the +GREAT GRAVE+ of which a view is given opposite. It contains the
bodies of numerous officers and men who fell in the surrounding fields.
At the extreme end of the grave on the right is buried the well-known
writer, Charles Péguy, whose death seems to have been the one he
desired when writing the following lines, now famous:
Heureux ceux qui sont morts dans les grandes batailles
Couchés dessus le sol à la face de Dieu....
Heureux ceux qui sont morts pour leur âtre et leur feu
Et les pauvres honneurs des maisons paternelles....
Heureux ceux qui sont morts, car ils sont retournés
Dans la première argile et la première terre.
Heureux ceux qui sont morts dans une juste guerre,
Heureux les épis mûrs et les blés moissonnés.
_At the fork of the road beyond the grave, go to the right towards
Iverny._ It is within 200 yards of these cross-roads, in the field on
the left of the road, that Lieutenant Péguy was killed, shot through
the head while standing amidst his soldiers of the 276th, whom he had
ordered to lie down. _On arriving at Iverny, turn to the right towards
Monthyon._ At the entrance to this village, near the farm de l'Hôpital,
there is a little pond where the cases of shells abandoned by the
Germans were emptied (_view on following page_).
These cases belonged to the three batteries of 77's which were
established on the right of the road behind the farm buildings, in
a depression of the ground. We have seen above that these batteries
started the cannonade which began the battle of the Marne. Marked down
by the French batteries they hastily abandoned the position.
[Illustration: POND WHERE THE GERMANS THREW THEIR SHELLS]
_Leaving the pond on the right we follow the road to the left which
brings us to the picturesque village of =Monthyon= (15 km.)._
Despite the difference in spelling, it was the patrimonial fief of the
celebrated philanthropist Baron de Montyon (1733-1820), founder of
several prizes for good conduct and literature awarded yearly in solemn
session by the "Institut de France."
We have seen that Monthyon, attacked without success on the 5th by the
French, was on the 6th abandoned by the Germans. General de Lamaze
established his headquarters there.
_On arriving at the church turn to the right and descend towards the
highway from Saint-Soupplets to Penchard._
Half-way down the slope will be seen on the left a villa which
overlooks all the countryside, and where the French staff had a
first-rate observatory during those hard days of September.
The view below, taken from the upper balcony, shows a corner of the
vast panorama seen from there.
[Illustration: THE PLAIN AT THE FOOT OF MONTHYON]
_At the foot of the slope turn to the right towards Penchard and follow
the railway lines on the road._
Two kilometres further, on the left, an avenue planted with trees leads
to the +Villa Automne+, belonging to M. Charles Benoist, member of the
"Institut" and deputy of Paris.
There the Germans installed an ambulance which received the wounded of
the first battles with the Moroccans at Penchard.
Those who succumbed, among them several officers, were buried in the
garden of the estate.
The Moroccans captured the ambulance when they re-took possession of
Penchard.
The villa had been ransacked; the most highly appreciated trophy being
the owner's peaceful academician's sword.
_At the entrance to =Penchard= (19 km.), keep to the right as far as
the town-hall square, where the motor can be left_.
_By the road which borders the town-hall on the right (about 150
yards from there and going past the church)_ we reach the edge of the
Penchard woods where the view on the following page was taken. The
tourist who enters these woods for a walk, or a rest, will find graves
here and there, the last traces of the furious battles that were fought
around.
Penchard was attacked the first time on September 5 by the Moroccan
brigade, which came from the Chauconin-Neufmontiersline, over which
the tourist has already travelled. The struggle was a desperate and
particularly bloody one on the edge of the wood now before us, as
also in the gardens of the neighbouring houses. The Moroccans had the
advantage in this hand-to-hand fight and towards noon succeeded in
taking the village, which they held for several hours under a violent
bombardment.
[Illustration: THE PLAIN AT THE FOOT OF PENCHARD]
But we know that during this time the 55th division's attack on
Monthyon had failed, and the Moroccans, unsupported on their left, had
to withdraw beyond Chauconin-Neufmontiers.
On the 6th the brigade, renewing its efforts, found Penchard evacuated
and went on to the village of Chambry, towards which we will now direct
our steps.
When leaving Penchard the Germans posted several spies in the woods,
their mission being to signal the positions of the French troops and
artillery to the aviators.
