Thiepval Memorial

The Yorkshire Regiment Remembrance Website

War Memorials - Overseas

L'Anneau de la Memoir

Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, France

An aerial view of L'Anneau de la Memoire and Notre Dame de Lorette
An Aerial View of L'Anneau de la Memoire and Notre Dame de Lorette Select the image for a larger sized image which opens in a new window. Photo: Gary Ridsdale

L'Anneau de la Mémoire ("The Ring of Memory" or "Ring of Remembrance") is a World War I memorial in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, France. Designed by Philippe Prost and inaugurated on 11 November 2014, the 96th anniversary of Armistice Day, the memorial honors the 576,606 soldiers of forty different nationalities who died at Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

The memorial is located at the site of the national cemetery of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. The monument consists of 500 metal panels that are arranged in an ellipse pattern, each 3 meters (almost 10 ft) in height. Each panel contains approximately 1200 names of fallen soldiers, listed alphabetically by last name. The 500th panel remains blank so that any newly discovered names may be inscribed. The most noteworthy aspect of the Ring of Memory is that it is the first memorial to list alphabetically, with no regard to rank nor nationality.

For further information, please refer to Wikipedia.

At the moment the names of the soldiers commemorated is not available.

The information on this memorial has been provided by Gary Ridsdale who visited the memorial in 2024. Gary is the great nephew of Thomas Ridsdale of the 10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment who is one of the names commemorated on the memorial.

If the names of all the soldiers commemorated becomes available, this will be shown on this page of the website.

Private Thomas Ridsdale

26405. 10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 20 February 1917.

Born Stockton (Durham), Enlisted Stockton.

Buried VERMELLES BRITISH CEMETERY.

A view of a section of the L'Anneau de la Memoire
A View of a Section of the L'Anneau de la Memoire Photo: © Copyright Carolin Hahnemann and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Thomas Ridsdale's name on the Anneau de la Memoire memorial
Thomas Ridsdale's Name on the Anneau de la Memoire Memorial Photo: Gary Ridsdale
The location of L'Anneau de la Memoire
The Location of L'Anneau de la Memoire
from Anneau de la Memoire

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