Pozières
# Pozières

Pozières (; Picard: Pozière) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.

## Geography

The commune is situated on the D929 road, 34 kilometres (21 mi) northeast of Amiens between Albert and Bapaume, on the Pozières ridge.

Southwest of the village on Departmental Road 929 is the Pozières Memorial and Pozieres British Cemetery. The cemetery. A total of 14,720 men, mostly Australians, are buried here. Unidentified dead number 1,380. The memorial was dedicated in August 1930.

## History

The village was completely destroyed in World War I during what became the Battle of Pozières (23 July–7 August 1916), which was part of the Battle of the Somme. The village was subsequently rebuilt, and is now the site of several war memorials. The Australian flag flies over Pozières in recognition of the sacrifice of the ANZACs in the Battle of Pozières. Amongst the British and other Commonwealth forces who fought at Pozières, the Australians suffered over 5,000 killed, wounded or taken prisoner.

One of those killed, on 5 August, was the English composer George Butterworth, and in 2008 the road between the town and Martinpuich was renamed Chemin George Butterworth (George Butterworth Lane); 50°02′28″N 2°43′59″E﻿ / ﻿50.041172°N 2.733112°E﻿ / 50.041172; 2.733112).

## Gallery

* A fatigue party from the Australian 7th Brigade (Australian 2nd Division) pass the former German bunker known as "Gibraltar" at the western end of Pozières, 28 August 1916, during the Battle of the Somme. The infantry are laden with empty sandbags, heading towards the fighting around Mouquet Farm, north of Pozières.
* The view from Centre Way trench towards Mouquet Farm, August 1916
* Map showing Mouquet Farm and the German defensive fortifications from Thiepval to Courcelette, July 1916
* Mouquet Farm and its defences, June 1916
* Mouquet Farm and its defences, September 1916