[Illustration: MONUMENT OF THE FOUR ROADS]
One of them was caught and shot at the entrance to the wood in the
evening of the 8th. He wore the red-cross armlet and on him were found
pennons and rockets which he used for signalling.
_We must retrace our steps as far as the fork of the road at the
entrance to the village and take the road that runs to the right._
_Immediately after this we come to the crossways of three roads; we
follow the middle one which goes towards Chambry._
We arrive at the +Monument des Quatre-routes+, so called because it
is placed at the crossing of the Barcy to Meaux road with that from
Penchard to Chambry.
[Illustration: PATRIOTIC CEREMONY AT CHAMBRY (_Photo from
l'Illustration_)]
This monument was raised by the engineers, by order of General
Gallieni, to the memory of the Army of Paris.
Every year, commemorative ceremonies take place at Meaux and on
the neighbouring battlefields, particularly at the monument of the
Quatre-Routes. The view opposite was taken in September 1916. The
bishop of Arras Mgr. Lobbedey, who some hours earlier preached a
touching sermon from Bossuet's pulpit in the Cathedral of Meaux, is
here seen placing the tricolour flag at the foot of the monument.
_At the crossing of the Quatre-Routes, the tourist coming from Penchard
continues straight on to Chambry_, which is seen a little further on in
a hollow (_see photograph below_).
=Chambry= (22 km.) is one of the points of the French right where the
fighting was fiercest. It was taken and retaken during the days of
September 6, 7 and 8. Alternately bombarded by the French 75's (which
at Penchard and Monthyon had taken the place of the German 77's, driven
from their first line), and by the light and heavy artillery that the
Germans had established on the heights of Vareddes and Gué-à-Tresmes,
Chambry, as shown by the great number of new roofs, suffered heavily.
The Germans were thrown back from the western ridge of the hollow
into the village, which they were forced to abandon after violent
hand-to-hand fighting in the streets. They then entrenched themselves
on the east flank and particularly in the cemetery, which is seen in
the view below.
[Illustration:
Cemetery
CHAMBRY]
[Illustration: TOMB AT CHAMBRY]
Driven from the cemetery they fell back on their chief position,
visible on the panorama B (pp. 90-91), whence they made obstinate
counter-attacks. The soldiers of the 45th and 55th divisions fought for
the ground foot by foot, and finally remained masters of it at the cost
of heavy losses. Zouaves, Algerian sharp-shooters, and foot-soldiers of
the line vied with each other in heroism during these terrible days.
_Having entered Chambry we cross the square, leaving the main street on
the left, and go straight on._ We thus turn round the village by the
east--that is to say, on the front that had to withstand all the German
onslaught.
The gardens which border the road contain several graves of soldiers
who were killed in battle and buried where they fell. The upper
photograph shows one of these graves. Some Algerian sharp-shooters fell
there, as is indicated by the crescent drawn on the tombstone placed at
the head of the grave. The tricolour cockade pinned below is that of
"l'Œuvre du Souvenir."
On the slope of the road, to the right, the French troops had
established a trench and some precarious shelters (_see photograph
below_).
[Illustration: SHELTERS DURING THE BATTLE]
This chance installation at the beginning of the war contrasts oddly
with the scientific work that the struggle on fixed positions has now
made common. It seems as though it could not have afforded anything
more than moral protection against the German artillery, which for
three days riddled the position with shells of 77, 105, and even 150
calibre.
_The road followed by the tourist rejoins the main street which lay on
his left as he entered the village._
_400 yards from here, on the right, lies the +CEMETERY+ of Chambry._
Near the entrance, on the left, is a little chapel, whose doors were
riddled with bullets. It served as a temporary infirmary but was very
quickly filled up.
[Illustration: CHAMBRY CEMETERY]
We have seen already the importance of the position held by the Germans
in the cemetery.
Through embrasures pierced in the walls, rifles and machine-guns
directed a fierce fire on the French troops as they advanced to attack
from the direction of Chambry and Barcy. When the latter had taken
the cemetery they, in turn, made use of its defences. The bombardment
growing too violent, Zouaves and foot-soldiers took shelter in the
trench outside the cemetery walls, visible in the photograph on the
following page. A goodly number of these brave men remained there and
took up the space that would have sufficed for the dead of that small
parish for many long years.
