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 ...
department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
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 ...
. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune
Carnoy-Mametz
Carnoy-Mametz is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. It was established on 1 January 2019 by merger of the former communes of Mametz (the seat) and Carnoy
Carnoy () is a former commune in the Somme depa ...
Mametz is situated on the D64 road, some northeast of
Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
and east of Albert.
Fricourt
Fricourt () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Fricourt is situated on the D147 and D64 junction, some northeast of Amiens.
History
Fricourt is about a kilometre from Mametz. It was close to ...
Montauban-de-Picardie
Montauban-de-Picardie (, literally ''Montauban of Picardie''; pcd, Montaubin-d'Picardie) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Montalbanais'' in French.Carnoy
Carnoy () is a former commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Carnoy-Mametz.Maricourt are to the south-east. Mametz Wood is 1,000 yards (910 m) to the north-west. Before 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 ...
, the village was the fifth largest in the area, with about and had a station on the line from Albert to Péronne.
History
In 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 ...
, the area was the site of intense and sustained fighting between
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
and
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
forces. Between 1914 and 1916, the Western Front ran through Mametz, and the area was devastated. In 1916, Mametz was the site of particularly heavy fighting 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 ...
(see
Capture of Mametz
The Capture of Mametz took place on 1 July 1916, when the British Fourth Army attacked the German 2nd Army on the Western Front, during the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Mametz is a village on the D 64 road, about north-east of Amien ...
). It was also one of the sites where British mines were exploded on the first day of that battle. After the
Armistice of 11 November 1918
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...
, the former inhabitants returned and gradually rebuilt most of the infrastructure as it had been before the war. There is a memorial in the commune to the
38th (Welsh) Division
The 38th (Welsh) Division (initially the 43rd Division, later the 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division and then the 38th Infantry (Reserve) Division) of the British Army was active during both the First and Second World Wars. In 1914, the division w ...
at Mametz Wood.
File:Indische Kavallerie-Patrouulle orientiert sich in Mametz.jpg, Indian cavalry patrol in Mametz, July 1916.
File:AWM E00019 5th Div 1916.jpg, Australian 5th Division near Mametz, December 1916.
Population
See also
*
Communes of the Somme department
The following is a list of the 772 communes of the Somme department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2020):The Welsh at Mametz Wood (painting)
The Welsh at Mametz Wood by Christopher Williams portrays the 11 July 1916 Charge of the Welsh Division at Mametz Wood, part of the Somme offensive. Painted at the request of the Secretary of State for War, David Lloyd George. Williams visited t ...