Suzanne Communal Cemetery Extension is located in a quiet valley to the east of the village where many member of the Manchester Regiment were billeted. Suzanne was behind the front line for this sector, which was the southern extreme of the British line, running from Maricourt down the valley to the river Somme, where the French held defences beyond. As time passed the billeting village became a greater target for German artillery and the majority of burials relate to men killed in the reserve postions, although a number may have been killed on the fire trenches of Vaux, Royal Dragons Wood and the meandering Somme swamps.
2nd Battalion Manchester Regiment took over the Maricourt defences, from the French, in the summer of 1915. Originally billeted in Maricourt, reserve position were withdrawn to Suzanne in the early autumn. Three men died in October/November 1915 and lie in the Coummunal Cemetery Extension.
90th Brigade took over the positions previously held by 2nd Battalion in January 1916. Men of 16th, 17th, 18th Manchesters and 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers held the line for the majority of the first half of 1916, although the French extended their line north to Maricourt Wood in June.
16th Battalion has seven men buried at Suzanne, men who died in February – March 1916.
Sixteen graves relate 17th Battalion men who died from January- May 1916. Many of the men are recorded as being killed in the billeting area of Suzanne. Other casualties include 2nd Lieutenant Jensen, who was attached from 25th (Reserve) Battalion and attached to 90th Brigade Trench Mortar Battery when he was killed.
40 CWGC burials relate to 18th Battalion Manchester Regiment. This is because 18th Battalion predominately served in the southern sector of the Brigade line, close to Vaux and the river and the Suzanne plot was nearest cemetery behind the line.
The village of Suzanne was taken over by British troops in the summer of 1915, lost in March 1918, and recaptured by the 3rd Australian Division on the following 26th August. The Extension was begun by French troops, used by the British from August 1915 to January 1917, taken over by the Germans in March 1918, and resumed by British units in August and September 1918. The graves of 387 French and 71 German soldiers have been removed to other cemeteries. There are now over 150, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. The Extension covers an area of 981 square metres and is enclosed on three sides by a low rubble wall.
17th Battalion Casualties buried at Suzanne.
17th Battalion Manchester Regiment on the Somme 