The area around the villages of Mailly-Maillet, Colincamps and Auchonvillers was the northern extremity of the front during the Battle of the Somme.

Mailly-Maillet was within the line taken over by the British from the French in the summer of 1915. 

Several British cemeteries were made in the commune. 

Mailly Wood Cemetery was begun by the burial of 13 men of the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders who fell on June 25, 1916. 

Mailly-Maillet was comparatively a very quiet place until the British retreat at the end of March 1918.  The village remained in British hands but was severely shelled and the underground catacombs were prepared for use by the troops.

Mailly-Maillet Communal Cemetery Extension was begun by French troops (mainly engineers) in June 1915. 

From the outbreak of the war to the summer of 1915 the Ancre Front was held by French troops and French soldiers were buried in the north west corner of Auchonvillers’ communal cemetery.

Further along the north side 13 non-commissioned officers and men of the 1st Border Regiment were buried in April 1916.  Two other British soldiers who died in the period August 1915 to August 1918 are elsewhere in the cemetery.

Sucrerie Military Cemetery is named after a ‘sucrerie’ or sugar beet factory. 

Sucrerie Military Cemetery was begun by French troops in the early summer of 1915.  It was extended to the west by British units from July 1915 right through with intervals to December 1918. 

Colincamps and ‘Euston’ were within the British lines before the British offensive of July 1916 and Euston Road Cemetery was used as a front line burial ground during and after the unsuccessful attack on Serre on July 1, 1916. 

After the German retreat in March 1917 Euston Road Cemetery was scarcely used.  Towards the end of March 1918 it and the village of Colincamps passed into enemy hands, but that was the limit of the German advance.