Villers Bretonneux

Villers-Bretonneux is a town in the Somme department of France, some 112km from Paris. Inhabited since Roman times, just like many of Picardie's villages it has been subject to constant warfare affecting the entire province. Known in the 19th century for its flannel and woollen sock factories, Villers-Bretonneux is also where one of the various battles of the French-Prussian war took place whilst defending the town of Amiens. The town was also the site of a tragic episode resulting from the German offence in Somme, during the First World War. In 1918 thousands of soldiers who had come from Australia and New Zealand to support the British Army's efforts died here in successfully defeating the German and preventing them from taking Amiens. It was during this same year that Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the famous 'Red Baron' responsible for 80 air victories, was killed not far from here. Both the French-Australian museum and the Adélaïde cemetery testify the common links and mutual recognition that unify Australia and France. The museum retraces the history of the Australian Expeditionary Force through photographs, their uniforms, their weaponry and various personal possessions. The town is also home to the Australian National monument, inaugurated in 1938. On April 25th every year commemorative ceremonies take place for ANZAC Day at this monument. Pariscityvision.com suggests that you visit the town of Villers-Bretonneux in the minibus excursion  Somme Battlefields : First World War by minibus.