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| The Lone Tree of Loos Today |
The Lone Tree of Loos was a solitary cherry tree in no-man's-land that served as a key topographical marker and grim memorial during the September 1915 Battle of Loos. Located north of Loos between the villages of Hulluch and Vermelles, it acted as a vital reference point on British trench maps and a devastatingly accurate target for German artillery. Its name inspired the series "Lonesome Memorials" for Roads to the Great War.
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| The 1995 Dedication Plaque |
The tree was a prominent feature of Lone Tree Ridge, the site of a tragic assault by the Northamptonshire Regiment during the British Army's first use of poison gas in the war. Heavily shot to pieces by artillery, the tree was mostly cut down by souvenir hunters. The solitary tree became a profound symbol of resilience and loss, eventually regrowing after 1918 and officially replanted in 1995 to commemorate the battle. A surrounding concentration of more conspicuous memorials, such as Dud Corner Cemetery and Loos Memorial, also honor the 60,000 casualties suffered in this area.
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| Souvenir Section from the Original Tree |
Location:
The Lone Tree is located south of the Vermelles–Hulluch Road (Rue Jules Guesde), on an off-shoot named Chemin du Pont, at coordinates: 50.478250, 2.782073. It is hard to see from a distance.
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| Outline of 1915–17 Loos Battlefield with Lone Tree Location |
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