La Table du Mémorial Australien - Villers-Bretonneux, France
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member pmaupin
N 49° 53.219 E 002° 30.771
31U E 465005 N 5526178
[EN] An orientation table at the top of the Australian memorial in Villers-Bretonneux. [FR] Une table d'orientation au sommet du mémorial Australien de Villers-Bretonneux.
Waymark Code: WM15AZJ
Location: Hauts-de-France, France
Date Posted: 11/27/2021
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Volcanoguy
Views: 1

"Designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens and inaugurated on July 22, 1938 by King George VI of England and Queen Elizabeth, this imposing monument is the last of the great memorials of the British Empire and the Commonwealth of the First World War to be built on the Western Front.

This white stone and brick memorial, preceded by a Commonwealth cemetery, the Villers-Bretonneux military cemetery, consists of a high central tower connected to the two corner pavilions by simple walls on which are inscribed the names of the 11,000 Australian soldiers who died for France, disappeared or have no known grave.

From the top of the tower, one can see the surrounding countryside of the Somme towards Amiens and its cathedral, which AIF troops - the Imperial Australian Force - helped defend in 1918.

A circular orientation table indicates with arrows the other Australian battlefields on the Western Front and the direction of the Australian capital, Canberra.

At the bottom of the stairs, a large plaque on the wall includes a map of the Western Front and the location of the five memorials dedicated to the Australian divisions in France and Belgium: 1st Division, Pozières; 2nd Division, Mont St-Quentin; 3rd Division, Sailly-le-Sec; 4th Division, Bellenglise; 5th Division, Polygon Wood, Belgium."

Sources : The Memorial

Photo goes Here

" Dessiné par l’architecte Sir Edwin Lutyens et inauguré le 22 juillet 1938 par le roi George VI d’Angleterre et la reine Elizabeth, cet imposant monument est le dernier des grands mémoriaux de l’Empire britannique et du Commonwealth de la Première Guerre mondiale à être construit sur le front occidental.

Ce mémorial de pierre blanche et de brique, précédé d’un cimetière du Commonwealth, le Villers-Bretonneux military cemetery, se compose d’une haute tour centrale reliée aux deux pavillons d’angle par de simples murs sur lesquels sont inscrits les noms des 11 000 soldats australiens morts pour la France, disparus ou n’ayant pas de sépulture connue.

Depuis le sommet de la tour, on peut voir la campagne environnante de la Somme en direction d’Amiens et de sa cathédrale, que les troupes de l’AIF - la Force impériale australienne - aidèrent à défendre en 1918.

Une table d’orientation circulaire y indique à l’aide de flèches les autres champs de bataille australiens sur le front occidental et la direction de la capitale australienne, Canberra.

En bas de l’escalier, une grande plaque au mur comprend une carte du front occidental et l’emplacement des cinq monuments aux morts dédiés aux divisions australiennes en France et en Belgique : 1ère Division, Pozières ; 2ème Division, Mont St-Quentin ; 3ème Division, Sailly-le-Sec ; 4ème Division, Bellenglise ; 5ème Division, bois du Polygone, Belgique. "

Sources : Le Mémorial

Artist / Creator:
architect Sir Edwin Lutyens


Date of creation: 1938

Location / Access:
Australian National Memorial, located behind the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery


Visit Instructions:
1) Tell what you experienced during your visit.

2) Proof of your visit is required. Send at least a picture of the table. Either :
- Table and landscape
- A close-up view of the table : why not with your finger showing a particular direction (your city, country, your holiday residence ...) (optional)

A photo with your GPSr is not required.
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pmaupin visited La Table du Mémorial Australien - Villers-Bretonneux, France 11/27/2021 pmaupin visited it