April 9th 1917

The Battle of Arras began. It was to continue until May 16th.

Arras is a town in the French region of Pas de Calais about two hours south of Calais.

Ninety seven years and four days after the end of the battle I visited the Roclincourt Valley Cemetery where approximately 500 victims of the battle are laid to rest. It's not an easy place to find being at the end of a long very rough track in the middle of a field. It's not the first time I have been in a family group looking for this cemetery. As a young boy with my parents and sisters we searched so that my father could keep a promise made to his mother. Our search was not successful.

In recent years my sister was able to keep the promise on behalf of our father and I was pleased to keep that promise for a second time.

April the 9th 1917 was not only the start of the battle it was also the death of my great uncle.

Plot 1, row B grave 9 at the Roclincourt Valley Cemetery is the final resting place of
Private 48220 Robert Mewburn Dodds of the 27th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers he was 27 years old when he died.

R.I.P.