Exploring Iconic World War I Memorials Across France

World War I Memorials are scattered across northern France and are well known and much visited. Surprisingly, new sites and memorials from World War I continue to be discovered and constructed, nearly a century after ‘the war to end all wars.’ The history of World War I has not yet been definitively written, and it is doubtful if it ever will. There is a real compulsion to understand and come to terms with World War I, which has not receded with time. This urgency stems from the belief that we should never forget such a horrifying war, but it is also fueled by both local and international research efforts.

The main battles of World War I were fought around Ypres in Belgium, where a tour of World War I battle sites often begins. Nevertheless, there’s much to see further south in France around the charming towns in the region. The discovery of 250 bodies around Fromelles has led to the establishment of a new cemetery, and there is currently a memorial being constructed for Wilfred Owen, the poet who poignantly captured the ‘Pity of War.’ Furthermore, one determined individual, refusing to give up in his search for a World War I tank, now displays the Mark IV weapon in a barn at Flesquière.

Location

This mini-tour of three new World War I sites takes you from Lille southwest to Fromelles, south to Flesquières, and then east to Ors. This itinerary can easily be completed in one day from Lille, Arras or Cambrai.

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Fromelles (Pheasant Wood), a New World War I Cemetery

Fromelles is a small village located approximately 11 miles (18 kilometers) southwest of Lille, accessible via the N41 towards Lens. As you enter the village, it’s essential to stop at the memorial dedicated to the Australians who lost their lives during the Battle of Fromelles. Pass by a striking statue depicting a soldier carrying a severely wounded comrade, commemorating the significant loss of Australian lives here, before continuing to the new War Cemetery in Fromelles. This cemetery represents the first new facility built by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in 50 years and marks the battle that occurred on July 19th, 1916. The headstones, arranged in strict military rows, are bright and white, while the memorial entrance showcases impressive red brick that remains unweathered. After encountering older cemeteries with their weathered headstones, trees, and flowers, Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) War Cemetery presents a stark, yet poignant contrast.

The Battle of Fromelles was the inaugural major World War I engagement on the Western Front to involve Australian troops and it resulted in significant tragedy, particularly for those involved since it occurred alongside the Battle of the Somme. The 5th Australian Division suffered tremendous losses with a total of 5,533 personnel either killed, wounded, taken prisoner or reported missing. The 61st British Division also experienced considerable casualties with 1,547 losses recorded. Within Fromelles, estimates suggest that around 1,780 Australians and 500 British soldiers perished.

Many of the bodies from the battle were laid to rest decades ago in nearby tranquil cemeteries such as VC Corner and Rue Pétillon. However, the discovery of 250 bodies in a mass grave in Pheasant Wood in September 2009 by a specialist company, Oxford Archaeology, represented a significant breakthrough in the quest to find more deceased soldiers from World War I. Consequently, it became clear that a new cemetery was essential.

The process of identifying these bodies involved an extraordinary amount of forensic detective work, including DNA from distant relatives and extensive research in collaboration with institutions such as the Imperial War Museum in London.

In January and February 2010, the remains of the deceased were officially reinterred in Fromelles Military Cemetery. Subsequently, on July 19th, 2010, the cemetery was inaugurated, commemorating the 94th anniversary of the battle.

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A World War I Tank Revealed 90 Years Later

Traveling south from Fromelles, a journey of about 50 miles (84 kilometers) takes you around Arras and Cambrai to the small village of Flesquières, nestled deep within picturesque farming countryside.

For six years, Philippe Gorczuynski, a local hotel proprietor, historian, and author, sought a tank that an elderly woman recalled being pushed by Russian prisoners into a large hole near her family’s café. With professional assistance, he eventually unearthed the tank, Mark IV Deborah, in 1998.

This marked merely the beginning of the journey as he researched the lives of those who perished in the tank during the significant Battle of Cambrai on November 20th, 1917, which involved 475 British tanks. This engagement represented the first large-scale test of this new form of weaponry, which would have a transformative impact on modern warfare.

Philippe Gorczuysnki acquired a barn in the village, installing the tank there along with a small private museum in an adjoining structure. Initially isolated and battered, Deborah was eventually transferred to a newly constructed museum beside the Commonwealth War Grave in Flesquières.

This iconic tank now resides in a specially designed below-ground chamber. Surrounding her are the enthralling narratives of her discovery and history, presenting a captivating blend of battlefield heroism and contemporary detective work detailing how Gorczuynski located the tank and researched the lives — and deaths — of its occupants.

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The Last Hours of World War I Soldier-Poet, Wilfred Owen

Wilfred Owen, the English poet whose poignant verse about World War I has had a lasting impact, is laid to rest in the cemetery of Ors, a quaint village near Le Cateau-Cambresis. This site is located approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) east of Flesquières, accessible via Cambrai.

The soldier-poet spent his final night with his fellow soldiers just outside the village, nestled in the dark, damp basement of the Forester’s House. Part of the Army encampment, this attractive red-brick building is currently being transformed into an imaginative monument dedicated to the poet. This initiative was sparked by the local mayor, who, intrigued by the number of English visitors inquiring about Owen, reached out to the Wilfred Owen Society a few years back. Fascinated by Owen’s story and impressed by his poetic legacy, he initiated a campaign for a memorial, successfully raising 1 million euros, leading to the memorial’s unveiling in autumn 2011.

In the village, there is a sign alongside the canal marking the site where the poet was shot just five days before the end of the war. This skirmish occurred where the road intersects the bridge over the slow-flowing water. Further along, the Wilfred Owen Library features a small collection of books dedicated to the poet and the war. From here, it’s a brief drive to the cemetery—quaint and peaceful, not an official War Cemetery, yet containing a devoted British section for soldiers who lost their lives in the area.

Annually, on November 4th, the village hosts a memorial concert in the church, along with readings of Owen’s poetry, honoring his enduring legacy through The Wilfred Owen Memorial.