Contalmaison - Captain Dodgson's Memorial
Photograph: Charles Fair
Captain Francis Dodgson of the 8th Battalion was killed fighting at Contalmaison on 10 July 1916.
Originally, Captain Dodgson's body could not be found, though the spot where he was killed was known. When his mother visited Contalmaison in 1919 she was horrified to discover the cross that had marked his original grave lying apparently discarded (but would be used subsequently as a memorial). She was told, at the time, that Captain Dodgson's body had not been found.
Given this news, his mother ordered a stone memorial to be made by local masons, and placed on the spot where he had fallen.
This was done, and a photo of this memorial is shown above. The memorial was subsequently moved to be beside a farm track, close to its original location.
Captain Dodgson's body was subsequently found, and is interred in Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.
The story of Captain Dodgson, his involvement with the 8th Battalion, and his subsequent commemoration, is told in "Marjorie's War" by Reginald and Charles Fair, published by Menin House and available from Amazon Books.
Below is a view from Google Earth showing where Captain Dodgson's Memorial can be found at Contalmaison (marked with an "X"). Also shown is the location of the Bell Memorial at Contalmaison.
Image from Google Earth
Photograph: Charles Fair