This article looks at the Sunken Road Cemetery, near the village of Fampoux. It is one of a series of articles I’ve written on cemeteries and memorials in France. In addition, I have created a series of guides to help you research those who served in the British Army during the First World War:
Sunken Road Cemetery, Fampoux
The Sunken Road Cemetery is located less than a kilometre north of the village of Fampoux. There are a number of cemeteries with “Sunken Road” in their title and the location of the nearest village is usually referenced in their name. On 9 April 1917, the village of Fampoux was captured on the opening day of the Battle of Arras and was later lost during the German Spring Offensive in March 1918. The cemetery is just over five miles northeast of Arras and contains the graves of over 200 British soldiers who died during the war. Most of the burials are identified and there are sixteen special memorials to men who are known to be buried in the cemetery but whose graves were subsequently lost. The map extract below was taken from Sheet 51B NW with German trenches corrected to 4 March 1917. The black dot marks the location of the Sunken Road Cemetery. The red lines and dots show the location of German trenches and defensive positions. Each side of a small square is 500 yards (457 metres).
The earliest casualty buried in the cemetery is Private Arthur Huntington who was serving with the 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers when he was killed in action on 10 April 1917. While the latest casualty was Private Charles Doyle of the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards who was killed in action on 12 January 1918. The five headstones below have the words “Known to be Buried in this cemetery” engraved on them. Graves were usually marked by a wooden cross and these were often destroyed by shellfire. Or, a record wasn’t kept of where a soldier was buried in the cemetery. Both were a common occurrence, especially with soldiers buried close to the front line. 
The Sunken Road Cemetery Fampoux contains the grave of Corporal Fred Marsden who was serving with the 7th Battalion Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s (Yorkshire Regiment) when he was killed in action on 18 September 1917. Corporal Marsden was only twenty-four and had twice been decorated for gallantry. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal with his citation reading “For conspicuous gallantry in action. He rendered most valuable services with, the battalion bombers, and materially assisted in firmly consolidating an exposed flank” and subsequently the Military Medal. Unfortunately, citation cards for the Military Medal no longer survive. 
Also buried in the cemetery is my great-great-uncle Private John Henry Grant from Walthamstow, Essex. John was killed in action serving with the 2nd Battalion The Essex Regiment on 3 May 1917. He was part of B Company’s 7th Platoon and initially reported missing. Elizabeth Grant, his wife, made an enquiry to the Red Cross to see if they could trace him and she received the news that they couldn’t later in the year. She was awarded a pension of thirteen shillings nine pence a week from 31 December 1917. Elizabeth also received John’s outstanding pay of one pound, nineteen shillings and four pence and war gratuity of four pounds. She later remarried.