The cemetery of Chambry has become a pilgrimage centre. Every year, in
the month of September, numerous delegations come to cover the little
graves with flowers. The photograph below was taken in 1915. In the
middle of the crowd can be distinguished in the foreground, kneeling
and leaning against the wire, Mgr. Chesnelong, Archbishop of Sens;
behind him Mgr. Marbeau, Bishop of Meaux. The lieutenant seen on the
left is the Abbé Dugoux, who had just celebrated mass in the Cathedral
of Meaux.
[Illustration: PATRIOTIC CEREMONY AT CHAMBRY (_Photo from
l'Illustration_)]
[Illustration: CHAMBRY CEMETERY]
_On leaving the cemetery_ one sees in front, on the slope of the road,
the remains of the trenches dug by the French to protect themselves
against counter-attacks from the heights of Varreddes.
_Following the road_, one soon sees the harrowing sight of the
+Plateau+ of Chambry-Barcy, covered with graves. To the right
especially, in the fields which were crossed by the troops rushing
to the attack from the hill visible in the photograph below, one can
reconstruct the progression of the lines under fire by glancing along
the succession of graves.
The principal line of the German defence during the days of September
7, 8 and 9 was established on a position leading from Étrépilly to
Varreddes, plainly visible on panorama B (_pp. 90-91_). The height
shown in the photograph below formed its southern extremity and its
most salient point. Trenches had been made there, supplied with
machine-guns and supported by batteries of 77's.
One realises what energy the French troops needed to advance thus,
over absolutely uncovered ground, under dropping fire. Several attacks
were unavailing; one of them reached the trenches, but the Germans,
who had every facility for bringing up their reserves, which were kept
sheltered in the declivity on the other side of the hill, thrust the
French back on Chambry.
At last, on September 9, the Germans having begun their retreating
movement, Zouaves, Moroccans, and foot-soldiers hustled their
rearguards and descended in pursuit of them into the hollow of
Varreddes.
[Illustration: GRAVES ON THE CHAMBRY PLATEAU]
_Continuing along the same road the tourist comes to a fork. Here he
turns to the left towards Barcy and soon comes to a group of poplars,
whence the panorama_ B _(below) was taken_.
This +PANORAMA+ shows the objective of the French right during the days
of September 7, 8, and 9. This was the little ridge which runs between
Étrépilly and Varreddes, followed by a road bordered here and there
with poplars. This road was filled with trenches and machine guns which
easily swept the uncovered ground that had to be crossed before they
could be reached.
The supporting artillery was in the middle distance, on the Trocy
Plateau and the sides of the Varreddes hollow.
[Illustration:
Plateau north of Étrépilly
Ridge from Étrépilly to Varreddes
Torcy
Ridge from Étrépilly to Varreddes
Varreddes Road
Heights of Varreddes
B. +PANORAMA OF THE ÉTRÉPILLY-VARREDDES LINE+]
The 55th (Reserve) Division, the 45th Algerian Division, and the
Moroccan Brigade hurled themselves against this redoubtable position
for three days, while the 56th (Reserve) Division attacked Étrépilly
and the plateau which stretches to the north. The line fell on the 9th,
but over the whole surface of this plain (which has been called "the
Calvary of the Reserve Divisions") lay numbers of dead who were buried,
some where they fell, others in common graves. These graves, with their
flags waving in the wind, give a veritable grandeur to this landscape
of gentle undulations.
In the view below, taken in front of one of these common graves on the
plateau, appears the then English premier, Mr. Asquith, who was anxious
to make the Ourcq pilgrimage during one of his visits to Paris. He
is seen standing on the right of the road, near the spot from where
panorama B was taken.
_Arriving at_ =Barcy= (26 km.) the tourist will see the site of the
great commemorative monument which is to be raised by subscription
after the war. _At the cross-roads near the entrance to the village,
take the middle road which goes through Barcy and leads to the church._
It was in the little square, opening out in front of the belfry and the
town-hall, that the second photograph (_reproduced on the following
page_) was taken, showing Mr. Asquith interrogating a little village
girl come to fetch water from the fountain.
[Illustration: MR. ASQUITH VISITING THE BATTLEFIELD]
Behind the fountain stands Colonel Hankey, secretary of the Allies' War
Council; beside him is the French officer who directed and expounded
the visit; Mr. Asquith is in the middle; to the right his son-in-law,
and on the extreme right Mr. O'Brien, Sir Edward Grey's colleague.
