MONTDIDIER

Valiant City, martyrised by the War. After sustaining the fire of the enemy's guns for more than two years, experienced in turn the joys of deliverance and the horrors of a brutal occupation. An important position, bitterly disputed, it suffered total destruction, paying with its ruins the Victory of the Mother-land.(Croix de Guerre.)

(Croix de Guerre.)

The town stands at the extremity of the Plateau of Santerre, halfway between Amiens and Compiègne, in the valleys of the Somme and Oise. Rising in tiers, from south to north, on the limestone cliffs, its highest point is occupied by the Palais-de-Justice.

The town probably first grew up around a farm in which, according to tradition, the monks of the Abbey of Corbie kept Didier, King of the Lombards, whose name was given to the town. The first houses sprang up in the fertile valley, whilst acastrumwas built on the hill. Owing to its situation on an oft-disputed frontier, Montdidier was destined to have a stirring history. Of the fortifications which Philippe-Auguste caused to be erected there, and which were terminated in 1210, nothing remains but a few fragments of walls covered by the gardens. At various periods the town was besieged, pillaged and burnt.

Under Charles VIII and Louis XII the walls were rebuilt and the city's life began anew, only to be disturbed again by war under François I. After repulsing a band of adventurers in 1522, it was besieged in 1523 by 30,000 English and Germans, led by the Duke of Norfolk and Count de Bure. Although a breach was opened in the city's walls, the burghers refused to capitulate. The place had therefore to be carried by storm, and the enemy burnt it on October 29.

Montdidier.—The St. Médard Quarter.

Montdidier, seen from the Moreuil Road.

After the town had been rebuilt, the Reform quickly gained ground, in spite of persecutions and the burning of Pastor Michel de la Grange.

In 1636, a powerful Spanish army, under the command of Jean de Werth and Piccolomini, captured Roye and summoned Montdidier to surrender. The burghers refused and, almost unsupported, kept the enemy at bay and made a number of successful sorties. A narrow valley on the road to Breteuil has retained the name of "cut-throat", in remembrance of one of these sorties, during which 200 Spaniards were slain. After a siege lasting 34 days, the approach of the Royal Army compelled the Spaniards to retreat, and Louis XIII thanked the burghers in person for their courage and loyalty.

From that time forward the town lived in peace. Louis XIV often stayed there on his way to Flanders.

On March 19, 1814, the Cossacks, coming from Roye, entered the town.

The next day a large detachment of Cossacks and Prussian Hussars, infantry and artillery, under the Russian Baron de Geismar, took possession and exacted heavy requisitions in kind.

The Cossacks bivouacked in the streets, with their horses in full harness, and cooked their food in the open. An attack by the combined garrisons of Amiens and Beauvais on March 24 drove out the Cossacks, but the latter returned on the 27th, with the intention of plundering and burning the town. In response to a petition from the chief citizens, Baron de Geismar consented not to burn the town, but allowed his soldiers to pillage it for one hour. On the 28th, the Cossacks withdrew towards Compiègne, to join the Allies in their march on Paris.

Montdidier, photographed from an aeroplane.On the left:The Three-Doms Stream, crossed by the road followed by the itinerary(see p. 98);In the middle:Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville;On the right:Place Faidherbe and the Compiègne road.

Panoramic view to the West and South of Montdidierseen from the Esplanade du Prieuré.

After Easter, the Prussians held the garrison at Montdidier and in 1815 a Prussian garrison occupied the town for three months.

On October 15, 1870, the Prussians again appeared before Montdidier, held only by a few regular troops and some National Guards.

After a short bombardment, which caused the death of several citizens, the Prussians entered the town.

Chapel built by the soldiers in the ruins of Montdidier.

Saving the town records of Montdidier.

The roads to be followed are shown by thick lines.

Of Montdidier, hardly anything remains but ruins, caused by the terrible battles fought around the town in March-August 1918.

From the end of Rue du Collège, there is a fine view of the whole battlefield: Mesnil-St-Georges and Fontaine-sous-Montdidierto the west; Courtemanche and Framicourtto the north-west; Gratibus, Pierrepont and Contoireto the north, and Ayencourt and Monchelto the south.

