Ovillers-la-Boisselle
Encyclopedia
Ovillers-la-Boisselle is a commune
in the Somme
department in Picardie
in northern France
.
.
. It was the site of heavy fighting during the 1916 Battle of the Somme
, and particularly during the first day on the Somme
.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
department in Picardie
Picardie
Picardy is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northern part of France.-History:The historical province of Picardy stretched from north of Noyon to Calais, via the whole of the Somme department and the north of the Aisne department...
in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
The commune is situated on the D929 road, some 22 miles (35 km) northeast of AmiensAmiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
.
Population
| 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 312 | 333 | 336 | 390 | 392 | 371 | 362 |
| Starting in 1962: Population without duplicates | ||||||
History
The commune consists of the two villages of Ovillers and La Boisselle, which were destroyed during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It was the site of heavy fighting during the 1916 Battle of the Somme
Battle of the Somme (1916)
The Battle of the Somme , also known as the Somme Offensive, took place during the First World War between 1 July and 14 November 1916 in the Somme department of France, on both banks of the river of the same name...
, and particularly during the first day on the Somme
First day on the Somme
The first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, was the opening day of the Battle of Albert, which was the first phase of the British and French offensive that became known as the Battle of the Somme...
.
Places of interest
- Ovillers British Military Cemetery.
- The Gordon Dump Cemetery.
- Lochnagar Crater, testimony to the ravages of the Battle of the Somme is 100 metres in diameter and 30 metres deep. It was created on the 1st July 1916, the first day of the battle.