On September 4 Barcy was the headquarters of a German division. A
few people, among them the brother of the Bishop of Meaux, had been
arrested near Varreddes, in Mgr. Marbeau's car, and taken before the
general. The latter, announcing that he meant to keep their car, told
them to inform the inhabitants of Meaux that on the morrow, at the same
hour, his troops would be before Paris. But on the morrow Maunoury's
army had begun its flank attack, and on the morning of the following
day Barcy was carried by the French troops arriving from Monthyon.
[Illustration: MR. ASQUITH QUESTIONING A LITTLE GIRL]
[Illustration: BARCY CHURCH]
Barcy served as starting point for the assaults on Chambry and on the
line of defence of Étrépilly-Varreddes; very often also as a place for
defensive withdrawals. The fighting was desperate; on September 6 the
246th had nearly twenty officers, including the colonel, out of action,
whilst the 289th found it necessary to attack three times during the
day.
[Illustration: BARCY CHURCH]
For three days the bombardment was terrific: the batteries of
Étrépilly, Varreddes, and Gué-à-Tresmes rained shells on the village
and its approaches.
The church suffered heavily, as shown by the photographs on this page.
In the upper one is seen the hole made by the heavy projectile which
brought down the bell seen in the foreground of the second photograph.
Many houses, like those in the church square, still bear traces of the
cannonade.
Others, less heavily damaged, have been repaired. Indeed, to look at
the farm sleeping in the sunshine (_see following page_), one would
never dream that it had lived through such tragic days.
The new roofing of the building on the left is all there is to remind
one that it was not spared by the shells.
[Illustration: FARM AT BARCY]
_Following the road by which we arrived at the church, we go towards
Marcilly._
Before leaving Barcy, we pass the cemetery where lie buried many
officers and men who fell in the neighbourhood of the village.
The Germans entered =Marcilly= on the evening of September 4, and
abandoned it on the 6th, fearing the outflanking movement of the
Seventh Corps towards the north.
The village was the centre of operations for the 56th (Reserve)
Division. The photograph below shows General de Dartein's temporary
headquarters beside a haystack, not far from the village, whose church
can be seen in the background.
The tourist will have an opportunity of seeing in detail the objectives
of the division when passing through Champfleury, Poligny, and
Étrépilly. The struggle was very fierce and the bombardment incessant
for three days.
_The road crosses Marcilly but we do not go beyond the church_, which
is a very curious one, with its squat tower and rustic porch (_see
following page_). Beside it is the school where a light infantry
sergeant, mortally wounded, still found strength enough to write on the
blackboard: "The 23rd battalion Light Infantry, the 350th Infantry, and
the 361st Infantry have beaten the Prussians here. Vive la France!"
The few inhabitants who remained in the village also remember one
of the prisoners brought to the Pernet Farm, whose torn tunic gave
glimpses of a woman's chemise, trimmed with lace and little blue
ribbons.
_From the church square we turn back about 100 yards and take, on the
left, the road to Étrépilly._
_At the end of the village_ is a +GRAVE+ where foot-soldiers, light
infantry and artillerymen lie buried (_see photograph overleaf_).
[Illustration: GENERAL DE DARTEIN'S TEMPORARY HEADQUARTERS AT MARCILLY]
[Illustration: GRAVES AT MARCILLY (1917)]
[Illustration: MARCILLY CHURCH]
_We soon arrive at the top of the ridge which dominates Marcilly._
Turning round, the tourist will have a wide view of Barcy, Monthyon,
and Penchard; passing to the other side of the ridge he will see, on
the left, the prominent farms of Champfleury and Nongloire.
The view below was taken during the battles of September in a field on
the right of the road. We see a whole section, which thought itself in
safety behind a haystack, destroyed by the explosion of a shell.
[Illustration: SECTION DECIMATED BY A SHELL]
=FROM MARCILLY TO ÉTRÉPILLY= (45 km.)
Via +Puisieux+, +Nogeon+, +Acy+, +Étavigny+, +Betz+, +Acy+, +Vincy+
=Étrépilly= is 4 km. from Marcilly by the direct route, but we take the
tourist round a loop of 45 km. before reaching Étrépilly, so that he
may visit the front of the French left wing.
_Arriving at a beetroot factory we come to a fork in the road and take
the left branch._ Around this factory desperate battles were fought
between the troops of the 56th (Reserve) Division (who, having taken
Marcilly, were trying to take Étrépilly) and the Germans, who defended
this advance guard of their main position foot by foot.
