An honorary Order of Australia has been bestowed on the mayor of the French village of Pozieres on the 100th anniversary of the World War I battle there that cost the lives of more than 6700 Australian soldiers.
Barnard Delattre received the award from Australia's ambassador to France, Stephen Brady, on Saturday at a centenary service in Pozieres attended by around 1500 people.
Senator James McGrath, the assistant minister to the prime minister, said the OAM was for Mr Delattre's services to Australian French relations.
"Since becoming mayor in 2001, Mr Delattre has been a passionate custodian of our soldiers' legacy," the senator said in a statement.
"He has hosted an annual service for our soldiers and worked closely with the Australian government on remembrance activities, most notably by supporting the development of the Australian Remembrance Trail at Pozieres."
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Australian soldiers captured the village of Pozieres on July 23, 1916, and held it against determined German shelling and counter attacks but in doing so the 1st ANZAC Corps suffered 24,139 casualties in eight weeks.
Senator McGrath said Mr Delattre and the citizens of Pozieres had honoured the memory of those Australian soldiers through the respect they held for them and the welcome they give to Australians visiting the local memorials to pay their respects.
