Noreuil

Noreuil
Noreuil
Location within Nord-Pas-de-Calais region Noreuil
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardy
Department	Pas-de-Calais
Arrondissement	Arras
Canton	Croisilles
Intercommunality	Communauté de communes du Sud Arrageois
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Jean-Paul Boussemard
Area1	4.79 km2 (1.85 sq mi)
Population (2006)2	126
• Density	26/km2 (68/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	62619 / 62128
Elevation	72–110 m (236–361 ft) (avg. 80 m or 260 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Noreuil is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.

Geography

Noreuil is situated 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Arras, on the D5 road.

Population

Population history

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
136	143	128	135	117	114	126
Census count starting from 1962: Population without duplicates

History

World War One

The grave of 6042 Private Charles Buckley, 27th Battalion, of Melbourne, Vic, killed in action 21 April 1917, in the Noreuil Australian Cemetery

In 1917 it was the location of fighting during World War I. In early 1917, General John Gellibrand, acting commander of the 2nd Division, advanced as he suspected that the Germans were withdrawing. Gellibrand's advance began well but ended with a disastrous, ill planned and ill executed "unauthorised" attack on Noreuil.

On the morning of 2 April 1917, the village was attacked by the 50th and 51st Battalions, with the 49th and 52nd in support. Danish-born Australian Private Jørgen Christian Jensen of the 50th Battalion was awarded the Victoria Cross for the part he played. A Distinguished Service Order (and his first of two) was awarded to then-Major Noel Medway LOUTIT, an original ANZAC, who 'relieved the pressure' during these operations by working his way partly around the enemy flank and inflicting significant effective opposition. He continued in assisting and re-organising the front line under considerable hostile machine gun fire.

On 15 April 1917 the Germans launched a major counter-attack against the Australians at Lagnicourt-Marcel. Robert Smith, at his headquarters in a ruined house in Noreuil, about 1500 metres from Lagnicourt, directed the defeat of the German counter-attack. For his efforts in that engagement Smith was awarded a bar to his Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

Noreuil is close to Bullecourt, the southern end of the battlefront for the Battle of Arras.

Noreuil Park in Albury, New South Wales, Australia, is named in dedication to the men of the 13th battery, 5th field artillery brigade.

Places of interest

• The twentieth century church of St.Brice, rebuilt after World War I
• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Australian cemetery.

See also

• Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department

References

• INSEE commune file

External links

• The Australian CWGC cemetery
• Noreuil on the Quid website (French)