Gommecourt, Pas-de-Calais

Gommecourt
Gommecourt
Location within Nord-Pas-de-Calais region  Gommecourt
Administration
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Department	Pas-de-Calais
Arrondissement	Arras
Canton	Pas-en-Artois
Intercommunality	Deux Sources
Mayor	Michel Lecrivent (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	124–155 m (407–509 ft) (avg. 148 m or 486 ft)
Land area1	3.35 km2 (1.29 sq mi)
Population2	126  (1999)
- Density	38 /km2 (98 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	62375/ 62111
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.

Gommecourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.

Geography

A small farming village situated 14 miles (22.5 km) south of Arras, on the D6 road.

History

Formerly within the ancient County of Artois, the village was redesignated within the new Department of the Pas de Calais after the French Revolution.

World War I

Gommecourt was in the front line of the Western Front and occupied by the German Imperial Army during most of the period of hostilities between 1914-1918 and was virtually destroyed as a result of the violence to which it was exposed. The neighbouring villages of Hebuterne and Foncquevillers 800 yards or so to the west, being conversely in Allied Forces occupation, were used as the bases for an assault on it carried out by the British Army on 1 July 1916, as a part of the Battle of the Somme offensive, which resulted in a severe defeat for the attacking force. The victorious German troops who defended the village during the battle were the 52nd Infantry Division from Baden together with 2. Garde-Reserve-Division from Westphalia; the British Army force taking part in the attack comprised the 56th (London) Division and the 46th (North Midland) Division, and many of the assaulting force are buried in a number of local CWGC Military Cemeteries around the site, German casualties having been relocated post war further Northwards.

Population

Historical population of Gommecourt, Pas-de-Calais

Year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999
Population	150	169	132	132	116	126

Places of interest

• The church of St.Martin, rebuilt, as was most of the village, after World War I.
• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery.

See also

• Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department

References

• INSEE commune file

External links

• The CWGC cemetery
• Gommecourt on the Quid website (French)
• Website remembering the battle at Gommecourt, 1st July 1916