Villers–Bretonneux Australian National Memorial, War memorial in Fouilloy, France
Villers-Bretonneux Australian National Memorial is a war memorial in Fouilloy featuring a central tower and wing walls inscribed with 10,719 names of Australian soldiers who died in France during World War I. The site includes an on-site documentation center where visitors can research specific soldiers and learn more about them.
Architect Edwin Lutyens designed this memorial, which opened on July 22, 1938, to honor Australian troops who fought in France during World War I. It was built to commemorate soldiers who died in French soil without marked graves.
The site holds personal records and stories of Australian soldiers, helping visitors understand their individual contributions to the war. Exhibitions here connect these soldiers to the families and communities they left behind.
You can climb the tower for views across the surrounding former battlefields and countryside. Wear sturdy shoes as the steps are steep and the paths around the grounds may be uneven.
During World War II, German forces used the memorial as an observation post, leaving visible damage marks that still show on the structure today. These bullet holes and scars tell the story of how the site was caught between two conflicts.
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