Historical Information (Wikipedia)

On the D20 leading east out of Guillemont at a cross-roads is a memorial to the 20th (Light) Division. Today, the memorial is simply a brass laurel wreath and plaque with the words “In memoriam Twentieth Light Division”, set just above the ground level. This memorial is on the line which formed an objective of the Division when they attacked on the 3rd of September, 1916. From this site on a good day there are clear views into the distance across the countryside.

However, this is a replacement memorial. The original, a stone obelisk, was unveiled on Sunday the 4th of June 1922, by Major-General Sir Cameron Shute (who had commanded the 59th Brigade of the 20th Division during the Guillemont actions). He was accompanied by the Mayor of Guillemont and a French Army representative (General Douchy), plus men who had fought with the Division at Guillemont. The original memorial was similar in appearance to the same Division’s memorial in Flanders, unveiled five years after the one here. The Flanders memorial can still be seen today at Langemark. The replacement memorial here at Guillemont was unveiled on the 25th of April, 1995.