THIS year sees both the 80th anniversary of the official opening of the Thiepval Memorial and the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Historial de la Grande Guerre, the Museum of the Great War, in Péronne, Picardie.
In commemoration the Historial has organised a free exhibition which is now open until November 25, 2012.
The theme of the exhibition is remembrance, as well as providing some background to the Memorial and how these men became and remain, the Missing of the Somme.
The major part of the exhibition tells the story of an individual recorded as missing on each of the 141 days of the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
Stories are supplemented by personal objects, letters, memoirs as well as others which illustrate a general remembrance theme.
The exhibition also explores how the fate of these men affected society for many years afterwards and why remembrance continues to be important today.
The exhibition is designed to show of the personal stories of those from British and South African Regiments who not only lost their lives but were also, by force of circumstances, denied the honour of a marked grave.
The Historial de la Grande Guerre, located at Chateau de Péronne, 80210 Péronne is open daily from 10am to 6pm.
Admission prices are: Adult – €7.50 (€6 with a voucher available online); over 60s – €6.20; Children aged 6 to 18 – €3.80; a family ticket of 2 adults and 2 children – €20.
Admission to the Missing of the Somme exhibition is free.