‘or a fine …’ Cabaret, op. cit.
‘There were …’ Delabranche, op. cit.
‘instead of terror …’ Le Câtelet, op. cit., p. 99.
‘In that rich earth …’ from Rupert Brooke, ‘The Soldier’ in Silken, op. cit., p. 9.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN The Somme
‘one sensed …’ Lelong, op. cit., p. 5.
‘louder than ever …’ Delabranche, op. cit.
‘It was a deafening …’ interview with Jean Moreau, 1 Feb 1999.
‘heavenly …’ Siegfried Sassoon, Memoirs of an Infantry Officer, p. 71.
‘A good kick …’ Private L.S. Price, quoted in Martin Middlebrook, The First Day on the Somme, (London, 1971) p. 124.
‘The mairie …’ Lelong, op. cit., P 3.
‘Day and night …’ ibid.
‘One hundred …’ ibid.
‘hospital for …’ interview with Monique Séverin, 3 Feb 1999.
‘suddenly a shot …’ Jünger, op. cit., p. 115.
‘the whole misery …’ ibid., p. 116.
‘as elsewhere …’ ibid., p. 52.
‘The activities …’ Lelong, op. cit.
‘everyone believed …’ interview with Bernard Bétermin, 11 Aug 1998.
‘a sickening …’ Occleshaw, op. cit., p. 230.
‘Everything appeared …’ ibid.
‘I have misgivings …’ General Sir Walter Kirke, Diaries, 20 Jul 1916, Imperial War Museum archives.
‘The widow …’ inscription on Marié family mausoleum.
‘deported in …’ Lelong, op. cit., P 7.
‘she was imprisoned …’ ibid.
‘deafening and worrying …’ Occleshaw, op. cit., p. 230.
‘thanks to the …’ inscription on Marié family mausoleum.
‘Both sides had seen …’ Edmund Blunden, The Mind’s Eye, (1934), p. 38.
‘horribly treated …’ Legé, op. cit.
‘camps of famine …’ Le Câtelct, p. 110.
‘The sight of…’ ibid.
‘the display of …’ Legé, op. cit.
‘wretched men …’ Lelong, op. cit., p. 8.
‘the inhabitants …’ ibid.
‘cooked potatoes …’ interview with Robert Boitelle.
‘Pâté dejóte gras …’ postcard from Siegburg prison, 30 Jun 1917, signed ‘Contesse G. de Monge’, private archives of Robert Boitelle.
‘left no place …’ Le Câtelet, op. cit., p. 145.
‘socially isolated …’ personal file of Karl Evers, Niedersächsisches Haupstaatsarchiv Hanover (Archive of the Federal State of Lower Saxony), 173 Ace 67/78Nr. 10 I, Fol 75–6.
‘A group of …’ proclamation cited in Le Câtelet, op. cit., p. 127.
‘One beautiful day …’ ibid., p. 70.
‘his predecessor …’ Delabranche,Journals, op. cit., 2 Nov 1916.
‘The letters …’ Magniez, Journals, op. cit., c. Mar 1916, private archives of Philippe Delacourt.
‘principal archives …’ Lelong, op. cit., p. 4.
‘The inhabitants …’ ibid.
‘through swirling mists …’ Delabranche, op. cit.
‘handful of men …’ Lelong, op. cit., p. 4.
‘Our possessions …’ interview with Louise Vannasche.
‘She was wearing …’ interview with Jean Barras, 9 Sept 1998.
‘secreted on her person …’ Royal Hampshire Regimental Journal, Vol. II, op. cit., p. 24.
‘rain falling in …’ Delabranche, op. cit.
‘All you could …’ ibid.
‘They found with …’ Jünger, op.cit, p. 144, translation by Thomas Nevin, Ernest Jünger and Germany, Into the Abyss, 1914 – 1945, p. 52.
‘The only way …’ interview with Henriette Legé.
‘The Boche is …’ Diary of Colonel J. D. Wyatt, Gloucestershire Regiment, 10 Mar 1917, Imperial War Museum archives.
‘watched the preparations …’ Lelong, op. cit., p. 4.
‘When they finally …’ ibid
CHAPTER FOURTEEN The Wasteland
‘a land criss-crossed …’ Edgar Dhéry, Bulletin de l’Aisne, 10 Jan 1918.
‘sniped an …’ L. de Grave, The War History of the 5th Sherwood Foresters, 1914 – 18 (London, 1929) cited in Mitchinson, Riaueval: The Hindenburg Line, p. 104.
‘about one mile …’ ibid., p. 106.
‘a few, very …’ ibid., p. 109.
