The memorials, symbolic of an international war
- 30allied nations
- 400gardeners at the CWGC
- 72thousand "Missing In Action" in Thiepval
The Commonwealth Memorial
in THIEPVAL
Built with 10 million bricks, the Thiepval Memorial rises 45m high to overlook the notorious Thiepval Ridge. It is quite simply the most majestic British war memorial in the world!
Soak up the Edwin Lutyens spirit. From 1929 to 1932, he worked on a poignant tribute in stone for the 72,000 British and South African soldiers who died or went missing in the Somme between July 1915 and March 1918.
Before heading to the site, you can learn about the battle and honour the dead at the Visitor Reception and Interpretation Centre.
The second phase of a major restoration project will be starting in March 2020 at the Thiepval Memorial and continuing through to 2021.
Tel.: +33 (0)3 22 74 60 47 - www.historial.org
©Nicolas Bryant
©Nicolas Bryant
©Nicolas Bryant
© Nicolas Bryant
©SommeTourisme
The Newfoundland Memorial
in BEAUMONT-HAMEL
Explore the vestiges of the trenches and no-man's-land at the Newfoundland park in remembrance of the men who died during the terrible battle.
Memorials to the 29th British Division and the 51st Scottish Division on Caribou Mound list the names of 820 men from Newfoundland who lost their lives during WWI and whose burial site is unknown. The park is at once a commemorative site and a circuit explaining the battle for history buffs.
Tel.: +33 (0)3 22 76 70 86 - Veterans Affairs Canada
A Neo-Gothic memorial now stands in Thiepval, where troops from Ulster fought.
The Ulster Tower is also known as the Belfast or Helen Tower.
© Samuel Crampon
© ACarrier
©CBojda
©Somme TourismeTroops from the southern hemisphere honoured
in LONGUEVAL
As with the many Australian homages in Péronne, Pozières and Villers-Bretonneux, Longueval honours international remembrance past, present and future.
This memorial pays homage to the South African and New Zealand troops' bravery and fighting spirit.
As does the South African National Memorial and the museum in Delville Wood where the only tree to survive the battle is still standing; the obelisk erected in memory of the New Zealand troops at the starting point from which they heroically took Flers; and the Caterpillar Valley cemetery wall listing the names of the 1,205 men from the New Zealand Division who perished in the Somme in 1916 and whose bodies were never found.
Tel.: +33 (0)3 22 85 02 17 - Delville Wood
©GarryThe Australian effort
in the Somme
The Australian Remembrance Trail along the Western Front serves to help Australians and others visitors learn more about Australia's commitment on the Western Front in the Somme.
The Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux testifies to how Australia and France are united by firm bonds created by mutual gratitude and recognition. It bears the names of the 11,000 missing Australian soldiers who died in France.
The Australian Memorial of Le Hamel commemorates the participation of the Australian Corps in the successful Battle of Hamel on the 4th July 1918 when General Monash led his Australian troops into a tactical battle that lasted only 93 minutes.
Today, the village of Pozières pays homage to them with several monuments and sites dedicated to Australia's commitment.
On 2 September 1918, the Australians liberated Péronne, also capturing the strategic point Mont Saint-Quentin : this was hailed as one of the greatest Australian victories during the war.
© Samuel CramponThe American Memorial
Of Cantigny
The Battle of Cantigny, which took place between the 28th and 31st May 1918, was the first major American offensive of the Great War. The Americans suffered more than one thousand casualties during this battle, including 199 killed.
It helped to contain the German offensives of spring 1918, raised Allied moral and showed how competent the American soldiers could be.
A series of American successes began with the 1st Division at Cantigny. Today, the 1st American Division Memorial and the 28th American Infantry Regiment at Cantigny testify to these feats of arms.
Let's talk ToLiz SWEET
Director of Public Relations, Western Europe, CWGC
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A découvrir en vidéo ET en podcast !
Pour visionner la vidéo, cliquez ici !
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Museums and places of interest
Musée Somme 1916
Remembrance sites