Combles

Combles (French pronunciation: [kɔ̃bl] ^ⓘ; Picard: Conme) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. The city is part of the First World War remembrance circuit.

Combles
Commune
The town hall in Combles
Coat of arms
Location of Combles
Combles Show map of France Combles Show map of Hauts-de-France
Coordinates: 50°00′36″N 2°51′58″E
Country	France
Region	Hauts-de-France
Department	Somme
Arrondissement	Péronne
Canton	Péronne
Intercommunality	Haute Somme
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Betty Sorel[1]
Area 1	9.87 km2 (3.81 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	751
• Density	76/km2 (200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	80204 /80360
Elevation	83–153 m (272–502 ft) (avg. 30 m or 98 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

Combles is situated on the D20 road, some 50 km (31 mi) north-east of Amiens.

History

Combles after its capture in 1916 by British and French troops

Söldenau war memorial (Ortenburg, Germany); among the dead is Georg Reiter, killed at Combles on 30 April 1916

Combles was the operations centre for the battle of Bapaume during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71.

Combles was again at the centre of much fighting during World War I (1914–1918), with many of its buildings damaged and many of its residents injured or killed, not to mention the numerous casualties among the forces in combat there. Many British soldiers who fell in the war are buried in the local cemetery, and there are numerous war cemeteries in the immediate surrounding area.

It has, however, been substantially developed since the war's end.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	691	—
1975	661	−0.63%
1982	648	−0.28%
1990	617	−0.61%
1999	676	+1.02%
2007	707	+0.56%
2012	795	+2.37%
2017	765	−0.77%
Source: INSEE[3]

See also

• Communes of the Somme department