‘count the number …’ ibid., p. 110
‘made of tempered …’ ibid.
‘A Lewis gun …’ ibid. See also F. Petre, The History of The Royal Berkshire Regiment, Vol. II (London, 1926).
‘Riflemen Breedon …’ Mitchinson, op. cit., p. 104.
‘The brutes …’ Bulletin de l’Aisne,31 Jan 1918.
‘The Boche guns …’ ibid.
‘breathless cook …’ Oldham, The Hindenburg Line, p. 169.
‘Few surrendered …’ G. F. Jacobson, The History of the 107th Infantry, USA, (New York, 1920)cited in ibid., p. 162.
‘The enemy’s …’ cited in John Terraine, The Great War, p. 362.
‘desperately under …’ Mitchinson, op. cit., p. 113.
‘He was most …’ interview with Suzanne Boitelle.
‘A few days …’ ibid.
‘well within …” medal roll of 107th US Infantry, 27th Division.
‘upon hearing …’ ibid.’
‘in the face …’ ibid.
‘thin, grey-haired …’ L. R. Lumley, History of the 11th Hussars 1908 – 1934 (London,1936), p. 396.
‘one of the very few …’ ibid., p. 405.
‘Monsieur, you …’ ibid., p. 406.
‘before standing …’ W. Nicholson, cited in Winter, op. cit., p. 235.
‘kept hidden …’ Royal Hampshire Regimental Journal, op. cit., p. 24.
‘voices rising …’ Ashmead-Bartlett, op. cit., p. 127.
‘had not received …’ interview with Suzanne Boitelle.
‘The valley …’ Le Câtelet, op. cit., p. 171.
‘not only no …’ ibid.
‘My heart is …’ Mme Fournierd’Alincourt to Elie Fleury, 17 Mar 1919, archives of Société Académique de Saint-Quentin.
‘a repopulation …’ Bulletin de l’Aisne, 16 Jan 1919.
‘The land was …’ Le Câtelet, op. cit., p. 171.
‘ruined by the war …’ interview with Michel Lelong, 28 Jan 1999.
‘yellow devils …’ Le Câtelet, op. cit., p. 175.
‘one inhabitant …’ ibid., p. 176.
‘This small village …’ Lelong, op. cit., pp. 8–9.
‘We women …’ interview with Suzanne Boitelle.
‘I am happy …’ interview with Hélène Cornaille, 28 Aug 1998.
‘the valued …’ commemorative letter from Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to Suzanne Boitelle, 30 Aug 1920.
‘In the village …’ from the song ‘Quatre Petits Anglais’, as recalled by Elvire and Emile Vasseur, reproduced courtesy of Bernard Bétermin.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Villeret, 1930
‘Suddenly everyone …’ interview with Hélène Cornaille, 2 Feb1999.
‘Private 9368 …’ HMSO (1920) Oart. 41: ‘The Hampshireregiment casualty list.’
‘brave and noble …’ Ashmead-Bartlett, op. cit., p. 128.
‘In Memory of…’ Thomas Digby, privately distributed, courtesy of Thomas Leyland.
‘gentleman’s service …’ interview with Thomas Leyland.
‘Thomas Digby …’ document in Villeret municipal archives.
EPILOGUE Villeret, 1999
‘The bullet …’ Tim Massy-Beresford, Recollections of a Rifleman, unpublished memoir (c. 1982), p. 9.
‘As I wasn’t …’ ibid., p. 20.
‘There is a …’ ibid., p. 22.
‘never actually …’ ibid., p. 23.
‘you had to …’ F. Scott Fitzgerald,Tender is the Night, quoted in Stephen O’Shea, Back to the Front (New York, 1996), p. 14.
‘discovered as …’ Legé, op. cit.
‘The poor soldiers …’ Cabaret, op. cit.
‘to avoid any …’ Alice Delabranche to Charles Desjardins, 11 July 1928, archives of the Société Académique de Saint-Quentin.
‘who loved …’ ‘Quatres Petits Anglais’, op. cit.
‘I wanted to …’ interview with Georges Mercier, 28 Sept 1998.
‘It was a woman …’ interview with Georges Mercier, 2 Feb1999.
‘I had the …’ interview with Henriette Legé.
‘In 1914 …’ interview with Suzanne Boitelle.
‘We were …’ ibid.
‘courage and dignity …’ Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to Suzanne Boitelle, 30 Sept 1920.
‘I don’t know …’ interview with Robert Boitelle.
‘The woman was …’ interview with Edgar Vanasche
‘Look that’s the …’ ibid.
