The War memorials (Oise) or Monuments aux Morts of Oise are French
war memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war.
Symbolism
Historical usage
It has ...
s commemorating those men of the region who died in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Background to the involvement of the Oise region in the 1914–18 war
The north eastern part of the Oise region, known as "Little Switzerland", was directly involved in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. From October 1914 to March 1917 the front had stabilised along a line passing through
Lassigny
Lassigny () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.
See also
* Communes of the Oise department
The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommuna ...
,
Tracy-le-Val and
Bailly and during two years of occupation the German army lived in the towns and villages of the
Noyon
Noyon (; pcd, Noéyon; la, Noviomagus Veromanduorum, Noviomagus of the Veromandui, then ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department, northern France.
Geography
Noyon lies on the river Oise (river), Oise, a ...
area.
In March 1917, in a tactical move, the Germans left the region as they moved north to the
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 191 ...
but they left much destruction in their wake. The areas which they vacated were then occupied by the Allied armies. 1918 saw the German "
Spring Offensive" when the German army retook the area they had vacated and advanced even further. There were battles fought at Noyon and Mont Renaud in March and April 1918 and at Matz in June 1918, during the
Third Battle of the Aisne
The Third Battle of the Aisne (french: 3e Bataille de l'Aisne) was a battle of the German spring offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Forces arrived completely in ...
. Further ferocious battles were fought until August 1918 when
Montdidier and the Thiescourt were liberated. All of these efforts helped to stop the German advance on Paris and assisted the Allied success in pushing the Germans back to the Hindenburg Line in the summer and autumn.
Apart from the usual trench based skirmishes, the area around the front line suffered much damage and loss of life from constant artillery bombardment and bombing by Zeppelin airships and German aeroplanes. Great devastation was wrought in villages directly on the front line. Ribecourt, Tracy-le-Val, Bailly,
Chiry-Ourscamp, and Dreslincourt were almost totally destroyed.
Compiègne
Compiègne (; pcd, Compiène) is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. It is located on the river Oise. Its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois''.
Administration
Compiègne is the seat of two cantons:
* Compiègne-1 (with 19 c ...
and Noyon suffered much damage. One German long-range gun in particular, stationed in the forest at Coucy-le-Chateau, caused much devastation. The bombing reached as far as
Beauvais
Beauvais ( , ; pcd, Bieuvais) is a city and commune in northern France, and prefecture of the Oise département, in the Hauts-de-France region, north of Paris.
The commune of Beauvais had a population of 56,020 , making it the most populous ...
where in June 1918, 36 soldiers and civilians were killed.
Breteuil,
Crèvecœur-le-Grand and
Crépy-en-Valois
Crépy-en-Valois (, literally ''Crépy in Valois'') is a commune located in the Oise department in northern France. It is located in the Paris Metropolitan Area, northeast of the center of Paris.
History
Crépy-en-Valois was founded in the tent ...
were all hit by bombs. Finally, the
Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
was signed at Rethondes on 11 November 1918
Some of the Monument aux Morts in the Oise
Below are details of just some of the many monuments aux morts in the Oise region.
Albert Bartholomé,the Crépy-en-Valois Monument aux Morts and other works
File:Les Pleureuses étude pour le monument aux morts du cimetère du Père Lachaise à Paris-Albert Bartholomé mg 8272.jpg, Bartholomé work at Père Lachaise.
File:Crépy-en-Valois (60), monument aux morts (détail), devant l'église, hameau de Bouillant.jpg, Bartholomé's sculpture on his wife's grave at Bouillant near Crépy-en-Valois
File:Crépy-en-Valois (60), monument aux morts, devant l'église, hameau de Bouillant.jpg, Bartholomé's sculpture on his wife's grave at Bouillant near Crépy-en-Valois
File:Crépy-en-Valois (60), monument aux morts, statues.jpg, The Crépy-en-Valois war memorial
File:Crepy en Valois A.JPG, A close up of a section of the Crépy-en-Valois war memorial
The following are photographs of the four high-reliefs:
Image:Marqueglise-Mobilisation.JPG, The soldier has been mobilised and says farewell to his loved ones.
Image:Marqueglise-Attack!.JPG, The soldier takes part in an attack launched from the trenches
Image:Marqueglise-Death.JPG, The soldier is mortally wounded and sits dreaming of his home, including the bell-tower of Marquéglise church which we see in the sculptor's relief.
