Annequin

Noyelles-lès-Vermelles (French pronunciation: [nwajɛl lɛ vɛʁmɛl], literally Noyelles near Vermelles) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.

Cambrin (French pronunciation: [kɑ̃bʁɛ̃]) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France about 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Béthune and 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Lille by the banks of the small river Surgeon. The marshes of Cambrin are an area of ponds and swamps bordering the communes of Cuinchy and Annequin. They cover 22 hectares and are open to the public. This natural space is managed by the Nature Conservatory Sites of Nord and Pas-de-Calais.

The Canton of Cambrin was one of the 14 cantons of the arrondissement of Béthune, in the Pas-de-Calais department, in northern France. It had 20,403 inhabitants in 2012. It was disbanded following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015.

The Third Battle of Artois (25 September – 4 November 1915, also the Loos–Artois Offensive) was fought by the French Tenth Army against the German 6th Army on the Western Front of the First World War. The battle included the Battle of Loos by the British First Army. The offensive, meant to complement the Second Battle of Champagne, was the last attempt that year by Joseph Joffre, the French commander-in-chief, to exploit an Allied numerical advantage over Germany. Simultaneous attacks were planned in Champagne-Ardenne to capture the railway at Attigny and in Artois to take the railway line through Douai, to force a German withdrawal from the Noyon salient.

Vermelles British Cemetery is a First World War British war cemetery at Vermelles, a village 10 kilometres north-west of Lens, Pas-de-Calais. The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and contains the memorials to 2145 casualties.

Cuinchy (French pronunciation: [kɥɛ̃ʃi] or [kwɛ̃ʃi]) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France about 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Béthune and 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Lille, by the banks of the Canal-d’Aire.

Windy Corner was a road junction near the village of Cuinchy in the First World War. It was in the section of the line held by the British army and there was a battalion headquarters there. Burials took place there and there is now a cemetery maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 3,443 dead were buried there of which 1,246 have been identified. Major John Mackenzie (1871–1915) recipient of the Victoria Cross in the 19th century Anglo-Ashanti wars is buried here.

Vermelles (French pronunciation: [vɛʁmɛl]) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.

Sailly-Labourse (French pronunciation: [saji labuʁs]) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France about 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Béthune and 24 miles (39 km) southwest of Lille.

Mazingarbe (French pronunciation: [mazɛ̃ɡaʁb]; Picard: Mazingarpe) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Lens.

The Battle of Festubert (15–25 May 1915) was an attack by the British army in the Artois region of France on the western front during World War I. The offensive formed part of a series of attacks by the French Tenth Army and the British First Army in the Second Battle of Artois (3 May – 18 June 1915). After the failure of the breakthrough attempt by the First Army in the attack at Aubers Ridge (9 May 1915) tactics of a short hurricane bombardment and an infantry advance with unlimited objectives, were replaced by the French practice of slow and deliberate artillery-fire intended to prepare the way for an infantry attack. A continuous three-day bombardment by the British heavy artillery was planned, to cut wire and demolish German machine-gun posts and infantry strong points. The German defences were to be captured by a continuous attack, by one division from Rue du Bois to Chocolat Menier Corner and by a second division 600 yd (550 m) north, which was to capture the German trenches to the left of Festubert. The objectives were 1,000 yd (910 m) forward, rather than the 3,000 yd (1.7 mi; 2.7 km) depth of advance attempted at Aubers Ridge. The battle was the first British attempt at attrition.

The Defence of Festubert was an engagement on the Western Front early in the First World War when Indian and British battalions of the 7th (Meerut) Division of the Indian Army defended the village of Festubert against a German attack from 23 to 24 November 1914. It was one of the first actions in the war in which an attack was made against a prepared defensive position. The British and Indian regiments that took part were awarded the battle honour Festubert 1914.