‘nervous disorder …’ Letter from Professor Hans Willige, 9 Aug 1920, Niedersächsische Hauptstaatsarchiv Hanover: Hann. 172 Ace 67/78 Nr. 10 I.
‘The inquiry came …’ Le Câtelet, op. cit., p. 99.
‘where a magnificent reception …’Spears, op. cit., p. 524.
‘One shouldn’t …’ interview with Jean-Marc Dubuis, 11 Aug 1998.
‘It was a long …’ interview with Jean-Marc Dubuis in Aug 1998.
‘These things are …’ interview with Jean-Marc Dubuis, 17 Aug 1998.
‘That may be …’ interview with Evelyne Dubuis, 17 Aug 1998.
‘My father knew …’ interviewwith Jean Dessenne, 3 Feb 1999.
‘She never …’ interview with Helene Comadle, 2 Feb 1999.
‘Je vous adore …’ letter from W. Richter to J. Magniez, 20 Dec 1948, Delacourt archives.
‘I see you …’ ibid.
‘She never …’ interview with Jean-Marc Dubuis, 11 Aug 1998.
‘shot off by …’ interview with Philippe Delacourt, 6 Jun 1998.
‘Robert was …’ interview with Thomas Leyland, 13 Mar 1999.
‘The Englishmen …’ interview with Robert Poétte, 17 Oct 1998.
‘those who sacrifice …’ inscription on Marié family mausoleum.
‘True to character …’ Occleshaw, op. cit., p. 231.
‘performed fantastic …’ Andrew Lownie, John Buchan, the Presbyterian Cavalier, p. 129.
‘notes of German …’ John Buchan, A Prince of the Captivity, p. 42.
‘Sometimes …’ ibid., p. 44.
‘but there would …’ ibid., p. 45.
‘with an eye like …’ ibid., p. 40.
‘There were …’ ibid., p. 48.
‘Madame Dessenne …’ Bulletin de L’Aisne, 16 Oct 1919.
‘Claire wanted …’ interview with Georges Cornaille, 29 Feb 2000.
‘They said we …’ interviews with Hélène Cornaille, 11 and 16 Aug 1998.’
‘My father was …’ interview with Hélène Cornaille, 20 Aug 1998.
‘In the village …’ interview with Hélène Cornaille, 17 Mar 2001.
‘always took a beautiful …’ ibid.
‘We went five …’ interview with Hélène Cornaille, 2 Feb 1999.
‘had it in …’ interview with Hélène Cornaille, 17 Mar 2001.
‘Why do you …’ interview with Hélène Cornaille, 11 Aug 1998.
‘My grandmother told …’ interview with Michel Lelong, 28 Jan 1999.
‘They were prisoners …’ interview with Michel Lelong, 29 Jan 1999.
‘Political Prisoners’ Liste des prisonniers politiques, Villeret municipal archives.
‘My grandmother always …’ interview with Michel Lelong, 28 Jan 1999.
‘as a testimony …’ official letter of thanks to bronze medal recipients, dated 30 Sept 1920, courtesy of Robert Boitelle.
‘The attitude of …’ hand writtennote, archives of the Société Académique de Saint-Quentin, partially reproduced in Fleury, op. cit., p. 89.
‘Yes, we have …’ ibid.
‘What would you …’ ibid.
‘you who have …’ ibid.
‘We would have …’ ibid.
‘It was clear …’ ibid.
‘confessed …’ ibid.
‘without difficulty …’ ibid.
‘One day …’ interview with Marcelle Sarrazin, 12 Jan 2000.
‘They had all …’ Fleury, op. cit.
‘monstrous flood …’ Carl Jung,Memories, Dreams, Reflections p. 203.
‘The happenings in …’ Carl Jung, ibid., cited in Fussell, op. cit., p. 113.
About the Author
Ben Macintyre is the author of Forgotten Fatherland and The Napoleon of Crime. He is the parliamentary sketchwriter for The Times; he was previously the paper’s correspondent in New York, Paris and Washington. He now lives in London.
Also by the Author
FORGOTTEN FATHERLAND
THE NAPOLEON OF CRIME
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there’s some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed …
From ‘The Soldier’,
Rupert Brooke (1887 – 1915)
Rendezvous
I have a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade
And apple-blossoms fill the air –
I have a rendezvous with Death
When Spring brings back blue days and fair.
It may be he shall take my hand
And lead me into his dark land
And close my eyes and quench my breath —
It may be I shall pass him still.
I have a rendezvous with Death
On some scarred slope of battered hill,
When Spring comes round again this year
And the first meadow-flowers appear.