On March 27, the German hordes were held on the French right, but overran the plain on the left, where the lack of natural defences made resistance more difficult. The front-line there was very thin, and the Germans captured Cessier and Tilloloy.

The French 22nd I.D. fell back on Bus, then lost this village and the neighbouring woods. For two hours, the enemy were unable to debouch, being held in check mainly by the fire of batteries in Marotin Wood. Near by, the 22nd Territorials, with a squadron of divisional artillery and two companies of engineers, were thrown into the battle. Fighting stubbornly against odds of ten to one, they retreated only step by step. The Germans advanced only with very heavy loss, and they had scarcely entered Marotin Wood when a concentration of artillery fire scattered them.

Held before themassifof Boulogne-la-Grasse, they wedged themselves in between the latter and Montdidier. There was a gap here between the left of Humbert's Army and Debeney's right, then being brought up, and of which only a part, i. e. the 56th Division (Demetz) had taken up its positions. This division, with the 5th Cavalry Division (De la Tour) and two battalions of the 97th Territorials, had to defend a twelve-mile front, extending from Pierrepont to the outskirts of Roye. Attacks by three German Divisions, supported by a powerful artillery, were repulsed.

Throughout the morning, the 69th Battalion of Chasseurs fought along the Echelle-St.-Aurin-Dancourt-Grivillers line. The latter village only fell at 12.45 p.m.

After the capture of Erches and Saulchoy the 65th Battalion of Chasseurs held the enemy in check for some time on the Guerbigny line, but on being attacked on the flank by enemy forces which had crossed the Avre beyond Guerbigny, they were compelled to fall back, but only after inflicting very heavy losses on the enemy. This withdrawal brought about that of the 49th Battalion, above Becquigny.

Before Marquivillers, two battalions of the 105th line Regt. held their ground for a long time, and withdrew only after being overwhelmed. Fighting rearguard actions, they fell back on the crest south of Lignières, then to the plateau east of Etelfay. A battalion of the 132nd line Regt., which had been unable to reach Fescamps, fought with the Territorials of the 97th between Piennes and Forestil Farm. At 3 p.m., a battalion of the 132nd was thrown against Etelfay which had been captured by the Germans, thus enabling two battalions of the 106th and one of the 132nd to reform on the plateau to the west, where they kept the enemy in check until 6.30 p.m.

South of Montdidier, the enemy advanced rapidly towards Rollot and Rubescourt.

The defence of Montdidier was abandoned, and the enemy entered the town at 6.30 p.m. The 56th I.D. and the 5th Cav. Div. reformed to the west of Montdidier and the Avre, without losing a single gun.

In the evening, the French held the line: Ayencourt, Mesnil-St.-Georges, Gratibus, Pierrepont and Contoire. General de Mitry (6th Corps) gave orders to hold at all costs the line of hills which dominate the Three-Doms stream on the west, between Pierrepont and Domfront. The 56th Div. defended the line Framicourt, north of Courtemanche and Domfront.

On the morning of the 28th, the German 9th Div. entered Courtemanche, Framicourt and Fontaine-sous-Montdidier, scattered the units of Engineers who were holding the road to Mesnil, then occupied Mesnil, Ayencourt and Monchel.

Map of Montdidier area.

The 56th Div. immediately counter-attacked. While a battalion of the 132nd Regt. recaptured Fontaine-sous-Montdidier, and the 65th Batn. of Chasseurs advanced in the wood and on the hill near Mesnil, the 3rd Batn. of the 132nd, supported by a Batn. of the 350th, drove back the enemy to Mesnil and Monchel, and carried these villages. On the right, General Humbert's Army recaptured Assainvillers.

