The Battle of the Somme was a long and bloody Allied offensive during the first World War - this offensive alone cost over 1.2 million lives. Most of this offensive took place in the area north of Amiens, and today many memorials remain, dedicated to those who gave their lives during this bloody period of history. We only had a few days to spare, so we visited a few of the memorials around Albert (more information below), the excellent museum at nearby Peronne (the Historial de la Grande Guerre), and then headed down to Verdun. This town was the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the war. The Verdun Memorial has been created at the site of the the destroyed village of Fleury and tells the story of the battles over the surrounding area. This really is a must see, with evocative photos, material possessions, a recreation of the battlefields, and a film on the Battle of Verdun. Although the film is available in several languages, a large proportion of the exhibits are only in French. There are many other battle sites nearby, including the Ossuaire de Douaumont (cemetery for French and German soldiers) and the Tranchee des Baionnettes where soldiers were buried alive by artillery fire.
The Thiepval Memorial is the most visited and largest memorial in the area, and is inscribed with the names of over 73,367 British and South African soldiers whose remains were never found. See here for further information.
