This message was sent by Martial Delebarre president of Association pour le Souvenir de la Bataille de Fromelles and founding member of the Fromelles Museum.
Bonjour chers amis,
Hello dear friends ,
We’re going to celebrate the 89th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice at Rethondes (the 11th November 1918 at 11 am). You should be surprised by the number of people in France who don’t know the significance of this date. As far I can remember, the children of Fromelles have been always associated with the local authorities to commemorate the end of this first modern war which would have been the Last ( La Der des Der). Natives of Fromelles can evoke the 42 soldiers names carved on the Village Memorial (I’ve myself two great-uncles carved on it) soldiers who died on battlefields known as Flandres, Champagne, Verdun, Somme, Argonne, Dardanelles…..
At Fromelles, we will remember and honour the memories of those of the Allied Armies who beside their French brothers gave ” Their today to offer us a tomorrow”.
They first arrived nearby Fromelles in October1914 and after four years of trench warfare they liberated our Country for the greatest relief of the civilians suffering of the German occupation.Fromelles was liberated on the 2nd October 1918.
These soldiers were coming from Great- Britain, Australia, Canada, New zealand, India and in 1917 some Portuguese soldiers manned the adjacent front of Fauquissart-Neuve-Chapelle.
They were involved in actions throughout the war time along a battle zone which was commonly known as the” Forgotten Front”. Nowadays, many pilgrimers want to rediscover this area.
Before the conscription, The Regulars took part in actions near:
-Herlies (3 kms from Fromelles) in October 1914.
-Fromelles in December 1914 with some VCs won by British soldiers.
There was at Rouges-Bancs, the episode of the Christmas Truce in 1914.
-Canadians were early in 1915 twinned at every levels with British soldiers in trenches near Pétillion and the Cordonnerie and suffered some casualties during the trench spells before to see their first major action at Festubert in May/June 1915.
-Aubers Ridge with the Attack on Rouges-Bancs, Fromelles, on the 9th May 1915. On this day, the British sustained 4500 casualties in front of the village of Fromelles (the front line extended from the Cpt Kennedy’s memorial to the Cordonnerie Farm), the total amount of casualties for Aubers Ridge outnumbered 10 000 soldiers on the British side. Some other VCs won by brave British soldiers.
-The battle of Fromelles, 19th/20th July 1916, which saw in action the 61st British T. Division ( 2nd South Midland) and the first attack on the Western Front by a unit of the Australian army ( 5th A.I.F. Div.). In 27 hours of fight, both divisions suffered about 7 000 casualties for no gain at all.
After the Armistice, the first inhabitants and soldiers who came back to their devastated village could see and find the bodies of over 400 Australians on the German entanglements. They were later buried in VC Corner cemetery.
-The New zealand division relieved in September 1916 the Aussies, they took over the Cordonnerie sub-sector, helped with their infantry labour the miners of the 2nd A.T.C. to achieve their deep dug out at Cellar Farm and were relieved themselves by the Tommies of the 57th Div.
One year later, in April 1918, the British soldiers who held the line of the Fleurbaix sector were pushed back by the dash of the Germans on the River Lys which is also a forgotten battle.
During these actions and also daily trench routine, lots of men lost their lives or were reported missing. The misfortune of the war denied them a known grave. They rest now in beautiful cemeteries of the C.W.G.C. or are somewhere in the Fields of Fromelles.
We are on the eve to remember all these events, all these men who belong now to the Great History. That’s what we will be doing at Fromelles. I wanted just to share with you what are my feelings at this time of the year which will be always special for me. I had one day, the pleasure and the joy to meet you, to show you this little Corner of France,my beautiful country, to share your emotions, to see some of you with tears in eyes and no doubt, I’m more rich by knowing you. My thanks to everyone.
Lest we forget. We will remember them. Have a good Remembrance Day.
Toute mon amitié. Cordialement.
M. Delebarre.
A.S.B.F President.