Australians say it was an honour and a privilege to be at the Centenary of Armistice commemoration in northern France.
About 1500 people attended the service at the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, near the city of Amiens, on Sunday.
Some travelled from Australia, others came from Europe and a number of local French people had walked up the road from the town.
There was even a crowd of people, including uniformed soldiers, lining up for tickets less than an hour before the event began.
NSW south coast resident David Russell said it was a privilege to be there, and that hearing the Ode of Remembrance and the Australian and French national anthems played was emotional for him.
"I remembered my father, who was in the Second World War, and just the incredible sacrifice in this dreadful theatre of war," Mr Russell told AAP.
"To realise that my great uncle was younger than my son when he was killed ... just the sheer devastation in this place was just dreadful.
"I wouldn't ever want to glorify war, but they (the soldiers) need to be honoured I suppose."
Adelaide brothers Ed and Dean Osmond had been planning the trip to Villers-Bretonneux for a couple of years and were glad to be there rather than watching the ceremony on TV.
Their grandfather fought in WWI and came home but their great uncle was killed in the conflict.
His name is among more than 10,000 names of Australian soldiers with no known grave that are inscribed on the memorial's wall.
"We thought we would come to this service just to honour what they did," said Ed Osmond, who was himself conscripted in the Vietnam War.
The service was also a chance for the brothers to reflect on their father, who fought in World War II.
"It was solemn, I think it made us think about our relatives as well. What they could have been had they lived on," Dean Osmond said.
Ed Osmond said he was glad to see Australians who were not descendants travelling so far to be at the service.
Frenchwoman Virginie Vincent said she came with her husband because she felt indebted to the Australians who fought for her country 100 years ago.
"Forever we remember them and we are very, very gracious," she said.
