It took the British no less than thirty-six hours of incessant fighting to carry it on July 2, 1916. 1,500 prisoners were taken.
_Take the road to =Contalmaison= (3 km.), which branches off to the right at Fricourt._ Before entering the village notice the British cemetery on the left.
The ancient market-town of Contalmaison was important, on account of its dominating position at the junction of several roads. Surrounded with redoubts and defended by the Prussian Guard, it was taken, then lost, on July 7, 1916. Attacked again from the south and west, it was finally carried on July 11, together with Mametz Wood, lying to the east. Contalmaison was completely destroyed.
A few crosses mark the site of the church and cemetery.
_Take the Boisselle road on the left, and, return to Amiens, via Albert, a short distance further on._
[Illustration: CONTALMAISON. BRITISH CEMETERY NEAR THE CHÂTEAU.]
_Leave Amiens by the Rue Jules Barmi (continuation of the Rue de Noyon), then, after passing the station, by the Chaussée Périgord and N. 35._
_After passing through Longueau, the road forms a double fork. Take the left-hand road in both cases. At =Petit Blangy=_ there is an important Australian cemetery on the left. _After twice crossing the railway the road enters =Abbé Wood=._
_On leaving the road, at the foot of a descent (15 km. from Amiens), take the =Corbie= road on the left, via =Fouilloy=._
There is a fine 16th-18th century church at Corbie. Restored in the 19th century, it is the remains of a famous abbey. The town suffered severely from the bombardments.
[Illustration: CORBIE. RUE HERSANT AND THE CHURCH.]
_Take the Rue Faidherbe as far as a house with brick turrets, where turn to the right into the Rue Victor Hugo._
_Beyond Corbie, the road follows the marshy valley of the Somme to =Vaux-sur-Somme=._
On leaving this village there is a British-American graveyard on the right, by the side of the parish cemetery.
_The road next passes through =Sailly-le-Sec=_, whose church is in ruins. _At the end of the village take the road on the left, then at the wayside cross, that on the right up Hill 108_, past two British cemeteries. _2 km. beyond Sailly-le-Sec, the Corbie-Bray road (G.C. 1) is joined, which take on the right_, past a large British cemetery on the right.
