Beaumont-Hamel () is a
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in the
Somme department in
Hauts-de-France
Hauts-de-France (; pcd, Heuts-d'Franche; , also ''Upper France'') is the northernmost Regions of France, region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its Prefectu ...
in northern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
![Hawthorn Ridge (1 July 1916)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Hawthorn_Ridge_%281_July_1916%29.png)
During the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Beaumont-Hamel was close to the front line, near many attacks, especially during the
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...
, one of the largest allied offensives of the war. By 1918, the village had been almost totally destroyed.
The banks of white chalk at Beaumont Hamel led to a sector of British trenches being nicknamed "White City". To the west of the village was
Hawthorn Ridge Redoubt
Hawthorn Ridge Redoubt was a German field fortification, west of the village of Beaumont Hamel on the Somme. The redoubt was built after the end of the Battle of Albert (25–29 September 1914) and as French and later British attacks on the W ...
, one of the sites of the
mines exploded on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. On 1 July 1916, the
29th Division assaulted the German front line in an attempt to capture the village as part of the Somme Offensive. Included in this Division was the
Newfoundland Regiment
The Royal Newfoundland Regiment (R NFLD R) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of the 5th Canadian Division's 37 Canadian Brigade Group.
Predecessor units trace their origins to 1795, and since 1949 Royal New ...
. Newfoundland commemorates this event as Memorial Day on 1 July each year.
Notable sights
As there was heavy fighting in this area during the Great War, there are many cemeteries and monuments, among which:
* A number of British cemeteries (among which Beaumont-Hamel British Cemetery)
*
Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial
The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial is a memorial site in France dedicated to the commemoration of Dominion of Newfoundland forces members who were killed during World War I. The preserved battlefield park encompasses the grounds over wh ...
. One of only two
National Historic Sites of Canada outside
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
(the other being the
Canadian National Vimy Memorial
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a war memorial site in France dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the First World War. It also serves as the place of commemoration for Canadian soldiers of the Fir ...
) and includes three British Cemeteries
Beaumont-Hamel (Newfoundland) Memorial on the CWGC website
/ref> ( Y Ravine Cemetery, Hawthorn Ridge Cemetery No. 2 and Hunter's Cemetery) as well as the Scottish Monument and a memorial to the 29th division (of which the Newfoundland Regiment was a part).
* Hawthorn Ridge Crater
References
External links
Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial on the Veteran Affairs Canada website
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Communes of Somme (department)
Battle of the Somme