Historical Information

Mons remained in German hands from the Battle of Mons (23 August 1914) until the arrival of the Canadian Corps on 11 November 1918.

The communal cemetery was extended by the Germans on its north side and in this extension, now part of the town cemetery, were buried Russian, French, Italian, Romanian and Belgian soldiers, as well as German and Commonwealth. The 4th Canadian and 1st Casualty Clearing Stations, besides field ambulances, were posted in the town after the Armistice. They opened a new cemetery (MONS BRITISH CEMETERY) across the road from the East gate of the communal cemetery, but the graves made there were later removed to the communal cemetery.

There are now 393 Commonwealth burials or commemorations of the First World War in the cemetery. 11 of the burials are unidentified, but special memorials commemorate three casualties known to be buried among them. There is also one Commonwealth burial of the Second World War, one non-war burial (a retired member of the Commission's staff) and 110 war graves of other nationalities.

The Commonwealth plots were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.