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Remembered Today:

Centenary of the Battle of the Frontiers - UPDATED 16/9


SteveMarsdin

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Fascinating pictures Steve - you give more than a flavour of the commemorations

David

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Thank you all,

I had a day off WW1 yesterday; I went for a cycle-ride to Stenay and back. It's just under a 50 miles round-trip so I took my time (I'm just a casual cyclist, not like you Scalyback !!!). It made me appreciate how hilly the countryside is that the soldiers advanced (and then retreated) over in those few days of August 1914. I got drenched yesterday but in August 1914 températures were reportedly in the late 20°Cs

Each night they are holding a procession to the cemetery at LaClaireau, from the centre of Ethe; returning by torchlight. As it had faired up by then I went. Each night there's been around 60 attending, accompanied by costumed guides and "interpreters". When we arrived at the cemetery there were soldiers sleeping at some of the graves. They awoke to remind us of the horrors of that day and to thank us all for not forgetting them. It was a very moving piece of theatre. Photography wasn't appropriate at the more solemn moments and very diificult when possible.

Today (20 August) is the centenary of the Battle of Hamipre (sometimes known as the Battle of Longlier). A large scale encounter involving several régiments, it was the biggest engagement in this area up to that point and should have told the French that the Germans were closer than they were in force.

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These are from last night's walk and torch-lit procession:

As dusk approached we passed by the Pont des Arminis, renamed after the war Pont du 14e Hussards, after the Hussards who foolhardily charged two abreast up the slope and through the tunnel, to be met by a hail of fire from the Germans in a field-side ditch at the other side. Lt.Col. Hauteclocque led the charge, was wounded and his horse was shot from under him. He managed to escape back through the tunnel before requisitioning another horse and leading the charge again. The Hussards and their mounts were scythed down again before the remnants withdrew. Lt.Col. Hauteclocque survived the charge, his son didn't; the Lt.Col.was killed later the same day.

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The photos from the cemetery are of poor quality but I've included them to try and get the flavour of the event

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Sadly I could find no notice of any ceremonies commemorating the Battle of Hamipre (Longlier) although it was covered in an exhibition on 1914-18 at Neufchateau (the head town of the commune)

There used to be a military cemetery on the Hill of Justice, alongside the main Brussels-Luxembourg railway, where the units of the 1er Bn. 87e RIF started their advance to retake the station from the German troops who had just arrived and occupied it. Opposing them were the German 81st, 82nd and (confusingly) 87th and 88th regiments. It wasn't as one-sided as this suggests at the beginning because the 1er Bn 87e RIF was the infantry support to the 9eDC who were at nearby Neufchateau and certainly their artillery took part in the battle. The cavalry division was able to withdraw more quickly than the infantry and one battalion ended up facing twelve.

The cemetery was closed along time ago but in the early 1970s various crosses and monuments were placed on the site to perpetuate the memorial.

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Thank you SD,

Interestingly, there is a small new housing development on the approach road to the site. Its two roads are called Rue des Bleuets and Rue des Coquelicots.

The commander of the German 87th Regiment was mortally wounded at Longlier station at 14.00, the commander of the 1er Bn 87e RIF (Commandant Cussac) was killed later in the day

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The view from the station southwards. The fighting was mainly to the west (right) of the line up to the hills on the horizon

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A close up of the Hill of Justice from the German side of the tracks

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The hill opposite the Justice, the other side of the cutting, is Hill 468. Initially some Frenchman took a bridge, just to the south, to get to the east (left) of the tracks but they were soon driven back as further German forces arrived from one of the four regiments. Hill 468 overlooks the Justice and once the Germans were installed there they could hit the French units attacking down the Justice towards the station. The railway emerges from the cutting on to an embankment as it approaches Longlier. This embankment provided the only cover until German units occupied its crest. The French had no wire cutters and (as today) the pastures are fenced with barbed wire, making fast movement through them difficult. They were mown down on the hillside and in a ravine that heads westwards at its base (now known as Ravin de la Mort).

Views from the German side. Hill 468 and at the other side of the line, the Justice

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Showing how the cutting runs on to the embankment

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The Ravin de la Mort is just the other side, where the SNCB work wagon is

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Not far from where I took these photos was a German cemetery, long since gone and a chapel built in thanksgiving for Longlier hostages whose lives were spared, which still survives

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Amongst so many evocative photos you have taken here Steve, I find this last one particularly affecting. The path curving up to the isolated chapel at the crest of the hill - simple but powerful

David

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Various official delegations from all over France, where the participating regiments were garrisoned, have arrived in the area in advance of the official ceremonies tomorrow.

