The names of 10,982 Australian soldiers whose remains were never found are engraved on the base of the 32m-high memorial, one of the most imposing WWI monuments in the Somme, 2km north of Villers-Bretonneux along the D23. For the full effect, climb up to the viewing platform. In front of the memorial is a large Commonwealth cemetery . The Anzac Day Dawn Service (www.anzac-france.com) is held here every 25 April at 5.30am.
The ceremony pays homage to the 313,000 Australians (out of a total population of 4.5 million) who volunteered for overseas military service; 46,000 met their deaths on the Western Front (14,000 others perished elsewhere). See www.ww1westernfront.gov.au for more information.