Image:Marqueglise-Burial party.JPG, The soldier is carried off for burial
The four
bas-relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
s on this monument are the work of
Émile Pinchon. The reliefs depict some aspects of Noyon's fate over the 4 years of the war.
# The taking of hostages by the Germans on 29 September 1914
# The re-entry of French troops of the 13th Corps on 18 March 1917
# The ruins of Noyon on 25 August 1918
# The presentation to the town of the Légion d'honneur and Croix de guerre on 10 July 1920 by
Maréchal Joffre.
image: Noyon LL.JPG, The statue by the entrance to the crypt at Noyon's war memorial.
Image:Noyon FF.JPG, The relief on the Noyon war memorial commemorating the taking of hostages by the German Army on 29 September 1914
Image:Noyon EE.JPG, The relief on the Noyon war memorial commemorating the re-entry of the 13th Army Corps on 18 March 1917
Image:Noyon GG.JPG, Part of the relief on the Noyon war memorial showing the ruined state of Noyon after the 1914-1918 war. Here a woman sits amidst the ruins
Image:Noyon HH.JPG, The remaining part of the relief showing the ruins of Noyon. Here a woman and child are featured
Image:Noyon KK.JPG, The relief on the Noyon monument aux mort which records the presentation to Noyon on 10 July 1920 of the Légion d'honneur and the Croix de guerre in recognition of the suffering and fortitude of the citizens of Noyon during the German occupation
The Noyon war memorial was inaugurated on 22 March 1925.
The Monument aux Morts at Noyon
Inventaire topographique (canton de Noyon)(c) Ministère de la culture ; (c) Région Picardie - Inventaire général. Retrieved 23 September 2012
Gallery
File:Agnetz, monuments aux morts.jpg, The war memorial of Agnetz (Oise)
File:Armancourt (Oise) Monument aux morts.JPG, Armancourt (Oise) war memorial
File:Artillerie spéciale - Nécropole militaire française de Méry-La-Bataille - Méry-la-Bataille - Oise - France.JPG, Special artillery - Necropolis French military Mery-La-Bataille - Mery-the-Battle - Somme - France
File:Aumont-en-Halatte (60), monument aux morts, devant l'église.jpg, The Aumont-en-Halatte war memorial in 1920, before the church.
File:Canny-sur-Thérain, MaM .JPG, War memorial in Canny-sur-Thérain (Oise, France)
File:Cauffry (60), monument, rue du 1er septembre.jpg, The Cauffry memorial in the square opposite the old town hall.
File:Clermont, Oise - War memorial.JPG, The war memorial of Clermont, Oise, France.
File:Houdancourt (Oise) Monument aux morts.JPG, Houdancourt (Oise) Monument
File:Liancourt (60), monument aux morts, devant la mairie, rue Jules-Michelet 02.jpg, The Liancourt memorial, outside City Hall.
File:Monument aux morts de Ons en Bray.jpg, War memorial of Ons en Bray
File:Peroy les Gombries - monument aux morts.JPG, Memorial Peroy-the-Gombries (Oise - France), representing a soldier in the War of 1914-1918 in horizon blue uniform who is saying "None shall pass".
See also
*World War I memorials
World War I is remembered and commemorated by various war memorials, including civic memorials, larger national monuments, war cemeteries, private memorials and a range of utilitarian designs such as halls and parks, dedicated to remembering th ...
*War memorials (Aisne)
The War Memorials of Aisne or Monuments aux Morts of Aisne are French war memorials in the Aisne, in the region of Picardy, commemorating those men of the Aisne region who died in World War I
Background
This region saw considerable action throug ...
* War memorials (Eastern Somme)
*War memorials (Western Somme)
Some of the Monuments aux Morts of the Western Somme
The Monuments aux Morts of the Western Somme are French war memorials commemorating those who died in World War I. In the Western part of the Somme region, in the area around Abbeville, there ...
Notes
External links
Sites of Memory
(Historical markers, memorials, monuments, and cemeteries worldwide)
FranceGenWeb
- Source of information on war memorial
National Archives article on the Ferme de Navarin
(See Maxime Real del Sarte above)
{{DEFAULTSORT:War memorials (Oise)
Sculptures in France
World War I memorials in France
fr:Monument aux morts