Bellenglise () 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, ...
of
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 ...]
in 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
The village lies close to the N44, in a loop of the
St. Quentin Canal
The Canal de Saint-Quentin () is a canal in northern France connecting the canalised river Escaut in Cambrai to the Canal latéral à l'Oise and Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne in Chauny.
History
The canal was built in two phases, the second much lo ...
, nine kilometres north of
St. Quentin.
History
About two kilometres to the north is the Riqueval
souterrain
''Souterrain'' (from French ''sous terrain'', meaning "under ground") is a name given by archaeologists to a type of underground structure associated mainly with the European Atlantic Iron Age.
These structures appear to have been brought northw ...
.
On the 28 August 1914 the French 10th Regiment of Territorial Infantry opposed a German invading force. The French unit was essentially from the local Département, with its depot in St Quentin. Despite a fierce defence, the French line gave and a battalion (1000 men) of the unit was taken prisoner.
The famous picture of the British 137th Brigade, gathered on the canal bank at Riqueval Bridge, for a pep talk after the
crossing of the St. Quentin Canal, was taken nearby.
Population
Sites and monuments
* The commune cemetery, with its ''military square'' just to the left of the entrance, where are buried soldiers who died for France.
See also
*
Communes of the Aisne department
The following is a list of the 799 Communes of France, communes in the French Departments of France, department of Aisne.
The communes cooperate in the following Communes of France#Intercommunality, intercommunalities (as of 2020):
References
External links
Bellenglise on the site of the French National Geographical Institute
Communes of Aisne
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