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 the _Département_ of 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 of_ =Le Lundi=. Trenches may
be seen alongside the railway. _Take the Montdidier-Compiègne road on
the left to_ =Rollot=, 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.
[Illustration: ROLLOT.--RUE DE L'ÉGLISE.]
[Illustration: THE ROAD FROM ROLLOT TO BOULOGNE-LA-GRASSE.]
_On leaving Rollot, take_ G.C. 27 _on the left_; the CHATEAU OF BAINS,
in the woods skirting the road on the left, was greatly damaged during
the fighting. _Keep straight on to_ the church of =Boulogne-la-Grasse=.
[Illustration: CHATEAU OF BAINS.]
Boulogne-la-Grasse.
Boulogne-la-Grasse is situated on the top and along the middle
slopes of a kind of small broken _massif_. 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.
[Illustration: BOULOGNE-LA-GRASSE.--THE RUINED CHURCH.]
[Illustration: 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.
[Illustration: BOULOGNE-LA-GRASSE CHATEAU (1914).]
[Illustration: 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 the _massif_. 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 entire _massif_. 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.
[Illustration]
_Return to the church, keeping straight on as far as the first road
on the left_ (G.C. 27) _which leads to_ =Conchy-les-Pots=. _Before
reaching this village_, a Franco-German cemetery _will be seen on the
right_. _A little further on, turn left. At the fork, the left-hand
road leads to_ the 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 the_ St. 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.
[Illustration: CONCHY-LES-POTS, AT THE CROSSROADS OF
BOULOGNE-LA-GRASSE.]
[Illustration: 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 to_ =Roye-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.
[Illustration: ROYE-SUR-MATZ.--THE CHURCH.]
_From Roye-sur-Matz return to Conchy-les-Pots, where take the
left-hand (paved) N. 17 to_ =Orvillers-Sorel=. _On the left, between
Conchy-les-Pots and Orvillers-Sorel, is_ the village of BIERMONT, which
was desperately defended by the French 62nd Division on March 30, 1918.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: 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.
[Illustration: ORVILLERS-SOREL. VIEW OF THE VILLAGE.]
_Beyond the village, a small chapel is passed, on the right, the
tourist coming out opposite_ =Sorel Château= (late 17th century),
_which stands_ in a closed park. The Château was seriously damaged
during the attacks.
[Illustration: SOREL CHATEAU.]
_Take the avenue facing the Château_, which was bordered with trenches,
_then N. 17 on the left, to_ =Cuvilly=.
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.
[Illustration: CUVILLY.
THE CHURCH, SOUTH-WEST FAÇADE.]
_To reach the church take Rue de Matz, on the right, and on reaching
the square, bear to the left._
Belloy Plateau.
_To reach_ Belloy Plateau, on which violent fighting took place in June
1918, _keep straight on the road from Cuvilly to_ =Lataule=.
The church of Lataule, although modern, has retained some of the
windows of the 15th century edifice. Opposite, stands the Château,
built at the end of the 17th century, after the Spanish wars. Of the
old Château, destroyed in the 17th century, traces still remain near to
the road.
_Turn to the right, skirting the park of the Château, to reach_ =Hill
132=, on which are a cemetery, an observation-post, and some trenches.
[Illustration: STATUES IN CUVILLY CHURCH.]
From there, the view extends over Belloy and Méry to the west, Cuvilly
to the north, Lataule and Lataule Wood to the east, Genlis Wood to the
south, and St. Maur to the south-east. The Germans gained a footing on
this bare plateau on June 10, 1918, capturing the villages of Lataule,
Méry, Belloy, St. Maur and Cuvilly, after a fierce battle lasting
two days, in which they engaged large forces. Méry especially, was
fiercely disputed and changed hands twice that day. On the following
day (11th), the Germans had scarcely installed themselves on the newly
conquered ground, when they were thrown into confusion and defeated
by the sudden counter-attack of a group of divisions under General
Mangin. All available tanks had been assembled within twelve hours, in
support of this counter-attack, and thanks to their clearly visible
line, the French aviators were able, throughout the battle, to follow
the advance of the infantry with accuracy. The tanks attacked and cut
off the villages of Méry and Belloy, enabling the infantry to capture
the entire German garrisons without striking a blow. On the 12th they
reformed, and went forward again with the infantry, advancing east of
Méry and Genlis Wood, before Belloy, and as far as the outskirts of
St. Maur. The line was advanced 2 kms., east of Méry, as a consequence
of this thrust, and German counter-attacks failed to win back the
lost ground. Cuvilly remained in the possession of the enemy, who
consolidated it. On August 10, when the offensive by Humbert's Army
began, the German line of support known as the "Vandalenstellung",
which passed south of the village, was carried by the French in a
single rush.
