Longueval | |
Commune Status: | Commune |
Arrondissement: | Péronne |
Canton: | Péronne |
Insee: | 80490 |
Postal Code: | 80360 |
Mayor: | Jany Fournier[1] |
Term: | 2020 - 2026 |
Intercommunality: | Haute Somme |
Coordinates: | 50.0261°N 2.8042°W |
Elevation M: | 150 |
Elevation Min M: | 123 |
Elevation Max M: | 157 |
Area Km2: | 8.53 |
Longueval (pronounced as /fr/) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Longueval is located 38km (24miles) northwest of Amiens on the D919 road, at the junction with the D8.Longueval is found in the north-east of the département, almost equidistant to the surrounding towns of Péronne (to the east), Albert (west) and Bapaume (north).
The village was almost completely destroyed during World War I.
Caterpillar Valley Cemetery is located outside Longueval, on the road to Bazentin.[2] The cemetery also contains a Memorial to the Missing from New Zealand, recording the names of 1272 men lost in 1916.[3] The body for the New Zealand Tomb of the Unknown Warrior was taken from here.
South of Longueval is the Longueval Road Cemetery. In the centre of the village is the Pipers' Memorial, built to commemorate bagpipers who fought in the First World War. Longueval was chosen because it was retaken by the 9th (Scottish) Division in July 1916. To the east of the village is the South African War Memorial Delville Wood.
On 21 October 2010, the Footballers' Battalions Memorial was unveiled at Longueval, near Delville Wood, to commemorate those from the Footballers' Battalions who had fought and died in the Great War.[4] [5]