On the 29th, the 56th Div. received orders to advance as far as the railway, between Courtemanche and Monchel. The attack was launched at 6 p.m., at the very moment chosen by the enemy for their own attack. The fighting at once became very desperate. On the left, a company of the 69th Batn. of Chasseurs succeeded in entering Framicourt, but was overwhelmed and partly taken prisoners. The 49th Batn. of Chasseurs, after advancing as far as the Chapelle de St. Pierre, west of Courtemanche, was outflanked and forced to withdraw beyond Fontaine-sous-Montdidier. The 65th Batn. of Chasseurs and the 3rd Batn. of the 132nd Regt. progressed to the east of Mesnil, as far as Hill 97, but were decimated by a violent artillery and machine-gun barrage, and had to fall back.

At dawn, on the 30th, after a violent artillery preparation, a fresh German attack was launched. To the north, in front of Fontaine-sous-Montdidier and Hill 104, the 49th Batn. of Chasseurs, supported by units of the 54th Regt., repulsed seven assaults.

Two German air-squadrons having swept the French lines with machine-gun fire, the attack was renewed with fresh troops, but without result. At 3.45 p.m., a new attack by strong enemy columns succeeded in turning the exhausted French forces on both flanks. To avoid being surrounded, the French fell back on the crest east of Villers-Tournelle, and clung desperately to their new positions. On that day, they threw over 1,500 grenades and fired over 50,000 cartridges. From Mesnil to Royaucourt, the battle was equally desperate. The German 9th Division had orders to push forward as far as Elevation 136, i. e. 2½ kms. south-west of Royaucourt.

In front of Mesnil, the French 106th Regt. broke four attacks in the morning, but at about 5 p.m., the French left having given way under a terrific bombardment, the Germans reached the northernoutskirts of the village. The French only abandoned the village, in flames, at 6.30 p.m., taking up fresh positions 200-300 yards in the rear.

Montdidier. Rue Becquerel.(See p. 98.)

On the right, the Germans took Monchel and Ayencourt, but were unable to debouch, which prevented them from reaching the south-western outskirts of Mesnil and the approaches to Royaucourt.

At 7 p.m., a counter-attack by units of the 153rd Regt., a batn. of cavalry on foot, a section of armoured-cars, and a group of artillery took the enemy by surprise. Ayencourt and Monchel were recaptured, and the French line advanced from Monchel to Hill 98.

Exhausted by their efforts and heavy losses, the enemy now consolidated their slight gains.

The French 56th Div. had fought unceasingly for five days and lost the greater part of its effective strength, but had fixed the enemy.

Montdidier. Rue Becquerel in 1919.

Liberating Montdidier.The front on August8th. (morning)and10th (evening).

During the following months the enemy remained on their positions, the sector being disturbed only by local attacks and raids on either side. In the region of Mesnil-St.-Georges, held mainly by the 60th Div., the extreme German right broke down during the offensive of June 9 against the resistance of the French. In front of a single company of the 248th line Regiment, over 200 German dead were counted.

On August 1, the enemy made many unsuccessful efforts in the neighbourhood of Mesnil. From August 3, the French progressed slowly to the east of the village, and prepared starting positions for Debeney's offensive of August 8. On the 4th the Germans, sensing the coming attack, abandoned part of their positions. The French occupied Braches, gained a footing in Hargicourt, and reached Courtemanche.

On August 8, the 3rd Div. of the 9th Corps crossed the Avre to the north, captured and enlarged the bridgehead of Neuville-Sire-Bernardand occupied the western outskirts of Contoire and Hamel. The 9th Corps was then replaced by the 10th, the three divisions of which were in the line: the 152nd and 166th behind the Doms stream, and the 60th in front of Montdidier. On the morning of the 9th the 152nd Div., instead of attempting to cross the marshy stream, inclined to the left, crossed at Neuville-Sire-Bernard, and thus enabled the 166th Div. to force the passage by a frontal attack opposite Gratibus. While the 126th and 153rd Div. carried Hangest village and plateau, the 152nd Div. advanced to Contoire and Pierrepont. The 166th Div., which had met with great difficulty in crossing the Doms stream, was unable to gain a footing on the plateau to the east. Montdidier, already outflanked from the north, was now being turned from the south. General Debeney rapidly transferred his artillery from his left to his right, and began a new attack. The 60th Div. advanced against Montdidier, and the 169th made a north-easterly thrust towards Faverolles, to cut the Montdidier-Roye road, the enemy's main line of retreat. The 133rd Div. attacked eastwards, to mask themassifof Boulogne-la-Grasse and cover the flank of the offensive. Behind followed the 46th Div. and 2nd Cavalry Corps, in readiness to exploit any gains.

