Crépaux, curé 140
Cruikshank, David 46–7, 134
Curzon, Lord 109
Daily Mail 13 Daily Telegraph 239
Delabranche (pharmacist) 43–4
Delabranche, Alice 184–5, 103, 194, 206, 234
Delacourt (mayor of Vendelles) 198
Delacourt, Philippe 244
Delacourts of Gouy 56, 131
Dervaux, Monsieur 200
Desjardins, Charles 256
Dessenne, Claire: appearance 112; personality 112, 114, 117–18; first sees Robert Digby 48–9; Poétte in love with 112–13; in love with Digby 115–17, 118; pregnancy 120, 123, 138; attitude of villagers towards 145, 146, 155; and Hélène’s birth 147, 149–50, 152; and German occupation 159–60; and Digby’s attempted escape 166, 167, 168; and Digby’s betrayal and capture 174, 175, 240, 241, 246, 251; and Digby’s execution 185–6; Digby’s letters to 190, 191; as refugee 204, 205; after the war 218, 220–1; and Thomas Digby’s arrival 228; marriage 252–3
Dessenne, Edgar 236
Dessenne, Emile 118, 241
Dessenne, Eugénie (née Marie Virginie Dupuis) 48; appearance 114; and Claire 49, 117; opposes her relationship with Digby 118, 136, 189, 253; and Hélène’s birth 151, 220; and German occupation 145; Digby’s letter to 189–91, 242; after the war 218; and Thomas Digby’s arrival 228
Dessenne, Florency: and his mother 87; as smuggler and well-digger 114–15; and British soldiers 47, 48, 83, 123, 154, 156, 169; signs baby’s birth certificate 151; arrest and imprisonment 170, 171, 183, 201; loses gold 207–8; settles in Saint-Quentin 217
Dessenne, Hélène see Cornaille, Hélène Dessenne, Jean 152, 241, 255
Dessenne, Jules 114, 117, 220
Dessenne, Julie 118
Dessenne, Louise 90, 91–2, 114–15, 170, 205
Dessenne, Marie 117, 154
Dessenne, Marie-Thérèse: appearance 113–14; personality 113, 115; helps British soldiers 47, 48, 100, 250; sees German killed 106; names son Robert 111; disapproves of Claire and Robert Digby 118; arrest and imprisonment 170, 171, 183–4, 201, 217; after the war 236, 250
Dessenne, Marthe 47, 170
Dessenne, Robert 111, 184, 221
Deutsche, Captain 73, 82
Digby, Ellen 62, 64, 65, 147, 221, 225, 228, 245; Robert’s letters to 166, 188–9, 225
Digby, Florence 62, 225, 244
Digby, Florence (née Leyland) 228
Digby, Colonel Robert (father) 62, 63, 64, 66, 104, 225, 245
Digby, Private Robert: background and family 62–3, 65, 245; personality 63–4; joins army 65, 66; at Le Câteau 14–15, 16; wounded 17; as fugitive 7–8, 33–4; helped by Dessennes 47–9; meets up with other soldiers 50–1; attempts to reach lines 51–2, 54–5, 66–7; helped by Jeanne Magniez 55, 57–8, 59–60; under fire from German hunters 78–9; moves to Trocmé woods 79–82, 83; hidden in Villeret 83–4, 85, 86, 88, 90, 92; with the Boitelles 92, 94, 95; out in the open 99–100; makes fakeidentity papers 100; and life in Villeret 101, 102–3, 107 110, 111; affair with Claire 112, 113, 115–18, 119, 120; popularity fades 136, 146; and birth of daughter 151, 152; escape attempts 154; resented by villagers 155; conflict with O’Sullivan 159; opts to stay in village 164, 165–6; leaves and returns 167, 168; escapes capture 169–70, 173; betrayal and surrender 173–5; imprisonment 175–6, 178, 181, 185–8; last letters 188–91, 206, 216, 228, 242; execution 191–2, 261; grave 193, 207, 221, 253; author’s search for his betrayer 233–4, 235, 236, 239–44, 245–6, 253–60; a possible spy 246–7, 248, 250–1; his daughter’s memories 251–2