God knows ‘twere better to be deep
Pillowed in silk and scented down,
Where love throbs out in blissful sleep,
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,
Where hushed awakenings are dear …
But I’ve a rendezvous with Death
At midnight in some flaming town,
When Spring trips north again this year,
And I to my pledged word am true,
I shall not fail that rendezvous.
Alan Seeger (1888 – 1916)
Index
The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use the search feature of your e-book reader.
Aisne, River/Aisne heights 52, 68, 104–5
‘Alberich’ (German withdrawal) 204
Alincourt, Mlle Fournier d’ 29, 44, 74, 80, 217
American troops 122, 197, 213–14
Ancre, Alfred d’ 91
Ancre, River 68
Ashmead-Bartlett, Major 216, 225
Aubencheul 69–70, 140–1
Aubers Ridge, battle of 120
Auden, W. H. 140; ‘Epitaph for an Unknown Soldier’ 231
Australian troops 213
balloons 132–3
Basquin, Louis 96, 158, 215
Bastien, Arthur-Daniel 34–8
Baudhuin, Julie-Célestine 46–7, 134
BCG vaccine 133
Beaurevoir 41, 130
Becquevort, Anne de 55–6, 60, 80, 81, 124–5, 168
Becquevort, Monsieur de 75
BEF see British ExpeditionaryForce
Bellenglise 70, 212
Bellicourt 41, 127–8, 164
Belmont-Gobert, Angele 96
Belmont-Gobert, Euphémie 157
Belmont-Gobert, Marie 96, 134, 157, 239
Bertry 96, 134, 157, 214–15
Beverloo system 162, 247
Bloem, Walter 13
Blunden, Edmund 200
Bochard, Clara 89
Bod
e (German judicial clerk) 73
Boitelle, Clara 150
Boitelle, Guy 92, 93, 170, 184, 205, 213, 219
Boitelle, Paul 92, 93, 94, 145, 219
Boitelle, Robert 235, 236
Boitelle, Roger 94
Boitelle, Suzanne (née Laurence): childhood 93; marriage 92–3; children 93–4, 235; helps British soldiers 88, 92, 94, 102, 116, 145; and the Digby/ Claire love affair 118; arrest and imprisonment 170, 171–2,
Boitelle, Suzanne — cont.177. 183, 184, 201–2, 255, 258; returns to Villeret 213, 216, 219; death 235; her memories 235–6
Bourbon-Chalus, Lieutenant 57
British Army 103–4, 194, 201; 8th East Surrey Regiment 195; 11th Hussars 46, 158, 214; King’s Own Lancaster Regiment 17–20, 42–3; London Regiment (12th Battalion) 215–16; Manchester Regiment 212; Royal Fusiliers 11 —12; Royal Hampshire Regiment 14–17, 52; Royal Irish Fusiliers 20–1; 1st Scottish Rifles 46; Sherwood Foresters 209; Somerset Light Infantry 33; Third Army 121; see also British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) 8, 9, 10–11, 12, 13–14, 27, 28, 32, 69, 70
Brooke, Rupert: ‘The Soldier’ 8
Buchan, John 250; A Prince of the Captivity 248–9, 250
Buddecke, Hauptmann Hans-Joachim 148–9
Bulletin de l’Aisne 250, 258
Cabaret, Joseph 43, 72, 73, 184, 234
Calmette, Albert 133
Cambrai 163
Cameron, Major Cecil 250
Carlier, Victor 80
Carpentier, Jules 151
Catford Journal 23–4
Chalandre, Auguste 134–5, 172
Champagne 147
Cheminé, Pasteur 177, 178, 183, 186, 188, 191
chlorine gas, use of 121
Cologne, River 39
Commission for Relief in Belgium 109–10
Cornaille, Georges 251
Cornaille, Hélène Claire (née Dessenne): birth 149–50, 151–2; and her father 152, 186, 220, 251–2; and her mother 159–60, 167, 194, 205, 253; after the war 218, 252; adopted by Thomas Digby 224–5, 228–9, 244.252; and Achille Poétte 246; marries 252; in World War II 253; speaks to author 4–5, 251, 252, 260–1
Cornaille, Hubert 251, 252, 253
Coulette, Marie 47–8, 113; and her son 87, 115; feuds with neighbours 88–9; helps British soldiers 47, 48, 83, 87, 88, 102, 115, 145, 175; and Digby/Claire affair 112; as model for Claire 117–18; andHélène’s birth 150, 152; as refugee 204, 205–6; house destroyed 207, 208; after the war 218; death 238
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