Neuville-Saint-Vaast

Neuville-Saint-Vaast
Commune

Town hall and the church

Coat of arms
Neuville-Saint-Vaast

Coordinates: 50°21′22″N 2°45′32″E / 50.3561°N 2.7589°E / 50.3561; 2.7589Coordinates: 50°21′22″N 2°45′32″E / 50.3561°N 2.7589°E / 50.3561; 2.7589
Country France
Region Hauts-de-France
Department Pas-de-Calais
Arrondissement Arras
Canton Arras-1
Intercommunality CU Arras
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Jean-Pierre Puchois
Area1 12.59 km2 (4.86 sq mi)
Population (2006)2 1,520
 • Density 120/km2 (310/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code 62609 /62580
Elevation 81–144 m (266–472 ft)
(avg. 107 m or 351 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.

Neuville-Saint-Vaast is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It is located 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) south of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial dedicated to the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Memorial was built on Hill 145, the highest point of the ridge[1] to commemorate the battle and the Canadian soldiers who lost their lives during the First World War. The Memorial is also the site of the Canadian Cemetery No. 2, Neuville-St.-Vaast and Givenchy Road Canadian Cemetery, Neuville-St.-Vaast.[2][3][4]

The Neuville-St Vaast German war cemetery (also called Maison Blanche) is the largest in France from WWI, with 44,833 buried here.[5]

Geography

Neuville-Saint-Vaast is situated 4 miles (6 km) north of Arras, at the junction of the D49 and D55 roads. The A26 autoroute passes through the commune. Vimy Ridge rises from Neuville-St.-Vaast to its high point at Hill 145 (the location of the Canadian Memorial), where there is a steep drop off.[3]

History

In World War I, Neuville-Saint-Vaast was the location of intense mining activity by the tunnelling companies of the Royal Engineers. In March 1916, the New Zealand Tunnelling Company relieved the French 7/1 compagnie d'ingénieurs territoriaux in the "Labyrinth" sector of the Western Front. The German "Labyrinth" stronghold was located near Neuville-Saint-Vaast, between Roclincourt and Écurie and not far from Notre Dame de Lorette.[6] On 29 March 1916, the New Zealand Tunnelling Company exchanged position with the 185th Tunnelling Company and moved to Roclincourt-Chantecler, a kilometre south of their old sector.[6] The 176th Tunnelling Company moved to Neuville-Saint-Vaast in April 1916 and remained there for a considerable time,[7] as did the 172nd Tunnelling Company, which was relieved at Neuville-Saint-Vaast by the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company in May 1916.[7]

Population

Population history
1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006
918 927 973 1129 1295 1401 1520
Census count starting from 1962: Population without duplicates

Places of interest

the war memorial

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/overseas/first-world-war/france/vimy/fast-facts
  2. ↑ "Canadian National Vimy Memorial, France". The Great War UK. The Great War UK. 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2017. The ridge runs in a direction from Givenchy-en-Gohelle in the north-west to Farbus in the south-east.
  3. 1 2 http://www.greatwar.co.uk/french-flanders-artois/memorial-canadian-national-vimy-memorial.htm
  4. ↑ "Canadian National Vimy Memorial, France". The Great War UK. The Great War UK. 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2017. The ridge runs in a direction from Givenchy-en-Gohelle in the north-west to Farbus in the south-east.
  5. ↑ http://www.greatwar.co.uk/french-flanders-artois/cemetery-neuville-st-vaast-german.htm
  6. 1 2 Byledbal, Anthony. "New Zealand Tunnelling Company: Chronology". Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  7. 1 2 "The Tunnelling Companies RE". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
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