Villers–Bretonneux Australian National Memorial
Encyclopedia
The Villers–Bretonneux Australian National Memorial is a World War I
memorial
, located near the commune of Villers-Bretonneux
, in the Somme
département of France
. The memorial lists 10,773 names of soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force
with no known grave who were killed between 1916, when Australian forces arrived in France and Belgium, and the end of the war. The location was chosen to commemorate the role played by Australian soldiers in the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
. The memorial also serves as the Australian National Memorial to all the Australian dead during the Western Front
of World War I.
Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens
, the memorial consists of a tower within Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, which also includes a Cross of Sacrifice
. The tower is surrounded by walls and panels on which the names of the missing dead are listed. The main inscription is in both French and English, on either side of the entrance to the tower.
The site for the memorial had been selected by General Sir Talbot Hobbs
, commander of the Australian forces that had participated in the battle. A competition was held in 1925 to chose a design for the memorial. The competition was won by the Australian architect William Lucas, but both Hobbs and the head of the Imperial War Graves Commission, Sir Fabian Ware
, disliked Lucas's design. Lutyens was approached after economic difficulties had led to the original memorial project being halted. Hobbs, who was himself an architect, contributed to the design process, but died of a heart attack at sea while journeying to see it unveiled.
The memorial was unveiled on 22 July 1938 by King George VI
, whose words were broadcast directly to Australia. Other dignitaries present included the French President Albert Lebrun
, who also gave a speech, and the Australian deputy prime minister Earle Page
. Accompanying the King was his wife Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
, whose brother was killed at the Battle of Loos
. This memorial was the last of the great memorials to the missing of World War I to be built, and the Second World War
broke out just over a year after its unveiling. It is now the site of an annual Anzac Day Dawn Service hosted by the Australian Government.
During the unveiling ceremony, the King closed his speech with the words:
World 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...
memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
, located near the commune of Villers-Bretonneux
Villers-Bretonneux
Villers-Bretonneux is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Villers-Bretonneux is situated some 19 km due east of Amiens, on the D1029 road and the A29 motorway.-History - World War I:...
, 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....
département of 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...
. The memorial lists 10,773 names of soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
with no known grave who were killed between 1916, when Australian forces arrived in France and Belgium, and the end of the war. The location was chosen to commemorate the role played by Australian soldiers in the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
The Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux came during the period of the battle of Lys, 24–27 April 1918, but was launched against the British lines in front of Amiens.The Germans developed a small number of tanks, and used them in this offensive...
. The memorial also serves as the Australian National Memorial to all the Australian dead during the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
of World War I.
Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens
Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
, the memorial consists of a tower within Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, which also includes a Cross of Sacrifice
Cross of Sacrifice
The Cross of Sacrifice was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Imperial War Graves Commission and is usually present in Commonwealth war cemeteries containing 40 or more graves. It is normally a freestanding four point limestone Latin cross in one of three sizes ranging in height from 18 to...
. The tower is surrounded by walls and panels on which the names of the missing dead are listed. The main inscription is in both French and English, on either side of the entrance to the tower.
The site for the memorial had been selected by General Sir Talbot Hobbs
Talbot Hobbs
Lieutenant General Sir Joseph John Talbot Hobbs KCB, KCMG, VD was an Australian architect and First World War general.-Early life:...
, commander of the Australian forces that had participated in the battle. A competition was held in 1925 to chose a design for the memorial. The competition was won by the Australian architect William Lucas, but both Hobbs and the head of the Imperial War Graves Commission, Sir Fabian Ware
Fabian Ware
Major General Sir Fabian Arthur Goulstone Ware KCVO, KBE, CB, CMG was the founder of the Imperial War Graves Commission, now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission-Early life:...
, disliked Lucas's design. Lutyens was approached after economic difficulties had led to the original memorial project being halted. Hobbs, who was himself an architect, contributed to the design process, but died of a heart attack at sea while journeying to see it unveiled.
The memorial was unveiled on 22 July 1938 by King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, whose words were broadcast directly to Australia. Other dignitaries present included the French President Albert Lebrun
Albert Lebrun
Albert François Lebrun was a French politician, President of France from 1932 to 1940. He was the last president of the Third Republic. He was a member of the center-right Democratic Republican Alliance .-Biography:...
, who also gave a speech, and the Australian deputy prime minister Earle Page
Earle Page
Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page, GCMG, CH was the 11th Prime Minister of Australia, and is to date the second-longest serving federal parliamentarian in Australian history, with 41 years, 361 days in Parliament.-Early life:...
. Accompanying the King was his wife Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
, whose brother was killed at the Battle of Loos
Battle of Loos
The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
. This memorial was the last of the great memorials to the missing of World War I to be built, and the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out just over a year after its unveiling. It is now the site of an annual Anzac Day Dawn Service hosted by the Australian Government.
During the unveiling ceremony, the King closed his speech with the words:
External links
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission details of the Villers–Bretonneux Memorial
- Villers–Bretonneux, Australian National Memorial - history and description of the memorial and pictures of the unveiling ceremony and of details of the memorial (Department of Veteran Affairs, Australia)
- British-Pathé Newsreel report that includes the unveiling of the memorial, unveiling is at 2:14 to 2:51 (Adobe FlashAdobe FlashAdobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
) - Australian National War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France (William Lucas, 1930, Argonaut Press) - book by Lucas on his rejected plans for the memorial (catalogue entry from the National Library of Australia)