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Origin and history

The Franco-British memorial of Thiepval, located in the communes of Authuille and Thiepval in the Somme, is a tribute to the Franco-British armies and to the 73,367 British and South African soldiers who disappeared during the Battle of the Somme (July 1915–March 1918). Designed by architect Edwin Lutyens, this 45-metre-high triumphal arch monument was erected between 1929 and 1932 under the aegis of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It consists of sixteen pillars symbolizing the great battles of the First World War, on which are engraved the names of the disappeared, surmounted by laurel crowns and the names of the battle.

Inaugurated on 1 August 1932 in the presence of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) and French President Albert Lebrun, the site includes a French-British military cemetery of 600 graves (300 French and 300 Commonwealth soldiers), located on the front lines of 1 July 1916. The memorial, classified as a historical monument in 2016, was completed in 2004 by a reception and interpretation centre, and in 2016 by the museum 14-18 Battles of the Somme, managed by the Historial of Peronne. The latter exhibits artifacts, a 60-metre frieze reconstructing the battle, and multimedia archives.

Thiepval Memorial, the world's largest British memorial, attracts more than 160,000 visitors annually. Its monumental architecture, combining bricks and stone from Portland, aims to perpetuate the memory of the 1916 fighting, where soldiers aged 15 to 60 (average age: 25) died. The Stone of Remembrance and the Cross of Sacrifice, protected elements, recall their motto: "Their Name Liveth for Evermore".

A nearby obelisk paid tribute to the 18th British Infantry Division, which was engaged in the Battle of Thiepval Ridge. The site, maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, is part of the Somme Remembrance Circuit, alongside other memorial sites such as the Peronne Historial or the Ulster Tower. Its teaching and memorial role is reinforced by permanent exhibitions, projections and a boutique-library.

Collection

Un centre d'accueil et d'interprétation a été construit à l'entrée du site.

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