Citadel New Military Cemetery was begun by French troops and from August 1915, when the first Commonwealth burials were made, it was known as the Citadel Military Cemetery (Point 71). It was used until November 1916 and once in August 1918. The great majority of the burials were carried out from field ambulances before the Battles of the Somme.
In the Autumn of 1916 the Citadel became a large camp for units withdrawn from the line.
Citadel New Military Cemetery contains 379 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 16 of them unidentified. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Burials in the cemetery include:
- Lieutenant Colonel, the Hon. Guy Victor Baring. Twice Mentioned in Despatches, he served with the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards. He was killed on September 15, 1916 aged 43. He was the son of the 4th Baron Ashburton and Lady Ashburton and was the husband of Olive A. Baring (neé Smith) of Biddesden House, Andover, Hampshire. He had been the Member of Parliament for Winchester since 1906.
- Captain Alfred Keith Smith Cunninghame. Mentioned in Despatches, he served with the 6th Company, 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards. He was killed in action at Lesboeufs on September 25, 1916 aged 25. He was the son of Lieutenant Colonel Cunninghame of Coprington, Kilmarnock. He had served continuously with the 2nd Battalion from August 14, 1914 and was the last survivor of the original Battalion.
Citadel New Military Cemetery is located 2.5km south of Fricourt, west of a track leading south from the village
