Loos Memorial

The Loos Memorial is a war memorial at Dud Corner Cemetery in Loos-en-Gohelle, displaying 20,603 names of Commonwealth servicemen on 139 stone panels. The site features architectural design and sculptural elements created to honor those who died in the surrounding region during World War I.

The memorial was inaugurated in 1930 and marks a site where fierce fighting occurred during the Battle of Loos in September 1915. The place remembers the many soldiers who died in this strategic struggle for control of the area.

The memorial carries names of soldiers from many Commonwealth nations, showing how different countries shared the loss of their young men during the war. Visitors walk among the inscriptions and feel the weight of this shared mourning across borders.

The site is freely accessible and located conveniently near Loos-en-Gohelle along Route de Bethune. Visitors should allow time to walk slowly among the panels and read names, as the experience benefits from a calm pace rather than rushing through.

Among the inscribed names are notable figures such as Captain Fergus Bowes-Lyon, brother of the future Queen Mother, and John Kipling, son of author Rudyard Kipling. These details reveal that war touched all levels of society regardless of family status or fame.

Location: Loos-en-Gohelle

Inception: August 4, 1930

Architects: Herbert Baker

Creator: Charles Wheeler

Part of: Dud Corner Cemetery, Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front)

Address: Route de Béthune

GPS coordinates: 50.46085,2.77177

Latest update: December 8, 2025 19:51