German prisonerspassing through Montdidier(1918)

Montdidier.Building a bridge in front of the station.

The attack was a complete success. In the evening, from Faverolles to Piennes, Montdidier was turned from the south. Assainvillers, Piennes and Faverolles were recaptured, and the enemy fell back along the Montdidier-Andechy road, which their desperate resistance before Gratibus had enabled them to keep open. During the nightthey evacuated Montdidier in the greatest confusion. While the French were entering the town, which was entirely in their possession by noon on the 10th, the whole of Debeney's forces thrust eastwards: the 47th and 56th Div. advanced to the east of Villers-les-Roye, the 166th from Gratibus to Lignières, the 60th to the outskirts of Dancourt, the 46th to the east of Tilloloy, the 133rd to the north-east of Fescamps, and the 169th to before Cessier. Montdidier was now largely cleared.

The roads to be followed are indicated by thick lines and arrows.

Abutting on the Esplanade du Prieuré istheBenedictines' Priorywhich, before the war, was a college.Opposite isthePalais-de-Justice. These two buildings suffered severely from the bombardments.

ThePalais-de-Justicewas built on the site of the old Château of the Counts of Montdidier. The entrance was all that remained of the Château at the beginning of the 14th century. The remains of this door were used in the construction of the building known as theSalle du Roy.

Montdidier. The Palais-de-Justice.(1919.)

The Salle du Roy is built over a vaulted passage, situated opposite the Esplanade du Prieuré. To the west, an imposing gable rises above the cliffs, its thick walls reinforced in the centre by an enormous buttress, at the northern corner by a smaller buttress, and at the southern corner by an octagonal turret.

The Palais-de-Justice in 1917.

The entrance to the Palais-de-Justice is below the vaulted passage. On the first story, the Entrance Hall and the corridor leading to the Audience Chamber were decorated with six large Brussels tapestries, believed to be work of Henry Reydams (17th century). Made originally for the town of Douai, they were taken from the Château of Ferrières—pulled down in 1809—in the Department of Oise. The subjects, taken from the Book of Exodus, depicted:The Crossing of the Red Sea;the Hebrews glorifying God;Gathering Manna;Moses striking the Rock;Making the Golden Calf;Worshipping the Golden Calf. The 1st, 3rd and 4th were faithful reproductions of tapestriesin the Cathedral of Chartres, said to have been made after drawings by Raphael.

The Tomb of Raoul de Crépy.

The other public buildings of Montdidier stood in the main road which divides the town from north to south into two unequal parts. The first of these was theChurch of St. Pierre(Hist. Mon.)reached by passing under the archway of the Palais-de-Justice and following Rue St. Pierre.

The interior of St. Peter's Church.

Of this church hardly anything remains except the walls and débris. Portions of the building were 14th century, but most of it dated from the 16th century. The tower, now in ruins, was added in 1742. The doorway was the most remarkable part of the building. The plans were the work of Chaperon (1538), the master-mason of Beauvais Cathedral. The style is a combination of flamboyant Gothic (central dividing pillar, archways, springing of the archways, and niches with socle and canopy at the base of the main pillars), and Renaissance (voluted niches and trefoiled bell-turrets, at the top of the pillars). At the top of the accolade-shaped arch was a shield bearing the arms of France, surrounded by St. Michael's collar, the three crescentsof Henri II, and a monogram combining the "H" of Henri II, the double "D" of Diane de Poitiers, and the double "C" of Catherine de Médicis. The side-walls of the church are sustained by buttresses. In accordance with a custom fairly common in Picardy, each bay of the side-aisles had its own separate roof forming a right-angle with that of the great nave. The interior, with its three naves, massive pillars and low 15th century vaulting—lower at the choir end than near the doorway—appeared somewhat heavy in style.

