Tomb of a French soldier at the Targette NecropolisTomb of a French soldier at the Targette Necropolis
©Tomb of a French soldier at the Targette Necropolis|APAT
Military cemeteriesFrench
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French military cemeteries

Organized as complexes where the graves of the battlefields have been grouped together, the French national necropolises always surprise by their size. The tricolor flag that stands at the central point of each necropolis reminds us that all the soldiers who rest there are “Dead for France”.

Tomb of a French soldier at the Targette NecropolisTomb of a French soldier at the Targette Necropolis
©Tomb of a French soldier at the Targette Necropolis|APAT

"Died for France

The religious confession of the soldiers is expressed by the shape of the stele or by the mentions inscribed on it. Each stele has a plaque specifying the first and last names of the soldier, his rank and unit, the words “Died for France” and his date of death. Alongside the individual graves were often created ossuaries grouping mainly the bodies of combatants who could not be identified.

The national necropolises are maintained by the Office National des Anciens Combattants et Victimes de Guerre (ONACVG) on behalf of the French Ministry of Defense.

French National Necropolis of La TargetteFrench National Necropolis of La Targette
©French National Necropolis of La Targette|Isabelle Pilarowski
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