RED Castle Villiers Bretonneux MEMORY history

[VintagememoryDieuFamily2]

HELLO EVERYBODY,

Iam  new on this forum and like you here, iam passioned of History. i have seen an old post of one of the member and her name is Nicolas, i gonna fallen on this last publication about The red castle of Villers Bretonneux city.  I am a descendant of a rich family having lived in this same place there are 3 century of that, before the Delacours family become owner of this castle,..

 

 i am gonna answer you to this post now (i know it's last but i had discover this forum there not many time in watching the picture of this man)so , about this red castle : it was a domain belonging to M.DELACOURS is was a duck son from a rich family of industrials . His family possessed severals compagnies and domains in Paris and also in the North of France and where they exist again, for exemple the old factory of knitted and bonneterie to Villers Bretonneux is always present and many place owned to this family are preserved by the city.

 the name of DELACOURS family rest writes on walls and places of several cities here in the North and Also Paris because they are to the origin creation of many museum,and scientifical center research, and textile factory to the 19 ème century. The parc of CLERES is the last castle transformed in ZOO in the 20s years by Mister DELACOURS and open to the public people since 1920 if i good remember me, and again now is always a Zoo composed of special pets ( to know that this mister was passionned by the science and was ornithologist).

This rich man was one of members in the management of the Naturel History Museum on Paris, he was also manager of several scientifc exibition in USA before and after tha war. 

THIS RED CASTEL was an Holiday Home for her and her father to Villers Bretonneux ( this castel owned to her father before her) but this place (like many others)was victim of the both war (1914 and 1939) and to each test of reconstruction, one problem came to stop the reconstruction work unfortunatly...in fact : this castle in the first war was destroyed in first part by the Germans before being given up by the german solders. It was left destroy for somes years, next Delacours had tried to save a part of this red castle but this work took many years and in the same time the second mondial war have begun so , he had stopped again one more time. This duck want away from this castel for avoid the bombardment of the cities campaign and with this the red castle was used  as hospital by the allies solders (american a lot and other nationality also) also used for store medical equimnent. After this the walls were entirely destroyed, the duck in coming back to Villers had definitivly stopped the work reconstruction. This man had never be married and he has never had child , so not heir of this family next to her for buy the domain. Now this place belong to the Cities but it's true sadly i confess you  that the mayor had take decision to destroy the rest of castle for build a modern social home to this same place.

 

When i have learn it, i was very sadle because i have get a discussion with the mayor of Villers Bretonneux for know if we can buy something to this castle and he had answer me : it's was so old and without security, dangerous for the people so the last mayor had to decided of build a modern social home to this same place because its was so many epensive for the cities to get new work reconstruction on a old castle like this ''

It's so sad... This rich family have make so many think for this cities, ours cities .....you know, many people to Villers was in disagreement with this decision but the Mayor had take this decision like easy solution for money. Unfortunatly for them..

The good side of the story is that many historics places (monuments history and somes old factory Delacours also) are protected and classified in the heritage ofthe Cities. Somes one of them are classified in the mondial heritage.   Je partage avec vous ces deux photos du château rouge (dont une datant de 1910 avant les dévastations) et la seconde venant d'un touriste prise en 2004 ( depuis des travaux sont toujours en cours pour la construction de nouveaux locaux ) alors je n'en trouve plus aucune, le château a surement été détruit pour le chantier. Je compte retourner à Villers Bretonneux dans peu de temps pour voir les changements et visiter la Ville. Je n'ai malheureusement pas eu la possibilité de faire des photos de cet endroit car cela fait des années que nous ne vivons plus à Villers. A lors merci aux touristes qui ont pris des photos comme celle ci pour s'en souvenir une dernière fois ! Avec le reste de ma famille nous essayons de terminer un arbre généalogique pour trouver les pièces manquantes et obtenir des archives supplémentaires de la mairie de la Ville concernant les actes de propriété de ce domaine ayant appartenu à une part de ma famille au 17ème siècle avant que les Delacours en soient propriétaire au 18 ème siècle.

Sorry if there are somes mistake in my text (iam french but i hope that my english will be understable). Have nice day and peace to vintage memory !!! ;) do not hesitate to add a comment to my post !! See you soon !! 

[WhiteStarLine]

Hi Vintage Memory,

 

Many Australians used the Red Chateau for division or brigade headquarters.  Australians were active in Villers-Bretonneux from April 1918 onwards.  My grandfather worked there in 1918 several times and took this photo:

 

[Michelle Young]

There is also this thread about the Red Chateau

 

 

[VintagememoryDieuFamily2]

Hello White star Line!!  (you have the same name of the boat compagnies who started the titanic build, is fun  ) 

 

Yes many Australien was in this city it's true, this is why that surprise me to see that this castel have been used by somes american because there was not  again a lot american to Villers Bretonneux at this time.

You are come in first in this part of the  campaign but i have not many elses pictures about this time where the castel used as an hospital,

The older people have somes story about this with more details.

But the younger of the new generation cannot see it.  Because they remaind not a lot survivor of this century for explain this.. .

Your grandfather was war photographer ?

Have you somes others pictures or documents paper like this one ?

 

 

[VintagememoryDieuFamily2]

Michelle Young

I had seen this post yes,

 

Its in return to this old post that i haved answer  

because i have get more information in 10 years XD