[Illustration:
LATAULE. THE CHATEAU IN RUINS.]
[Illustration: RUINS OF BELLOY CHURCH.]
[Illustration: BARRICADE IN MÉRY VILLAGE.]
[Illustration: MÉRY. A CORNER OF THE VILLAGE.]
_The road leads to_ =Belloy=, _which pass through, leaving the pond on
the left. Just outside the village, there is_ a "Calvary", _whilst a
little further on, are_ battery positions with shelters. =Méry=, whose
church is in _the third street on the left, is next reached_.
The oldest parts of the church (choir, left transept and tower) date
from the 16th century. The rest is 18th century. There are underground
shelters in the village and surroundings, the entrances to which are
nearly all blocked up. As in the other villages on this plateau,
ancient _sarcophagi_ have been discovered at Méry.
_Turn back and take G.C. 146 to_ RESSONS-SUR-MATZ. Trenches with wire
entanglements are to be seen along the road.
[Illustration: ARTILLERY PASSING THROUGH RESSONS-SUR-MATZ.]
From Belloy Plateau to Compiègne,
=via Ressons-sur-Matz, Marquéglise, Margny-sur-Matz, Élincourt-St.
Marguerite, Marest-sur-Matz, Coudun and Bienville.=
_At the crossing of the road with N. 17, on the left, is_ the CHATEAU
OF SÉCHELLES. _Continue along G.C. 146; 2 kms. further on, there is a
very bad level-crossing over a narrow-gauge railway. After crossing
a normal gauge railway (l. c.) and another narrow-gauge line_,
=Ressons-sur-Matz= _is reached. Turn left to reach the church._
[Illustration: RESSONS-SUR-MATZ.--THE MAIN STREET.]
Ressons is a very ancient market-town. St. Amand, bishop of Maestricht,
preached the Gospel there about the year 632. It was formerly a fairly
important place, especially in the 16th century. A fortified castle,
standing at the end of the village on the road to Séchelles, was taken
by the Burgundians in 1430, and afterwards recaptured by the French.
The church (_Hist. Mon._) dates from various periods: the nave and
side-aisle with their richly ornamented buttresses were rebuilt in the
middle of the 16th century; the most ancient parts (cornices of the
nave, and the northern transept and choir) are 12th century; fragments
of the stained-glass windows bear the date "1561". The building was
considerably damaged in 1918: the stained-glass windows were destroyed
and the bell disappeared.
_Turn back, and beyond Place du Marché take G.C. 41 on the left. On
leaving Ressons, there is a bad level-crossing over a narrow-gauge
railway, another in very bad condition beyond Bayencourt Farm, and a
third 1 km. further on, after which_ =Marquéglise= _is reached. (See
sketch-map, p. 114.)_
[Illustration: MARQUÉGLISE.--A CORNER OF THE VILLAGE.]
The old Château opposite the church is in ruins; the surrounding walls
and outlying pavilions alone remain standing.
The church is mainly 16th century. The choir vaulting contains several
keystones bearing coats-of-arms. A pretty 15th or 16th century cross
with a Virgin on one of its sides, which used to stand in the cemetery,
was destroyed.
[Illustration: MARQUÉGLISE.
THE CHURCH AND FRENCH MILITARY GRAVES.]
_A foot-path nearly opposite the church leads to_ =Hill 77=. From there
a fine panoramic view may be had of the battlefield on both sides
of the Amiens-Compiègne road, as far as the Aronde, particularly to
the south-west, where the view takes in Antheuil, Loges Farm (an old
dependency of Ourscamps Abbey), and Porte Farm, formerly belonging to
Élincourt-St.-Marguerite Priory. This region was the scene of desperate
fighting during the German offensive of June 9-11, 1918.
[Illustration: THE BATTLEFIELD TO THE SOUTH-WEST OF HILL 77.]
On the night of the 10th, the Germans captured Antheuil and the
two farms, advancing as far as the Aronde. They were already
shouting victory, in the belief they were outflanking Compiègne from
the north-west and would soon reach Estrées-St.-Denis, when the
counter-attack of June 11 drove them back. Antheuil was retaken and
held; the two farms were likewise recaptured, but the French were
unable to hold them.
On the 14th, although the enemy failed in front of Antheuil, they
resumed their advance towards Les Loges and Porte Farm.
