Achiet-le-Grand during the First World War
This website is dedicated to the history of the village during this tragic period. It pays tribute to the men who were involved in the liberation of Achiet-le-Grand from 1917 to 1918, and it aims to honor and preserve the memory of the soldiers of the Great War.
Beginning in 1914, the Achiet-le-Grand railway station served as a vital logistical hub for the German army, facilitating both the transport of food and ammunition and the evacuation of the wounded. It later transformed into a crucial strategic asset for British forces. Following the village’s evacuation in 1916 at the outset of the Battle of the Somme, it suffered total destruction, leaving residents to wait two years before they could return to temporary housing. In recognition of the devastation it endured throughout the conflict, the village was awarded the Croix de Guerre.
1914-1915
The Occupation
1916
Events
1917
First Liberation