_The road crosses the Thérouanne; 50 yards further on, at the
cross-roads, we take the road on the right which rises towards the_
=Farm of Champfleury= (5 km.). From this front, extending from the
factory to the Champfleury farm, the 56th Division made many attacks
on the strong line formed by Étrépilly and the plateau which spreads
out north of the village, being also successful in shattering all the
German counter-attacks.
[Illustration: CHAMPFLEURY FARM]
Champfleury, very important by reason of its dominating position (as
shown in the above photograph), was vigorously defended, but after two
unsuccessful assaults it was finally carried by the French. There they
were subjected for two days to a violent bombardment from Étrépilly,
Vincy, and Trocy, which made all their attempts to debouch both
difficult and costly.
The farm buildings suffered badly and the rooms of the farm-house were
reduced to ruins by shell-fire.
The view below shows the façade; the officers seen in the photograph
belonged to the staff of the 56th Division which took the farm. The
owners had evacuated Champfleury at the beginning of September; when
they returned they found in the billiard-room (which was smashed to
pieces) a jeering inscription signed by a German officer, regretting
that they (the owners) had not been there to take part in the cannoning
performed on their table.
[Illustration: CHAMPFLEURY FARM]
_To enter the farm follow a little lane on the right for about 100
yards._ Very likely it is still possible to see the various seats
hidden in the trees in the garden, which were used by the look-out men.
_From Champfleury the road descends towards_ =Puisieux=. The view below
shows the situation of this village, in a fold of the ground. In the
background, at the summit of the plateau, is seen the farm of Nogeon,
which will be visited in the course of the excursion.
On the tourist's left, and outside the limits of the photograph, is a
depression beyond which, in a position similar to Champfleury (_see
panorama_ D, _pp. 106-107_), appears the farm of Nongloire.
From the plateau on which stands this farm the French artillery
hammered Champfleury and the Étrépilly position.
[Illustration: PUISIEUX SEEN FROM CHAMPFLEURY]
On the right, also outside the photograph, is the +farm of Poligny+,
_towards which we go, turning to the right, in Puisieux, into the
Rue de Poligny_. The view below was taken from the Poligny road in
September, 1914. In it are seen guns, cartridges, and machine-gun belts
abandoned on the battlefield, and a French drum, which latter doubtless
sounded the charge when the troops of the Seventh Corps, starting
from Puisieux, and supported by the 56th Division coming down from
Champfleury, went to attack the farm.
The struggle was desperate, for Poligny, like Champfleury, was an
advanced position of the Vincy-Étrépilly line, and the Germans defended
it to the utmost. Before leaving they set it on fire.
[Illustration: DÉBRIS OF THE BATTLE IN FRONT OF PUISIEUX]
The view below shows to what a lamentable condition this large farm was
reduced by bombardment and incendiarism.
Only a part of the courtyard can be seen here, but all the buildings
belonging to the farm, including the beetroot factory, are in the same
state.
From Poligny the Germans fell back on their positions on the Étrépilly
Plateau, which is in the background of the photograph, and the farm
became a valuable point of support for the Seventh French Corps.
[Illustration: POLIGNY FARM]
The German battery defending Poligny could not withdraw in its
entirety, the fire of the French 75's having destroyed at least one of
the field-pieces, of which a photograph is given below.
_After this visit the tourist will return to the Puisieux Road (8½ km.)
following the road, he came by, and crossing the village by an S-shaped
route, leave the church on the right._
On the French front Puisieux formed the connecting point between the
right (group Lamaze) and the centre (Seventh Corps). It received many
shells from the batteries of 77's established on the Vincy-Étrépilly
line and from the heavy howitzers of the Trocy Plateau.
[Illustration: GERMAN FIELD-PIECE DESTROYED NEAR POLIGNY]
_Having passed the church, the tourist arrives at a little square, with
several roads opening into it. He takes the one on the right_, which
leads him to the plateau that dominates Puisieux on the north. On the
left can be seen the distillery of Fosse-Martin; straight ahead is the
Nogeon Farm with its beetroot factory.
West of +Fosse-Martin+, in a room in the Castle of Brégy, the flag of
the 72nd Thuringian regiment was found, abandoned.
[Illustration: NOGEON FARM]