Historical Information

1,576 French war graves of which 17 Second World War, individual and mass graves

The national necropolis of Vailly-sur-Aisne today contains the remains of soldiers who died for France during the April 1917 offensive on the Chemin des Dames. Attached to an aid station during the fighting, this necropolis was fitted out in 1924 and 1935 to collect the bodies of soldiers exhumed from other temporary cemeteries in this sector (Allemant, Jouy, Laffaux, Nanteuil-la-Fosse, Sancy and of Bois-Morin). It brings together, in individual and collective graves, 1,576 bodies of French soldiers, 1,559 of whom died during the Great War and the remaining 17 during the Second World War. This necropolis adjoins a British military cemetery where 676 soldiers were buried, mainly fallen in September 1914.

There are two monuments on the site. One of them, erected by the National Union of Veterans of Vailly-sur-Aisne, is dedicated to "the memory of our comrades who died for France".  The other was built in homage to Félix Germain Jacquinot of the 120th infantry battalion who died for France on 8 July 1917 and to the memory of his comrades, all of whom lie in the cemetery: "Jacquinot Félix Germain, born in Villery (Aube) on 15 June 1895, awarded the Military Cross, sergeant in the 120th infantry battalion, 3rd company, killed at Chemin des Dames (Panthéon battle) on 8 July 1917".