A List of the Earliest American Cemeteries
at Belleau Wood and Their Locations |
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I am indebted to Monsieur Francis Pay, of Belgium, for the following list of early provisional burying grounds of American dead in the vicinity of Belleau Wood. M. Pay derived the list from a careful study of Marine Corps muster rolls. The description is in his own words:
1. CEMETERY #29 : on the unimproved road leading from Hill 142 toward TORCY (the remains of one Marine was found there about 10 years ago).
2. TRIANGLE FARM: at map coordinates (LAMBERT GRIDS) 176.6 - 259.3.
3. TRIANGLE FARM: at map coordinates 175.8-261.1 (probably the same as above, see comments below).
4. BOURESCHES: 200 yards from the Bouresches church at an azimut of 75 ° (roughly east-northeast).
5. LUCY-LE-BOCAGE: 1 kilometer NW of LUCY on the road leading to TORCY.
6. Small clump of trees SW of BOURESCHES (on top of Hill).
7. Northeast corner of Bois des CLEREMBAUTS ( Currently Bois de la CENSE).
8. Road la VOIE DU CHATEL, located in the meadow at the western edge of LE BOIS JOLLY.
9. MONTIGIVRAULT LE PETIT, (97th Company dead).
10. Hill 181 in BELLEAU WOOD.
11. Near BELLEAU WOOD at 261.5 174.8 (these coordinates indicate southern part of
Bois de Champillon currently renamed ST MARTIN WOOD)
Concerning #2,3&7, it is the opinion of M. Pay that the June 1918 rosters all refer to the same cemetery, since their location (in each case, coordinates 176.6 - 259.3) is situated farther south in the Bois de Clerembauts near the CENSE Farm.
It is also opinion of M. Pay that most of the above cemeteries must be considered as
"combat cemeteries" only, from which the bodies were later transfered to one of the three cemeteries at Belleau, Lucy-le-Bocage, and Bouresches.
If anyone can add further information, please contact "Skipper", and it will be posted here.
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