Montdidier Cemetery(north-east of the town).See Itinerary, p. 98.

Place Faidherbe.

(At the end of Rue de Roye, which comes out into Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville. See p. 98).]

At the bottom of the left aisle, a reclining statue was said to depictCount Raoul de Crépy, and to have formed part of the tomb which the Count had built in the 11th century, while still alive. This statue escaped destruction during the Revolution, and was deposited in the church in 1862. As a matter of fact, it probably dates from the 13th or 14th century, and does not represent Raoul de Crépy.

In the adjoining chapel is aBurial Scenecomprising seven figures grouped around that of Christ. As in the Tomb of St. Germain-les-Fossés at Amiens, Mary Magdalene occupies the centre of the group, whereas this place is usually reserved for the Virgin.

The font (probably 11th. century) is the oldest known specimen of the type used in Picardy between the 11th and 16th centuries. Thelow, square basin rests on five supports, the principal one being in the centre, the other four lesser columns at the corners. The columns, originally in stone, were replaced in the course of time by wooden ones. A belt ornamented with eight heads of rather primitive design runs round the basin. The rest of the decoration, much defaced, includes two entwined heads, grapes, and doves drinking out of a vase.

The tomb, said to be that of Raoul de Crépy, the "Burial Scene" and the font are believed to lie buried under the débris.

The organ loft, composed of the remains of fine Renaissance wood carving of uncertain origin, was destroyed.

Keep along Rue St. Pierre to Place de la Croix-Bleue, in which stoodtheStatue of Parmentier(by Malknecht), erected in 1848. Only the pedestal remains. Parmentier, who introduced and popularized potato growing in France, was a native of Montdidier.

The Statue of Parmentier(1914).

The Statue of Parmentier and a corner of the town, in 1919looking towards St. Peter's Church, seen behind. Tourists follow the road on the left.

Rue de la Croix-Bleue leads to Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville. On the right standsthe modernHôtel-de-Villewhich replaced the old Louis XIII building and a Renaissance house on its right. The automaton bell-striker of the old tower, known asJean Duquesne, which used to strike the hours with a hammer, was erected on the top of the new belfry.

Montdidier.—The Hotel-de-Ville.

Rue Parmentier is next reached, at the entrance to which isthe 16th centuryChurch of the Holy Sepulchre.

Montdidier.—Rue Parmentier and the Church of St. Sepulchre(1914).

Its modern flamboyant Gothic doorway replaced the old portal which, jutting out in front of the church, was ornamented with a hanging garden. On this side, the square tower of the belfry only is ancient. The five-sided chevet overlooks the small court of the presbytery.

The interior comprises a central and two side naves. Only the vaulting of the choir remains.

The Church of St. Sepulchre in 1919.

Church of St. Sepulchre, the Chancel.

The interior of the Church of St. Sepulchre.(Seen from the Chancel, near the Porch).

At the end of the right aisle is anEntombment(1549-1582), a gift of the De Baillon family. The Tomb, which was protected during the war, comprisesThe Burial Sceneand anEcce Homoat the top of the arch over the former. The latter group was finished long before the other one, and is more natural and of finer finish than that of the Tomb. The figures kneeling at the praying-desks on the front of the Tomb represent Pierre de Baillon and his wife, Marguerite de la Morlière. At the other end of the right aisle stood the baptismal font (1539), mutilated and covered with whitewash in 1870. The church of La Boissière possesses an identical font dating from the same period, but much better preserved. The font probably lies buried under the débris. In the font chapel there is a stone bas-relief (protected during the war), said to have come from the old church. It was consecrated to the Virgin, who is seen receiving the benediction of the Eternal Father. The carvings and inscriptions around the Virgin, symbolically recalling the principal episodes in her life, are taken from the Song of Solomon. Unfortunately, this bas-relief was daubed over in 1870, and some of the carvings, particularlyLes trois enfants qui pissent, were mutilated because of their realism.

Montdidier.—The lower town, seen through a shell-holein the Church of St. Sepulchre.

Go down Rue Parmentier, then turn left into Boulevard Béjot, in the direction of Compiègne.