During the rest of the month this sector remained agitated. On several
occasions the Germans attempted to retake Antheuil, but were each time
repulsed.
A surprise attack by the French on July 9 resulted in the capture of
the two farms in the early morning, with 500 prisoners. On the 13th,
they improved their positions and advanced 500 yards to the north of
Porte Farm. On August 10, the whole district was cleared by the advance
of Humbert's Army.
_Return to the car and after turning it round, take the first road on
the left to_ =Margny-sur-Matz=. (_See map, p. 124._)
[Illustration: MARGNY-SUR-MATZ.--INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH.
_Note the "Glory Beam"._]
The door and choir of the church are Norman. Some of the capitals in
the choir (those behind the altar) attest to the primitive Norman
style. A stone _Pieta_ and a small ovoid stoup dating from 1603 have
disappeared. A "glory beam" depicts Jesus-Christ, the Virgin and St.
John.
_Continue along the road. On leaving Margny, there is a bad
level-crossing over a narrow-gauge railway. Take the first road on the
left to_ =Élincourt-St.-Marguerite=.
[Illustration: ELINCOURT-ST.-MARGUERITE. THE CHURCH.]
This is a very old village, in the neighbourhood of which are several
tombs dating from a very remote period. The country was occupied by the
Romans. Gallo-Roman remains have been discovered around the Château of
Bellinglise. Under Charles-le-Simple, the village and chapel of St.
Marguerite were given to the Abbey of St. Corneille at Compiègne. The
Priory of St. Marguerite, founded by the Benedictines at the end of the
11th or beginning of the 12th century, was rebuilt in the 13th century.
The district hereabouts suffered severely during the Hundred Years War.
According to a local tradition, the old Château of Beauvoir, on the
left of the Thiescourt road and now entirely overrun with vegetation,
gave shelter one night to Joan of Arc, then a prisoner. This is not
improbable, but the tablet in the church, bearing the following
inscription: _Joan of Arc, before shutting herself up in Compiègne, in
MCCCCXXX, made a pilgrimage to St. Marguerite and communicated in the
church of Élincourt_, is not borne out by history, as she could not
have gone to Élincourt--occupied by the English--seeing that she left
Crépy to go to Compiègne.
Parts of the church are early 12th century, the aisles and belfry 18th.
The doorway includes three accoladed windows, with two other windows
above surmounted by diamond-pointed moulding. In the interior, there
is an 18th century marble altar. A marble statue of St. Marguerite was
placed in safety during the war, but another of St. John (15th century)
also in marble, has disappeared, together with the two shrines of St.
Barbe and St. Marguerite.
The church was seriously damaged, most of the vaulting being destroyed.
At the eastern termination, the partial collapse of two buttresses
laid bare some small 12th century columns which formerly ornamented
the choir and which were walled in at the time the buttresses were
reconstructed, probably in the 15th century.
_Leaving the church on the left, follow the road as far as the first
crossing. Leave the car and climb the hill-side on foot, as far as_ the
=Monastery of St. Marguerite=, which dominates the whole valley of the
Matz, and from which there is a fine view extending from Ressons Wood
to the Soissonnais hills. Only fragments of the surrounding walls, a
deep well, some cellars (which were transformed into shelters), and a
number of old yew-trees remain.
[Illustration: ELINCOURT-ST.-MARGUERITE AND THE VALLEY OF THE MATZ,
SEEN FROM THE MONASTERY OF ST. MARGUERITE.]
_On the way back, take the left-hand road, which joins G.C. 142. At the
fork, take the right-hand road to_ =Marfontaine Manor=--practically
intact--built in the 13th century on a Gallo-Roman mound, to the north
of the Priory Garden. The great hall has low vaulting, the central
springing of which rests on a round pillar; the keystones represent
three entwined fishes. The =Château of Bellinglise=, abutting on
Marfontaine Manor, was built in the 16th century.
[Illustration: BELLINGLISE CHATEAU.]
_The left-hand road passes near_ =St. Claude Farm=, _at the crossing
of G.C. 142 (from Élincourt to Lassigny) with G.C. 82 (from Mareuil to
Thiescourt_). From here, there is a fine view over the battlefield from
the Matz to the Oise: Gury (_to the north_), the valley of the Matz and
Ressons (_to the west_), Mareuil-la-Motte, Marquéglise and Vignemont
(_to the south_), Élincourt, Chevincourt, Mélicocq and Ribécourt (_to
the south-east_), and the Thiescourt Woods (_to the east_).
[Illustration: THE MASSIF OF THIESCOURT.