I am going to a reception this evening concerning the 14e Hussards but I spent a pleasant day touring the "pays frontalier" with my wife, her family and a friend who is staying with us. It wasn't a WW1 themed trip but I took the opportunity to take some photos of the countryside that the French advanced and then retreated over in August 1914.

Just over the border, in France, the hermitage at St Walfroy, at 350m altitude has commanding views over the area. The first photo is looking north into Belgium and gives some idea of the terrain , note the vast forested belt on the horizon.

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The hermitage survived 1914 but was destroyed in 1940; not surprising as it in line with the forts of the Maginot Line. It looks down on the "Ouvrage" at La Ferté to the west

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This area has seen many conflicts: Bazeilles is just over the horizon to the west (where the white smoke is). The communications are also important with the main railway line from the east to Sedan and beyond passing by.

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Retreating to the south the French had to cross the valleys of the Chiers and the Meuse, which they did (in most cases) by 26 August

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Further to the east is the citadel of Montmedy. Its garrison of 2,300 held out until the 27 August before dynamiting the nearby railway tunnel and escaping by "secret" passage. They ran into the Germans further south at Brandeville and around 600 were killed and the rest taken prisoner, many of them injured. The citadel is very imposing but in truth was lightly armed and its ancient canon only fired a few rounds.

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And looking westwards toward Montmedy from the direction of Virton, it dominates the horizon

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I mentioned about the local micro-climate being very hot in the summer and in 1914 the temperatures reaching the late 20s, Belgian's only vineyard is nearby

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At lasts night's talk on the 14e Hussards, given by the grandson of a hussard who took part in the Battle, in the village where his grandfather spent the very same night one hundred years before, I was reminded of the importance of good horses. Where possible their injuries were treated as it was better to have a previously injured but experienced cavalry horse than a requisitioned farm animal. I mention this because earlier in the day I had visited the basilica at Avioth.

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From August 1914 until November 1918 Avioth was under German occupation and from 1917 the basilica was used as a horse hospital !

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Thanks Joe,

This afternoon are the official commemorations in Ethe (and elsewhere in the region), which I will attend but this morning I was proud to participate in the "parrainage" of my adopted soldier Jean Bude. For many years the villages have put flowers on the graves of all the French soldiers buried there, with each villager adopting a particular soldier. In recent years as the number of older villagers dwindles the scheme has been extended to everyone who wants to participate

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Further photos from Laclaireau

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And

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Steve

Wonderful pictures. Thank you for taking the trouble to post these, not only to remind us all what was happening away from the BEF and Mons but also to educate us about the Belgian countryside.

Well done

Paul

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Thank you Paul,

Yesterday afternoon I attended the official ceremonies in Ethe, as I have done each of the last few years. This year was going to be special being the centenary and it was pleasing to see by the end of the commemorations the attendance was in excess of 500. There were more French this year with a coach from the Orne (where several of the participant regiments were from) and it was great to talk to the direct descendants of those that had fought there. They were pleased to share their family photos of previous pilgrimages, one man had photos of family visits to his grandfather's tomb at nearby Houdrigny through the various decades that have since passed. The Hauteclocque family were well represented, including Amaury de Hauteclocque. These photos were taken at the ceremony at the cross where Lt Col Hauteclocque died:

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From there we went to site of a massacre of French prisoners;

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By the end of the day I was sure that would have learnt the words of the Marseillaise :hypocrite:

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The next service was the most moving for me. It took place at the Memorial to the civilians of Ethe (211) and Latour (71) killed in August 1914

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As well as the Hauteclocques there was the great grandson of General de Trentinian who commanded the French forces at Ethe (7e DI)

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Representing the Belgian armed forces was one of their newest generals, who has family connections to Ethe, General Corinne Faut.

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After the ceremony I was introduced to an old man whose grandfather, Paul Bécourt, was killed on the 22nd August 1914, just over the border in France at Joppécourt. He told me his father fled to Britain in 1940 not wanting his family to be persecuted because of his name. His father fought with the Free French in the RAF, took part in the Battle of El Alamein and was killed in a training accident in 1943. He told me his family will always have a tremendous affection for the British and asked to exchange cards. His read Remi Bécourt-Foch, I had been introduced to the great-grandson of Maréchal Foch !

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Steve

This is simply brilliant; the thread has everything, even a bit of suspense. I'm really looking forward to more.

Pete.

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Well done Steve, Jean Bude would be proud :poppy:

Regards,

Sean.

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Thanks Pete and Slick63,

It has been a genuinely emotional week. Yesterday the ceremonies in Ethe were organised one after another; from the civil monument we went to the Pont des 14e Hussards where the representative of King Philippe unveiled a commemorative plaque in the presence of the Hauteclocque family.

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From there we went to the nearby memorial to he French killed in Ethe, which you can just see in the distance

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