Somme __NOTOC__
Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places
*Somme (department), a department of France
* Somme, Queensland, Australia
* Canal de la Somme, a canal in France
*Somme (river), a river in France
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Somme'' (book), ...
Hauts-de-France
Hauts-de-France (; ; ), also referred to in English as Upper France, is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. ...
in northern
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
Geography
Longueval is located northwest of Amiens on the D919 road, at the junction with the D8.
Longueval is found in the north-east of the département, almost equidistant to the surrounding towns of Péronne (to the east), Albert (west) and
Bapaume
Bapaume (original Dutch name Batpalmen) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region of northern France.
Geography
Bapaume is a farming and light indus ...
(north).
Population
Heraldry
History
The village was almost completely destroyed during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
World War I sites
Caterpillar Valley Cemetery is located outside Longueval, on the road to Bazentin. The cemetery also contains a Memorial to the Missing from New Zealand, recording the names of 1272 men lost in 1916. The body for the New Zealand Tomb of the Unknown Warrior was taken from here.
South of Longueval is the Longueval Road Cemetery. In the centre of the village is the Pipers' Memorial, built to commemorate bagpipers who fought in the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Longueval was chosen because it was retaken by the 9th (Scottish) Division in July 1916. To the east of the village is the South African War Memorial Delville Wood.
On 21 October 2010, the Footballers' Battalions Memorial was unveiled at Longueval, near Delville Wood, to commemorate those from the Footballers' Battalions who had fought and died in the Great War.