Prince Charles and Australian Prime Minister Arrive for Dawn Service in Villers-Bretonneux

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Prince Charles and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull arrived at Villers-Bretonneux Cemetery in France on April 25 for the Anzac Day dawn service.

Villers-Bretonneux was the site of a major battle during WWI for Australians, whose troops on August 8, 1918, impeded a German operation to capture the town of Amiens. The previous day, Turnbull and French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe officially opened the Sir John Monash Centre in Villers-Bretonneux, named after General John Monash, who commanded the August 8 offensive and was knighted for his efforts.

While Australians successfully liberated Amiens, it came at a significant cost with 1,464 dead and wounded. More than 7,000 people joined the prince and prime minister to honour the fallen diggers, according to the AAP.

April 25 also commemorates the Gallipoli landings, a disastrous British-led campaign against the Ottoman Empire that resulted in significant losses for Anzac forces. Credit: Amy Lees via Storyful