_The eastern portion of the massif and the fighting which took place
there, are described in the Michelin Guide: Noyon, Roye, Lassigny._]
During the battle of March 30, 1918, the headquarters of General
d'Ambly (77th Division) were at Élincourt, while those of General
Guillemin (53rd Division) were at Chevincourt. At that time, these
divisions were barring the road from Plessis-de-Roye to the Oise.
Until June 9, the enemy attempted local operations only. On June 9,
they attacked in massed formation, capturing Gury Heights, Ricquebourg
Wood, and Mareuil-la-Motte. The village of Ressons-sur-Matz, in which
they gained a footing, was disputed foot by foot. St. Claude Farm,
which also fell, was in the thick of the battle. It was an important
position overlooking the plateau, from which the enemy, from the outset
of the attack, had an extensive view over a large part of the French
rear positions, and its loss meant the withdrawal of the artillery. The
brunt of the German attack was directed against this observation-post,
which had to be abandoned, the French being overwhelmed. On the 10th
the Germans reached Ressons Wood and Bellinglise Plateau, gained a
footing in Marquéglise, and captured the farms of Attiche, Monolithe,
Ribécourt and Antoval. On the 12th, after repeated attempts, they
gained a footing in Mélicocq, carried the heights of Croix-Ricard, and
crossed the Matz. However, on June 13, a French counter-attack drove
them back across the river; Mélicocq and Croix-Ricard were recaptured,
together with a hundred prisoners and a number of guns. In spite of
several violent counter-attacks, the enemy were held.
On August 10, an offensive by Humbert's Army began to clear the whole
region. At 4.20 a.m., the 129th, 165th, 6th, 121st, 74th, 123rd,
67th, 38th and 15th Divs. attacked from Courcelles to Antheuil and from
Antheuil to the Oise. At 7 a.m. the first objectives were reached.
Ressons, through which ran the enemy's main line (the "Gothenstellung")
was passed, whilst Marquéglise, the Château of Séchelles, Chevincourt
and Bourmont were captured. The whole of a Regimental Staff was
captured at the Château of Séchelles. At Ressons the tanks threw the
Germans into confusion. On the 11th, Vignemont, Margny, Le Plessier,
Hill 179, Mareuil-la-Motte, Bellinglise Château and Élincourt were
captured. The French advanced in the direction of Gury and St. Claude
Farm, which formed the key of the "Gothenstellung" position, and by
evening had reached the western outskirts of Gury, a point south of
La Berlière and Hill 143, and approached St. Claude Farm, Hill 166,
Samson, Cense Farm and the quarries of Montigny and Antoval. On the
12th, they captured and progressed beyond Gury and St. Claude Farm, and
took Écouvillon and Loges Wood, the latter being, however, lost again
in the afternoon. On the 13th, they advanced along the plateau, gained
a footing in Plessis Park, reached the eastern outskirts of Belval, and
attained a point 800 yards north-east of Gury. Entering Ribécourt on
the 14th, they re-occupied the Attiche and Monolithe Farms on the 15th,
as well as the quarries situated 2 kms. north-west of Ribécourt. On the
17th, the Germans delivered several powerful attacks near Monolithe and
Attiche Farms, but failed to drive back the French, who strongly held
the newly conquered ground.
[Illustration: ST. CLAUDE FARM.]
_From St. Claude Farm, return to Élincourt. Near the church, take Rue
de l'Escalier_ (G.C. 142) _and the road on the left of the Calvary. 1
km. further on, near a block of houses, follow the right-hand road,
passing through_ =Marest-sur-Matz=. _The road skirts the_ CHATEAU
OF RIMBERLIEU, _opposite which is_ a tower--all that remains of an
old fortified castle. =Villers-sur-Coudun= _is next reached_, whose
church is situated on the left, near the end of the village. The end
of the chancel is 12th-13th century, the façade and vaulting 15th-16th
century, the remainder modern.
_Continue along the road to_ =Coudun=, formerly the Head-Quarters of
the Training Camp built in 1698 for the Duke of Burgundy, grandson of
Louis XIV. The king, accompanied by James II of England, paid a visit
to this camp in August, to attend the military manœuvres. The camp,
under the command of Marshal de Boufflers, extended along the plateau
which dominates the right bank of the Oise from Lachelle to Margny and
from Baugy to the Château of Bienville. 50 battalions of Infantry, 52
squadrons of Cavalry and 40 guns were stationed there.
[Illustration: VILLERS-SUR-COUDUN.--THE MAIN STREET.]