Digby, Thomas: childhood 62, 63, 64; in the trenches 65–6, 103, 104, 121, 122, 185; dedicates poem to Robert 225–7; becomes valet 227; marriage 227–8; finds and adopts Hélène 224–5, 228–9, 244, 252
dogs, village 123–4
Donohoe, Maggie ‘Bridie’ (néeYoung) 61, 178
Donohoe, Private Thomas:background 61, 107; appearance 84; arrival in France 20; at Haucourt 20–1; on the run 7–8, 21; with Martin and Thorpe meets Bastien 37–8, and Digby 51; attempts to reach lines 51–2, 54–5; helped by Jeanne Magniez 55, 57–8, 59–60; under fire 78–9; moves to Trocmé woods 79–81, 83; hidden in Villeret 83–4, 85, 86, 88, 90, 92, 95; out in the open 99–100, 107; friendship with Martin 102, 140; popular in village 111; and Digby 120, 159; attempts to leave Villeret 164; stays with Digby 165–6; leaves and returns 167, 168; capture and imprisonment 169, 170–1, 172–3, 175, 176, 177–8; last letters 178, 206, 216; execution 181–2; burial 183
Doumoutier, Pierre 41–2
Drake, Major Francis 214
Dubuis, Desire 83, 240
Dubuis, Evelyne 240, 241
Dubuis, Jean-Marc 240, 243, 254
Duchange, Monsieur (teacher)26–7
Dupuis, Oscar 41, 57, 79
Dykes, Lieutenant Colonel 18, 19
Edwards, Corporal John 52, 62, 66, 101, 164–5
Escaut, River 54
espionage 132–4, 154; see Réseau Victor
Evers, Major Karl 71; personality71, 72; lodges with Lege 74–5; administration 73–4, 75–8; as huntsman 78; effects of regime on Villeret 82–3, 86–7, 107, 109, Le Câtelet 107–8, and Vendhuile 108; brings in ’women of easy virtue’ 129; makes himself at home in Lege household 130; paranoia and obsessions 130–4, 246; incites collaborateurs 135, 144–5; approaches psychosis 160— 1; reprisals 170, 171; and Digby’s surrender 173, 174, 175; and executions 176; and the Lelongs 259; and villagers’ show of defiance 184–5, 187, 192–3; regime over 203–4; returns to Germany 215, 237–8; investigated as war criminal 237, 238–9; death 238
Figaro, Le 132
Fischer, Lieutenant 73
Fitzgerald, F. Scott 232
Flemming (German) 73
Fleury, Elie 256–7, 258
Flirt (horse) 56, 57, 98, 167–8, 243
Foulon, Antoinette 22, 88, 91, 99, 105, 205; as possibleBetrayer 241, 254, 260
Foulon, Emile: and German pillage 58; his arsenal 77; luxuries of his home 90–1, 95; further pillage 82, 108, 124, 129; helps British soldiers 88; Germans in home 99; stables full of wounded from the Somme 195; leaves Villeret 205; home destroyed 207, 208
Fowler, Private Patrick 46, 95–6, 134, 157, 214–15, 239
François I 40
Franz Ferdinand, Archduke 7
French, Field-Marshal Sir John32
French Army 18, 28, 52–4, 103;41st Artillery Regiment 56; 9th Dragoons 35–7
Friedrich, Archduke of Austria203
gas attacks 121
German Army 8–10, 27–8, 33–4, 43–5, 50, 52, 125–7, 194; 16th Bavarian ReserveRegiment 139; BrandenburgGrenadiers 13; 15th CampaignArtillery Regiment 94–5; 8th Hussars Cavalry Regiment 58;Imperial Guards 58; 66th Infantry Regiment 43; 81st Infantry Regiment 94–5, 97; Uhlans 43, 50, 54, 155–6
Godé, Henri: arrested 44; and British soldiers’ last letters 178, 186, 206, 215–16; at soldiers’ grave 184; brings Thomas Digby to his niece 224, 225, 228
Gouy 33, 41, 56, 131, 160, 206
Grand Priel, Château de 30–1, 80, 83, 97–8, 106, 147, 196, 205, 207, 217, 237