Follow Boulevard Béjot, then take Boulevard de Compiègne, on the right, and a little further on, N. 35, also on the right, toAssainvillers, entirely razed.Take the second road on the left and cross the light railway, 0 km. 700 beyond which areseveral lines of trenches.Take the left-hand street, which leads straight to the church and village ofPiennes. (See sketch-map below.)

Assainvillers in Ruins.

Map.

The church of Piennes (Hist. Mon.) dating from the end of the 15th or beginning of the 16th century, was a remarkable structure.

The tierce-point doorway comprised two round-arched bays, with a blind Flamboyant tympanum. The dividing pillar was surmounted by a statue of the Virgin resting on a crescent.

Assainvillers Church.

Between the doorway and the buttresses framing it, an elaborate Gothic canopy sheltered an empty niche on either side. The front of each buttress was ornamented with a niche under a Gothic canopy containing mutilated statues of St. Catherine and St. Marguerite.

Piennes Church.

The side-aisles were very picturesque with their live gables and five separate roofs at right-angles to that of the great nave.

The vaulting is said to have been designed by Jean Vaast, one of the architects of Beauvais Cathedral. The pretty 16th century font was ornamented with angels' heads and fantastic figures arranged alternately and linked together by festoons of leaves. The remarkable churchwardens' bench of carved wood in Renaissance style was one of the finest in theDépartementof the Somme. The wood-work of the pulpit dated from the same period and was in the same style.

The church was almost entirely destroyed in 1918, but a portion of the doorway and a buttress with a niche still remain. The gables of the side-aisles, three of which have retained their roofing, are still standing. The font near the entrance, on the left, is partly hidden under the débris. The pulpit was destroyed by the falling tower and vaulting.

Leave Piennes and pass through the hamlet ofLe Lundi. Trenches may be seen alongside the railway.Take the Montdidier-Compiègne road on the left toRollot, where Antoine Gallant, the Oriental writer and translator of the French version of "The Arabian Nights", was born in 1646. Of the monument erected to his memory in the village, only the pedestal remains.

Rollot.—Rue de l'Église.

The road from Rollot to Boulogne-la-Grasse.

On leaving Rollot, takeG.C. 27on the left; theChateau of Bains, in the woods skirting the road on the left, was greatly damaged during the fighting.Keep straight on tothe church ofBoulogne-la-Grasse.

Chateau of Bains.

Boulogne-la-Grasse is situated on the top and along the middle slopes of a kind of small brokenmassif. Before the War, the village consisted of a number of independant quarters intersected by picturesque, winding streets, the whole hidden from view by gardens and orchards.

Boulogne-la-Grasse.—The ruined Church.

The Choir of the above Church.

The church, access to which is gained by a flight of 34 steps, overlooks the main street. The choir alone is ancient.

Take the street on the left of the church, then the first on the left which leads to the top of the massif overlooking the village.

The moats surrounding the site of the old fortified Château are still visible. The latter was replaced by a modern Château, now in ruins.

The telegraph-station, which used to stand on the top of the hill, to the west of the village, was destroyed by the Prussians in 1814.

Boulogne-la-Grasse Chateau(1914).

The Courtyard of the Chateau(1918).

From here, there is a fine panorama of the battlefield. On March 27, 1918, the Germans attacked Boulogne and the villages to the east, i. e. Conchy-les-Pots, Roye-sur-Matz, and Canny-sur-Matz, held by part of the French 38th Division which had been brought up to reinforce the 62nd Division, seriously depleted by several days' fighting. The Germans captured Boulogne and Conchy, but the next day (28th), the French counter-attacked and retook both villages. Having, after two unsuccessful assaults, gained a footing in Canny-sur-Matz, the enemy launched repeated violent counter-attacks against Conchy and Boulogne, reoccupying the former, but recapturing only part of the latter. On the 29th, the French progressed beyond Boulogne and again reached the outskirts of Conchy without, however, being able to capture Canny or dislodge the Germans from the eastern part of Boulogne. That night, Boulogne was crushed by the French artillery and made practically untenable, but on the 30th, the German offensive, debouching from Conchy, drove back the French who were occupying themassif. During the following months, the Germans organized a line of support in this region known as the "Rheinlandstellung". General Humbert's offensive of August 10, freed the entiremassif. The same evening the line ran through Orvillers, Boulogne-la-Grasse, La Poste, north of Conchy, through Conchy-les-Pots and the railway-station of Roye-sur-Matz. On the 11th, in spite of fierce counter-attacks, the French reached the wood north of La Poste, Hill 81 to the east of Roye-sur-Matz, and the outskirts of Canny and La Berlière. On the following days, their advance definitely freed the region. Canny was re-occupied on the 17th.

