalmaison
Location within Picardy region Contalmaison
Coordinates: 50°01′26″N 2°43′52″E / 50.0239°N 2.7311°E / 50.0239; 2.7311Coordinates: 50°01′26″N 2°43′52″E / 50.0239°N 2.7311°E / 50.0239; 2.7311
Country	France
Region	Picardy
Department	Somme
Arrondissement	Péronne
Canton	Albert
Intercommunality	Pays du Coquelicot
Government
• Mayor (2001–2008)	Bernard Senechal
Area
• Land¹	5.67 km² (2.19 sq mi)
Population (2006)
• Population²	120
• Population² Density	21/km² (55/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	80206 / 80300
Elevation	87–161 m (285–528 ft) (avg. 120 m or 390 ft)
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. ² Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Contalmaison is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.

Geography

Contalmaison is situated on the D147 and D20 crossroads, some 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Amiens.

History

As with many towns in this part of France, Contalmaison saw a great deal of fighting during World War I and was one of the allied objectives in the first Battle of the Somme.

A high number of casualties fell on the first day: 1st July 1916. The advance from the British line in front of Albert, was led by the 34th Division, a New Army formation recruited in Edinburgh, Northumberland, Grimsby and Cambridge. Elements of the 16th Royal Scots ('McCrae's Battalion') and of Tyneside Irish battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers succeeded in penetrating the village defences on 1 July before being outnumbered and forced to withdraw by stubborn German opposition.

The village is notable for its McCrae's Battalion Great War Memorial which honours the fallen of the 16th Royal Scots. Designed by the historian Jack Alexander, the 'Contalmaison Cairn' was unveiled in November 2004, completing a project first proposed by veterans of the battalion in 1919. As such, it remains the last of the 'original' Great War memorials to be built.^[1]

Population

Historical population of Contalmaison
Year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
Population	92	84	106	101	104	98	120
From the year 1962 on: No double counting—residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) are counted only once.

References

INSEE

↑ http://likeyoudo.org.uk/gwmc/contalmaison.html

External links

Contalmaison on the Quid website (French)

Communes of the Somme department

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