On November 11, 2024, on the occasion of the history of 106 years of the Armistice of the First World War and 80 years of Liberation in 1944the Somme department calls on the public to participate in an unprecedented memorial operation: “1 flower, 1 soldier”. This project invites everyone, resident or visitor, to place a flower on the graves of soldiers and on the memorials of the many cemeteries and memorial sites that dot the region. This symbolic act aims to honor the memory of the fighters of all the conflicts that have marked the history of this territory.
A land marked by the history of war
The department bears the scars of a past heavy with battles, notably during the First World War. During the Battle of the Somme, which took place from July 1 to November 18, 1916, the region was the scene of some of the most violent and deadly fighting of the conflict, mobilizing soldiers from more than 25 nations from five continents. The war has caused hundreds of thousands of victims in this region: nearly 400,000 soldiers lie today on Samarian soilburied or even buried. Since 1917, this territory, once ravaged by fighting, has become a place of international contemplation, reminding each visitor of the scale of the sacrifices made.
The memory of these sacrifices has been reaffirmed by significant commemorative events, such as the centenary of the Battle of the Somme on July 1, 2016 and that of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux on April 25, 2018, coinciding with the 103rd anniversary of the ANZAC Day. The department also perpetuates the memory of the Second World War: in May-June 1940, during the Battle of France, the Somme was the scene of violent clashes against the German army, notably in Abbeville, where the French forces, led by the future General de Gaulle, tried to stop the German advance. Occupied for four years, the region saw many residents join resistance, sometimes at the cost of their lives.
A tribute to the victims of the Second World War
The memory of the Somme is not only linked to the First World War. In May-June 1940, during the Battle of France, the region was again the scene of intense fighting. The French forces, under the command of the future General de Gaulle, distinguished themselves by temporarily stopping the German advance during the Battle of Abbeville, from May 27 to June 4, 1940. The Somme then suffered four long years of occupation , marked by the resistance of its inhabitants, many of whom paid with their lives for their commitment against the occupier.
A commemoration for union and peace
This initiative “1 flower, 1 soldier” is part of a spirit of reconciliation, unity and defense of peace, values which have permeated commemorations for several decades. Since 2012, French law officially establishes the November 11 as a day of tribute to all those who died for Franceall conflicts combined. By placing flowers on a grave, memorial or war memorial, each participant expresses their gratitude to those who gave their lives for freedom and peace.
The Somme Department thus recalls that beyond differences of nationality or era, the memory of these sacrifices remains a civic and human dutya reminder of the human consequences and devastation that conflicts can cause. This year again, everyone is invited to perform this simple and meaningful gesture: honor the memory of the men and women who fell on the land of the Somme, as guardians of peace and collective memory.
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