Albert

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebieres. Totally destroyed during the Great War and rebuilt as it had been before.The Golden Virgin sculpture which stood on the dome of the Basilica was damaged During Battle of Albert 1914. In 1914 the French and Germans staged their troops in Albert, France and the German troops suspected that the French may use the bell tower as an observation post to direct military maneuvers, so beginning in October 1914 they shelled the dome. By 7 January 1915 the dome was destroyed and by 21 January 1915 the base of The Golden Virgin was hit and the statue was knocked sideways past 90 degrees. The Madonna and Child statue above the dome was damaged, separated, recast and placed upon the newly reconstructed basilica.

The Albert 1916 Museum, situated in the crypt and tunnels below the Basilica.Situated at the Heart of the Battle of the Somme (1914/1918), the Somme 1916 Museum of ALBERT traces the lives of soldiers in the trenches during the Franco-British offensive in 1916. At 10 meters below ground and 250 meters in length, you will discover realistic and grasping scenes of the daily lives of our soldiers. Mannequins are brought to life through twelve realistic scenes transporting you to the past. Time passes but the memory remains. The museum is translated into 4 languages using panels (French-English-Dutch–German), and can also be guided by one of our guides in any of these languages. Duration: 1-2 hours
Plaque memorial to the Machine Gun Corps, on front face of town hall. On the wall by the entrance to the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) is a plaque commemorating the Machine Gun Corps. It was unveiled just before the Second World War, and commemorates the 13,791 men of the Machine Gun Corps who died, and the 48,258 who were wounded or missing during the Great War.