Map.

Return to the church, keeping straight on as far as the first road on the left(G.C. 27)which leads toConchy-les-Pots.Before reaching this village, a Franco-German cemeterywill be seen on the right.A little further on, turn left. At the fork, the left-hand road leads tothe ruins of the parish church dating from the 11th (square choir), 12th and 15th centuries. The church was practically razed.The road on the right leads to theSt. Nicaise Chapel,situated immediately beyond the light railway. This chapel contained fine 15th or 16th century stained-glass windows, depicting the story of St. Nicaise, which were placed in safety during the War.

Conchy-les-Pots, at the crossroads of Boulogne-la-Grasse.

Conchy-les-Pots, a corner of the ruins.

Return to the entrance to the village. By G.C. 27, on the left, tourists may proceed toRoye-sur-Matz, whose church (Hist. Mon.) was partly 12th century. It was rebuilt in the 16th-17th centuries, except the doorway, nave, northern transept and tower which were in a remarkably good state of preservation. Previous to the offensives of 1918, the church had been for three years in the firing line, and was seriously damaged between 1914 and 1917. Its ruin was completed in 1918. A few fragments of walls belonging to the chevet are all that remain.

Roye-sur-Matz.—The Church.

From Roye-sur-Matz return to Conchy-les-Pots, where take the left-hand (paved) N. 17 toOrvillers-Sorel.On the left, between Conchy-les-Pots and Orvillers-Sorel, isthe village ofBiermont, which was desperately defended by the French 62nd Division on March 30, 1918.

Map.

Orvillers-Sorel Church in Ruins.

This district suffered severely from the fierce fighting of March-August 1918. On March 30 two German divisions, including one of the Guard, attacked Orvillers-Sorel, defended by a portion of the French 38th Div., the 4th Regt. of Zouaves and the 8th Regt. of Tirailleurs, the heroes of Douaumont, Hurtebise and La Malmaison. These two regiments, overwhelmed by numbers, were forced to fall back, but only after desperate fighting. Units of the 4th Regt. of Zouaves, greatly outnumbered and cut off, fought to the last man. Others managed to cut their way through, falling back only to reform and counter-attack, sometimes without an officer. As far as the northern outskirts of Orvillers, the ground was defended, inch by inch, and the enemy were unable to enter the village. During the night, the 4th Regt. of Zouaves reformed in the ruins, and on the following day (31st) counter-attacked between 1.30 and 2.30 p.m., reconquering Epinette Wood and taking a number of prisoners. Until May 3, when they were relieved, they maintained their positions. On April 12 and May 11, the French delivered two local attacks and progressed to the north-west of Orvillers. On May 12 and 14, a German attack against the new positions failed with heavy losses. On August 10, the 34th Corps of Humbert's Army cleared Orvillers-Sorel, and captured the "Gothenstellung", which formed the third main fighting line of the German defences.

Orvillers-Sorel. View of the Village.

Beyond the village, a small chapel is passed, on the right, the tourist coming out oppositeSorel Château(late 17th century),which standsin a closed park. The Château was seriously damaged during the attacks.

Sorel Chateau.

Take the avenue facing the Château, which was bordered with trenches,then N. 17 on the left, toCuvilly.

This village is situated on the old Flanders road, formerly used by the stage-coaches. The latter used to stop at the Post-House, the old buildings of which were still standing before the War. The church, heavy in style, probably dates in part from the end of the 16th century. Only the walls and tower remain.

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