Commonwealth war graves commission Delighted to welcome the British Prime Minister and the French President to its sites

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is delighted to confirm that the British Prime Minister, Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron, will make a visit to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Thiepval Memorial on Friday 9 November. This will be a private event and will be an opportunity for the UK and France to come together and jointly reflect on the shared contribution and sacrifice of the two nations to the First World War.

The Thiepval Memorial commemorates more than 72,000 men of British and South African forces who died in the Somme area before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave, the majority of whom died during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. It is also the final resting place for 600 French and Commonwealth casualties, 492 of whom are unidentified.

On the high ground overlooking the Somme River, where some of the heaviest fighting of the First World War took place, the Memorial towering at over 45 metres in height, dominates the landscape for miles around. It is the largest Commonwealth memorial to the missing in the world. Here, at the sites’ Stone of Remembrance the two dignitaries will lay wreaths before taking a moment to remember those allied French and British Forces who fought together. They will also meet with the CWGC’s Director General, Victoria Wallace and young people from CWGC’s internship programme.

In addition to this visit, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, will also make a private pilgrimage to the CWGC’s Saint Symphorien Military Cemetery in Mons. Established by the German Army during the First World War as a final resting place for British and German soldiers killed at the Battle of Mons, the cemetery is the final resting place for 513 German and Commonwealth casualties. Among those buried here are Private John Parr, the first British soldier to die on the Western Front in the First World War and Private George Ellison, the last.

CWGC’s Director of External Relations, Western Europe Area, Liz Sweet, will take the Prime Minister to visit the graves of both men, which are located only feet apart.

Access to St Symphorien Military Cemetery and the Thiepval Memorial will be restricted on Friday 9 November. St Symphorien Military Cemetery will be closed to members of the public until mid-day. Thiepval Memorial will be closed from 11am until the following day. CWGC apologies for any inconvenience caused.