The best traffic-free bike rides around Ervillers

Miraumont is a small village in the Somme department, in the Hauts-de-France region, which occupies a historically and geographically special place. It is situated in a narrow valley at the source of the Ancre River, a tributary of the Somme, and is surrounded by gently rolling hills that were once the scene of fierce fighting during the First World War. During the Battle of the Somme in 1916, Miraumont was close to the front line and was badly hit. Today it is a quiet rural commune of around 630 inhabitants, where the past is still palpable in the surroundings and in nearby military cemeteries. Its proximity to other historic sites such as Thiepval and Beaumont-Hamel makes it a worthwhile stop for those wishing to explore the region's wartime past.

On 11 April 1944, an Avro Lancaster Mk I, serial number LL836 BQ-E, crashed near Achiet-le-Petit, in the Bois de Logeast, during a mission by the RAF 550 Squadron. The aircraft had taken off from North Killingholme in England and was part of a bombing raid on the railway installations at Aulnoye-Aymeries, as part of the Allied Transportation Plan2. The Lancaster was intercepted and shot down at around 02:43 by a German night fighter, a Messerschmitt Bf 110, flown by Hauptmann Helmut Bergmann. The aircraft exploded in mid-air and came down in flames approximately 1.5 km north-northwest of Achiet-le-Petit3. All seven crew members were killed. Among them were five Britons and two Canadians, including: F/Lt Richard William Picton (pilot, age 24, DFC) F/O John Foster Potter (bomb aimer, age 23, RCAF) F/O John James Logan (navigator, age 26, DFC) Sgt William Essar (age 22, RCAF) Sgt Thomas Henry Guest (flight engineer) Sgt Kenneth Percy Charles Williams (radio operator, DFM) F/Lt William Hugh Waycott (air force, age 22, DFM)3 They are all buried in Achiet-le-Petit cemetery. The crash is a harrowing illustration of the risks faced by bombers during night operations over occupied Europe.

An interesting anecdote is that Achiet-le-Petit changed hands several times during the war. The village was occupied by British troops in March 1917, lost to the Germans in March 1918, and retaken by the British in September 1918. In 1924, 300 bodies that had been temporarily buried elsewhere were transferred to this cemetery.

Cimetière militaire allemand d'Achiet-le-Petit is a World War I military cemetery located in Achiet-le-Petit, France. The cemetery contains the graves of 1,314 German soldiers. It was created in the autumn of 1914 to bury the bodies of German soldiers who had fallen during the fighting in the region.

Wancourt was captured on 12 April 1917 after very heavy fighting and the advance was continued on the following days. The cemetery, called at first Cojeul Valley Cemetery, or River Road Cemetery, was opened about ten days later; it was used until October 1918, but was in German hands from March 1918 until 26 August, when the Canadian Corps recaptured Wancourt. At the Armistice, the cemetery contained 410 graves, but was very greatly increased in the following years when graves were brought in from a number of small cemeteries and isolated positions on the battlefields south-east of Arras. The cemetery now contains 1936 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 829 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 76 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to 20 who were buried in Signal Trench Cemetery whose graves were destroyed in later battles.

Places of Interest The church of St.Leger, rebuilt, as was the whole village, after the First World War. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery. The village was situated in an area that was heavily fought over during the war. There are several military cemeteries in the area, including the Heninel-Croisilles Road Cemetery, where many soldiers who fought near Saint-Léger are buried. An interesting anecdote is that Saint-Léger and the surrounding villages changed hands several times during the war between the Allies and the German troops. This caused much destruction and suffering among the local population.

The Église Saint-Léger is a church in Boyelles, a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region in north-eastern France. It is a listed historic monument of the town and was built in the 19th century. It is Gothic in style and is dedicated to Saint Léger, a 7th-century bishop of Autun.

Boisleux-Saint-Marc is a small commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. The village is located approximately 11 kilometres (7 mi) south of Arras and has an area of 3.38 km² (1.3 sq mi). Boisleux-Saint-Marc has a rich history and was badly affected during the First World War, with many of the original buildings being destroyed. The church of St. Médard, which was rebuilt after the war, is one of the main attractions. The village has a rural charm and offers a peaceful environment for its residents.