French contacts (Lille)

[Barry Hayter]

I've posted the following in the photo section but wondered if any of you knowledgable bunch had any suggestions as to who I could contact in France (Lille?) with regards to my question as I assume the French libraries \ newspapers etc would have photos etc in their collections. Unfortunately I don't write \ speak French so hope our chums across the drink can be accomodating!

Original post;

"Have an extract from a book regarding the Battalion I am following and wondered if anybody had some nice shots of this event? Google throws back a couple but not hugely clear (except the one of Churchill).

Lieut.-Colonel J H Langton, DSO with a C.O's escort of two sergeants with fixed bayonets, led the Battalion (4RWF Pioneers).

In the Grand Place a stand had been erected for the accomodation of the Mayor and Corporation of Lille, the Army, Corps and Divisional Commanders, and our Secretary of State for War, Mr Winston Churchill."

They would have entered as part of the 47th Divisions parade ... probably towards the end I suspect as they were mere Pioneers!

[Hoplophile]

If you can provide me with a date for this ceremony, I am happy to post queries on French-language forums.

I can also do a brief search of the digitized newspapers that are available on the website of the French national library. (Unfortunately, none of these are local Lille papers.)

You may also want to check with the various websites that sell vintage postcards. Civic ceremonies were a popular theme for these in the years after World War I.

I did a quick check of the US Library of Congress photo catalogue. Unfortunately, I didn't find any photos of this ceremony. I did, however, find a nice shot of British troops entering Lille towards the end of the war.

[Hoplophile]

Here's a French language web-site with lots of pictures of the entry of British forces into Lille.

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/grande.guerre/octobre18.html

[Hoplophile]

PS: For the pictures, please scroll down towards the bottom of the page.

[Barry Hayter]

Thank you Hoplophile ... greatly appreciated.

I have the date as the 28th October 1918, entry of 47th Division.

Would be extremely grateful for any assistance you can provide, very kind of you to offer.