Grumme, Judge Hans: announces arrival of ’Barbarians’ 59, 73; naked on the river 130; administration of justice’ 133; and Jeanne Magniez 141, 243; sentences British soldiers 165, 172–3, 176, and French villagers 171–2, 255, 257; insults soldiers 177–8
Guise 135
Haig, Field-Marshal Douglas198, 212, 247
Hardy, Jack 52, 54, 62, 84, 85, 98, 124–5
Hargicourt 23, 25, 29, 90; under German occupation 33, 46, 70, 75; Kaiser passes through 119; destruction 206, 209, 211, 212; Australian troops 213
Hargival/Hargival woods 54, 55;under German occupation 70, 75. 78, 83, 167; Pêcherie 59, 78–9, 80, 204, 217, 242, 243, 244; destroyed 204, 206;rebuilt 217
Harvey, lieutenant 148–9
Haucourt, battle of 17–21
Hénin, Claire 127–8
Higgins, Captain 18
Hindenburg Line 202, 209, 210,
212, 213
Hitler, Adolf 139
Hoover, Herbert, US President71, 109
Hull, Corporal Herbert 158
Indian Army 70
Iron 134
Jackson, Colonel 16
Jacobson, G. F. 212
Jarowski, General Thaddeus von79
Journal des Occupés … inoccupés 128–9
Jung, Carl 260
Jünger, Ernst 106, 138, 156, 196–7, 206
Kipling, Rudyard 2, 64
Kirke, General Sir Walter 198
Kitchener, Horatio, 1st Earl 69, 119
la Baume, Captain de 36
Lambert, Ernest 176–7, 180–1, 182, 183, 184, 191–2
Laurence, Céline 93
Lawrence, T. E. 148
Lawrence, Lieutenant W. 148
Le Câteau: battle (1914) 9, 14–16; armistice 215
Le Câtelet 23, 40; at beginning of war 24, 27; wounded arrive 28, 29; civilian exodus 29; German occupation 41, 42–6, 56–7, 58–9, 68; German administration 70, 71–4, 75–8, 107–8, 129–30; and Réseau Victor 163; prison 160, 170; trial of villagers 171–2, and British soldiers 172–3; executions 176–7, 180–3;flowers laid at soldiers’ grave 184–5; Digby’s execution 186, 191–2; Digby’s grave 193, 207, 221, 253; arrival of Russian prisoners 200–1; German withdrawal and destruction 203–4; American soldiers 213–14; ‘repopulation’217; unveiling of plaque (1997) 1, 3–5
Ledieu, curé 43
Legé, Henriette 59, 75, 172, 181, 191, 235
Legé, Léon: arrested by Germans 44; and arrival of French troops 52–3; and German occupation 59, 73; and Evers 74–5, 130; and execution of soldiers 182, 184, 187, 234; imprisonment 203
Le Hérissé, Emmanuel 74, 80
Lelong, Clothilde (?Charlotte)89, 93, 145, 218, 240, 254, 259
Lelong, Elise 93; appearance 89; and Suzanne Boitelle 93; relationship with Marie Coulette 89; provides food for British soldiers 145; opinion of Claire Dessenne 145; house bombed 149; approves of Edwards leaving village 165; arrest and imprisonment 170, 171; reprimands Suzanne Boitelle for weakness 184; returns to Villeret 217–18; grudge against Digby 218, 254; as possible betrayer 254–60
Lelong, Henri 107, 145, 172, 219
Lelong, Léon 23; helps British soldiers 84, 87, 88, 92; runs out of flour and fuel 109; attitude towards soldiers 145;
Lelong, Léon — cont. deputed to ask them to leave 166; arrest and imprisonment 170, 171; returns to Villeret 217–18; as possible betrayer 250–1, 254–8, 259
Lelong, Lucien 93, 167, 218, 254, 257
Lelong, Michel 254, 255
Lemaire-Liénard, Madame 45, 57
Leyland, Thomas 245, 246
Ligny 16, 17, 33
Loos, battle of 147
Louis XIV 40
Lourdel, Guy 43, 44–5
Lou vain library 10
Luquet, Monsieur (mayor of Vendhuile) 79
Macintyre, Donald 23 1
Magniez, Georges 55, 56, 59, 98, 142–4, 168, 204, 217, 242
