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Receive a letter from French communities on Anzac Day

A soldier posting a letter home to his family (AWM H03414)

News

Posted on 22 March 2022

The Val de Somme Tourist Office is organising a special activity for Anzac Day, to commemorate the service of Australians during the First World War, in France and in Belgium.

Dear Australia

In the Somme, April is generally considered “Australia month”. Despite the distance between our two nations, we cannot forget the sacrifice of the Australian soldiers of the First World War, who came to defend France at the cost of their lives.In the name of the Franco-Australian friendship, the Val de Somme District Council is inviting the children of the local community to prepare a letter, a drawing, a poem or a photo montage to be sent to Australian veterans’ associations or Australians who had a relative who served on the Western Front.

Clément, aged 8 (© A. Carrier)

The Somme and the Villers-Bretonneux’s area is an important place in Australian memory, and this correspondence between France and Australia will perpetuate the ties that have united us since the First World War. The aim is to create an intergenerational correspondence between French and Australians. More than one hundred years after the First World War, the French and Australians do not forget the courage and sacrifice of those who served on the Western Front.

If you are an Australian veteran or have links to a soldier who served on the Western Front and would like to receive correspondence from residents of the Val de Somme District please contact [email protected], 30 place de la République – 80800 Corbie.

The Sir John Monash Centre is proud to support this local initiative which highlight the deep and strong friendship between the people of the Somme and the Australians.

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