Le Hamel, Somme
Encyclopedia
Le Hamel is a commune
in the Somme
department in Picardie
in northern France
.
in the valley of the Somme
. The surrounding district is the historical Santerre
, a lightly wooded and agricultural plateau.
Mentioned for the first time in 1184 as belonging to the powerful abbey of Corbie
.
As with many towns in the region, Le Hamel has experienced the ravages of war over many centuries, between the French kings and their adversaries from England, Burgundy and Spain.
A pivotal place during the First World War, the Battle of Hamel
on the 4th July 1918 was a prelude to the summer offensive of the 8th August later the same year.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
department in Picardie
Picardie
Picardy is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northern part of France.-History:The historical province of Picardy stretched from north of Noyon to Calais, via the whole of the Somme department and the north of the Aisne department...
in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
Le Hamel is situated some 16 miles (26 km) east of AmiensAmiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
in the valley of the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
. The surrounding district is the historical Santerre
Santerre (region)
Santerre is a natural region of France, located in the center of the French region of Picardie.Located between Amiens and Saint-Quentin, the Santerre is a territory covering an area of about 3 000 km², including 242 communes and with a population of 106 489 inhabitants.Still covered with...
, a lightly wooded and agricultural plateau.
History
The name has the same root as ‘hameau’ (eng:hamlet), a small rural settlementMentioned for the first time in 1184 as belonging to the powerful abbey of Corbie
Corbie
Corbie is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The small town is situated up river from Amiens, in the département of Somme and is the main town of the canton of Corbie. It lies in the valley of the River Somme, at the confluence of the River Ancre. The town...
.
As with many towns in the region, Le Hamel has experienced the ravages of war over many centuries, between the French kings and their adversaries from England, Burgundy and Spain.
A pivotal place during the First World War, the Battle of Hamel
Battle of Hamel
The Battle of Hamel was a successful attack launched by the Australian Corps of the Australian Imperial Force and several American units against German positions in and around the town of Hamel in northern France during World War I....
on the 4th July 1918 was a prelude to the summer offensive of the 8th August later the same year.
Places of interest
- The park commemorating the 1000+ Australian troops that died in the battle was inaugurated on the 4th July 1998, exactly 80 years after the day of the battle. The site symbolises the friendship between France and Australia.
- The lakes of the valley of the Somme.