Magniez, Jeanne (née Delacourt):appearance 55; love of horses 55–6, 57; marriage 56; helps British soldiers 57–8, 59–60, 78, 79–81; calls meeting of villagers 83; hides Hardy and May 85; and German soldiers 98, 124; hides Flirt 98; leads British soldiers to Ronssoy 124–5; and Judge Grumme 130; terrifies the Germans 131–2; finds officers tolerable 141; a liaison 141, 243; and her husband 142–4; shoots Flirt 167–8; and the soldiers’ last letter 178; blessed by soldiers at execution 181; and destruction of Hargival 204, 207; as refugee 206; after the war 242–3; death 243; and author’s suspicions 243, 253–4
Manning, Frederic 120, 192; HerPrivates We 123
Marié, Camille ‘Parfait’:personality 24, 88, 161; as acting mayor 23, 24–5; fills out Sligo’s death certificate 34; under German administration 72, 75, 82; and the British soldiers 83–4, 92, 145, 250; and birth of Hélène 151; ‘invites’ soldiers to leave Villeret 166; arrest and imprisonment 170, 171, 177, 183, 213, 255; after the war 220
Marié, Emile: takes over as acting mayor 173; persuades Digby to surrender 173–4, 175; ensures safety of archives 205, 255; welcomes Suzanne Boitelle home 213; moves to Hargicourt 220; as possible traitor 250, 251, 253, 254
Marié, Henri 163, 197, 199, 255
Marié, Joséphine 163, 197, 199
Marié, Marius 161, 162, 163, 199, 247
Marié, Paul 199
Marié, Victor Pierre Joseph Adonis 161–3, 197–8, 199–200, 219, 247–8, 254
Marié-Leroy, Coralie 162, 163, 199
Marne, River 52
Martin, Private David: background 61; appearance 84; arrival in France 20; at Haucourt 20–1; on the run 7–8, 21; with Donohoe and Thorpe meets Bastien 37–8, and Digby 51; attempts to reach lines 51–2, 54–5; helped by Jeanne Magniez 55, 57–8, 59–60; under fire 78–9; moves to Trocmé woods 79–81; cooks 81; hidden in Villeret 83–4, 85, 86, 88, 90, 92, 95; out in the open 99–100, 107, 107; pneumonia 102; friendship with Donohoe 102, 140; popular as cook 111; and Digby 120, 159; attempts to leave Villeret 164; stays with Digby 165–6; leaves and returns 167, 168; capture andimprisonment 169, 170–1, 172–3, 175, 176, 177–8; last letters 178, 206, 216; execution 181–2; burial 183
Massy-Beresford, Tim 231–2
Matisse, Henri 39
May, Private Harry 52, 62, 84, 85, 98, 124–5, 165
Mercier, Georges 182–3, 228, 234–5
Mons, retreat from 9–13, 51–2
Montgomery, Field-MarshalBernard 13, 19
Morel, Alexis 28, 95, 195
Morelle, Abbé 33, 177, 178, 184
Morelle, Alphonse 26
Nauroy: Château 32; curé 131
Neuve-Chapelle, battle of 103
Neville, Captain 195
Oates, Captain 209
‘Old Contemptibles’ 13
O’Shea, Corporal Thomas 213–14
O’Sullivan, Private William 52, 61, 62, in, 158–9, 165, 257
Owen, Wilfred: ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ 1
Pattenden, Private Frank 16
Péronne 35, 52, 53, 58, 167, 206–7
phosgene gas, use of 121
pigeons 64, 132, 133, 162, 198, 245, 246
Plan XVII (France) 8
Poëtte, Achille: as local gossip 28, 90; tells of exodus from Le Câtelet 29; ferries messages between British soldiers 95; in love with Claire Dessenne 112–13; arrest and imprisonment 170, 171, 183; after the war 220; as possible traitor 245–6, 254
Poëtte, Robert 246
Princip, Gavrilo 7
Recolet, Berthe 48
Recolet, Léon 48, 114, 167, 224, 241, 253
Remarque, Erich Maria: All Quieton the Western Front 126, 140
Réseau Victor 162–3, 197–9, 246, 247–8
