Amifontaine () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; pcd, Ainne) is a French department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne. In 2019, it had a population of 531,345.Hauts-de-France Hauts-de-France (; pcd, Heuts-d'Franche; , also ''Upper France'') is the northernmost Regions of France, region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its Prefectu ...

region of northern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Geography

Amifontaine is located some 20 km southeast of

Laon Laon () is a city in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History Early history The holy district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance. In ...

and 40 km northwest of

Rheims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...

. The Autoroute des Anglais (

A26 A26 or A-26 may refer to: Roads * List of A26 roads Transportation * Douglas A-26 Invader, a light attack bomber built by Douglas * Aero A.26, a Czech reconnaissance aircraft of the 1920s * Focke-Wulf A 26, a German Focke-Wulf aircraft * Blekinge- ...

, E17) passes through the western side of the commune from north to south but has no exit in the commune. Access to the commune is by road D52 from Ramecourt in the northwest through the commune to the village and continuing south-east to

Prouvais Prouvais () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aisne department The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne. The commu ...

. There is also road D89 from La Malmaison in the northeast through the village to

Juvincourt-et-Damary Juvincourt-et-Damary () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Juvincourt Airfield Built prior to World War II as a French Air Force facility. It was seized by the Germans in June 1940 during the Battl ...

in the southwest. The D24 road also passes through the north of the commune from west to east forming the southern border of a large forested area extending beyond the northern border of the commune. The commune is almost entirely farmland except for the forested area in the north.Google Maps
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Amifontaine station Amifontaine station (French: ''Gare d'Amifontaine'') is a railway station located in the commune of Amifontaine, in the department of Aisne, northern France. The station is situated at kilometric point (KP) 27.949 on the Reims-Laon railway. It ...

has rail connections to Reims and Laon. The small river Miette (also called ''La Source à l'Aisne'' in its uppermost part) rises north of the village and flows south to join the river

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; pcd, Ainne) is a French department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne. In 2019, it had a population of 531,345.Berry-au-Bac Berry-au-Bac () is a commune in the department of Aisne in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also * Communes of the Aisne department The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne. The ...

Neighbouring communes and villages

Administration

List of Successive Mayors of Amifontaine

History

From 8 December 1939 to 16 May 1940

No. 12 Squadron RAF Number 12 Squadron, also known as No. 12 (Bomber) Squadron and occasionally as No. XII Squadron, is a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The squadron reformed in July 2018 as a joint RAF/Qatar Emiri Air Force squadron. It is currently ...

was stationed at an airstrip in Amifontaine. On 12 May 1940 a mission was flown from Amifontaine to destroy two bridges over the Albert Canal. Only one out of five aircraft returned. Flying Officer Garland and Sergeant Gray were both awarded posthumous

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

es for "most conspicuous bravery".London Gazette No. 34870, 11 June 194
Read online
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Population

Sites and monuments

*Saint-Rémi Church File:Croix Amifontaine 08264.JPG, Amifontaine Cross File:Monument aux morts Amifontaine 08253.JPG, The War Memorial

References

External links

Amifontaine on the old National Geographical Institute website

40000 Bell Towers website

Amifontaine on Géoportail
National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
''Amifontaine'' on the 1750 Cassini Map
{{authority control Communes of Aisne