Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial
The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial honours all Newfoundlanders who served during the First World War and those lost with no known grave. It is located at the site of the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel.
First World War
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Visitor Information
Rue de l'Église, D73, 80300 Auchonvillers, France
The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial is always open to the public free of charge.
For Visitor Centre hours of operation, please check the hours, address and contact information.
Check our bulletin board for information on upcoming events and more!
Maintenance work will be underway on a portion of the walking trails at the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial until mid-April 2024. Visitors may still view and explore the site during this period. However, access to a part of the trail will be restricted to ensure the safety of workers and visitors. Veterans Affairs Canada continues to ensure the integrity and maintenance of this memorial site. We apologize for the inconvenience this work may cause.
Trail of the Caribou
Located in northern France, the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial can be found nine kilometres north of the town of Albert within the département of the Somme. The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial encompasses 30 hectares and is the largest of six Newfoundland memorial sites in France and Belgium that together form the Trail of the Caribou.
Caribou Monument at Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial.
Battle of Beaumont-Hamel
Most Canadians know July 1st as Canada Day. However, in Newfoundland and Labrador, July 1st has an additional and more solemn meaning – it is also known as Memorial Day to remember the anniversary of the battle of Beaumont-Hamel. Learn more about the massive losses suffered by the soldiers from Newfoundland during this First World War battle.
Standing watch
Caribou Monument as seen from above.
At the heart of the memorial stands a great bronze caribou (the emblem of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment). Its defiant gaze forever fixed towards its former foe, the caribou stands watch over rolling fields that still lay claim to many men with no known final resting place.
A sculptor’s inspiration
Captain Basil Gotto with his Caribou Sculpture, ca. 1921.
Sculptor Basil Gotto's bronze caribou design is believed to have been inspired in part by the iconic Newfoundland photograph, "The Monarch of the Topsails". The noble bronze caribou is the emblem of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. The statue is estimated to weigh approximately 770 kilograms (1,700 pounds).
Touches from home
The Caribou Memorial today.
Landscape architect Rudolph H.K. Cochius incorporated touches from home throughout his design. The Caribou Monument sits atop a mound surrounded by rock and shrubs native to Newfoundland. More than 5,000 trees native to Newfoundland (including spruce, dogberry and juniper) were also planted along the boundaries of the site before its opening in 1925.
Tribute to the fallen
Field-Marshal Earl Douglas Haig, Commander of the British Expeditionary Force during the Battle of the Somme, officially unveiled the Memorial on June 7, 1925.
Opening of the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, France, June 7, 1925.
821 names are inscribed on three bronze tablets at the base of the Caribou Monument in memory of those who died during the First World War and had no known grave. The list includes 591 members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, 114 sailors in the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve and 115 Merchant Mariners.
Cemeteries and the fallen
Over 400 First World War casualties rest in Y-Ravine Cemetery.
Three Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries are located at the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial: Hawthorn Ridge Cemetery No. 2, Hunters Cemetery and Y Ravine Cemetery. Almost 700 war casualties are buried or commemorated at these sites, with approximately 1/4 remaining unidentified even today.
National Historic Site
Along with the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial is one of only two National Historic Sites located outside of Canada.
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