Somme: Mighty Thiepval

The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing is the largest British war memorial in the world and one of the most powerful places where we remember the sacrifice of the Missing on the Western Front. In this episode, we explore the story behind “Mighty Thiepval” and uncover why this iconic monument continues to resonate more than a century after the Battle of the Somme.

We begin by examining the strategic importance of the village of Thiepval during the fighting up to 1916, and why it became one of the most heavily defended positions on the battlefield. We then follow the remarkable career of Sir Edwin Lutyens, tracing the experiences and influences that led him to create this masterpiece of remembrance.

Using modern AI technology, we delve into the stories hidden within the more than 72,000 names carved into the memorial’s stonework, revealing what these men can tell us about the scale and human cost of the Somme campaign. Along the way, we focus on several individual soldiers whose lives and sacrifices help bring the memorial’s vast roll of honour into sharper focus.

Finally, we take a walk across the battlefield at Thiepval today, exploring the landscape, the surviving traces of war, and the enduring connection between memory, history and place.

Main Image: Thiepval Memorial during the WW1 Centenary.(Old Front Line archives)

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RECOMMENDED READING:

Lutyens and the Great War – Tim Skelton and Gerald Gliddon (Frances Lincoln 2008)

Cemeteries of the Great War by Sir Edwin Lutyens – Jeroen Geurst (Rotterdam 2010)

The Memorial to the Missing of the Somme – Gavin Stamp (Profile 2006)

Podcast Extras: