Thiepval Memorial to the Missing

The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing is the largest Commonwealth memorial of the First World War. It stands on high ground near the village of Thiepval in the Somme region of northern France. The memorial commemorates more than 72,000 British and South African soldiers who died on the Somme and have no known grave.

Designed by British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, the monument was unveiled in 1932. Its massive brick and stone arches rise over 45 meters high and dominate the surrounding battlefield. The names of the missing are carved into the panels of the memorial, arranged by regiment and rank. For many families, this monument became the only place where their relatives could be remembered.

The site overlooks some of the most fiercely contested ground of the Somme campaign. Nearby battlefields include the villages of Thiepval, Ovillers, and Pozières. These places witnessed months of intense fighting during the Somme offensive in 1916, where enormous losses were suffered on both sides.

Today the Thiepval Memorial remains a powerful place of remembrance. At its foot lies the Anglo-French cemetery, where British and French soldiers are buried side by side. Together the memorial and cemetery symbolize the shared sacrifice of the Allied armies during one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War.