Richter, Wilhelm 141, 167, 243
Riqueval tunnel 81
Ronssoy 124, 125
Rosenhainer, Ernst 10, 69, 127, 137, 153
Royal Flying Corps 147–9
Russian prisoners of war 200–1, 202
Saint-Etienne, Sister 180
Saint-Quentin 25, 39; British surrender 12; exodus 32; German occupation 70, 129, 144; agents 163; and the battle of the Somme 194–5; executions 198; the
‘betrayer’ 236
Saint-Quentin Canal 39
Sassoon, Siegfried 104, 195
Sauvage, Marie 137–8, 140, 147, 194, 204, 220
Sauvage, Richard 137, 138, 220
Schlieffen Plan 8, 12
Scholl, Orstkommandant 82, 92, 99, 205
Scott, Sir Walter:
‘Marmion’ 15
Seeger, Alan 122, 197; ‘Rendezvous’ 122
Serpebois, Henri 176, 183, 184
Séverin, Sergeant Edouard 24, 211
Siegfried Line 202; see Hindenburg Line
Sligo, John 33–4
Somme, River 21, 39; battle 185, 194–7, 200–2, 212
Sordet, General 35
South African troops 214
Templeux-le-Guérard phosphatemine 26, 75
> Theillier, Colonel Edward 30
Theillier, François 30–3, 56, 144–5, 217
Theillier, Pierre 30
Thorpe, Private William: background 60–1; appearance 84; arrival in France 20; battle at Haucourt 17–18; on the run 7–8, 20, 21; with Donohoe and Martin meets Bastien 37–8, and Digby 51; attempts to reach lines 51–2, 54–5; helped by Jeanne Magmez 55, 57–8, 59–60; under fire 78–9; moves to Trocmé woods 79–81, 83; hidden in Villeret 83–4, 85, 86, 88, 90, 92, 95; out in open 99–100, 101–2, 107; plays with village children 102; popularity 110; nicknamed ’Papa’ 110; and Digby 116–17, 120, 147 152, 158, 159; attempts to leave Villeret 164; stays with Digby 165–6; leaves and returns 167, 168; capture and imprisonment 169, 170–1, 172–3, 175, 176,. 177–8; last letter 178–9, 206, 216; execution 181–2; burial 183 Times, The 2, 11, 13
Tordeux, Arthur 83, 164, 240
trenches 68–9, 120, 127, 153
Trocmé woods 81–2, 83, 152–3, 169–70, 173
Uppenkamp (schools inspector)127–8
Vadancourt cemetery 2–3, 231
Vendhuile: and Dupuis’s shooting of looters 41, 57, 79; British soldiers 46; under German occupation 70, 75, 108; British prisoners 201; civilian exodus 206
Verdun, battle of 153
Véron, curé 105
Villeret 7, 22–3, 25–7, 68, 89; history 39–41, 138–9; internecine vendettas 88–90; first months of the war 23–5, 27–8, 29; Digby’s arrival 33–4, 47–9; and French retreat 53–4; German pillage 58; under German administration 70, 75–6, 82–3, 86–7; villagers hide British soldiers 83–5, 88, 92; rationing and identity cards 94; German soldiers billeted 94–5, 97, 99; attitudes to British soldiers 99–100, 107, no—11; church services 105; stray shells 106; deprivations 108–10; a place of beauty 119–20; attitudes change towards soldiers 136, 145; fraternisation with German troops 137–40; civilian exodus 146; aerial battles and raids 147–9; arrests 152–3; influx of German troops 153, 155–7; villagers’ attitudes harden 154–5, 158–9; spy network 161–4; British soldiers leave… and return 164–7, 168, see Digby, Donohoe, Martin, and Thorpe; and the battle of the Somme 194, 195–7, 201; and German withdrawal 202, 204–6; destruction 206, 207–8, 209, 211, 216–17; taken by British 209–10; final battles 210–12, 213; appearance of French troops 213; villagers return and rebuild 216–19; awarded Croix de Guerre 219; villagers’ song 221–3; see also Grand Priel, Château de
A Foreign Field Page 27
