Spanning across a hectare expanse atop the Colline Notre Dame de Lorette, it encompasses the Basilique de Notre Dame de Lorette, the lantern tower, and the necropolis. This poignant war cemetery serves as the final resting place for over 40, French soldiers, each laid to rest in individual graves or within eight ossuaries.
Today, the National Military Cemetery Notre Dame de Lorette offers a solemn vista overlooking vast cultivated fields that stretch to the distant horizon. Constructed as a solemn tribute to the countless men who sacrificed their lives during the the 1st and 2nd Battle of Artois the cemetery and its basilica stand as enduring monuments to their memory.
Throughout October , this pivotal location witnessed fierce combat as German forces seized control, marking the beginning of a series of deadly engagements. Establishing a formidable defense, the German forces fortified Hill with a series of five trench lines, fortified with a dense array of barbed wire and obstacles along the present-day D route. On May 9, , French troops formed a kilometer front extending from Arras in the south to Lens in the north, launching a fierce assault against the German positions.
The ensuing battle on May 10 inflicted heavy casualties, resulting in a significant loss of life and severe injuries. Navigating through this labyrinth of defenses, barriers, and redoubts, the French troops, however, made significant advances in the days following.
Operations ceased on June 25, marking the end of a tragic period during which , individuals were either killed, missing, or taken prisoner from both sides across the 20 square kilometers reclaimed between May 9 and June The cemetery first opened on the battlefield in , later expanding in to consolidate the remains of French soldiers from scattered field cemeteries in Artois and Flanders.
