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French History
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 08/11/2007, 19:46
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Patf
Joined on 23/08/2004
SW Gers
Posts 2,184
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Re: History of Seven Valleys
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You can usually find books about local history in the tabac/newsagents. And you could try at the tourist office, and in the library, if there is one.
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26/11/2007, 1:04
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Loiseau
Joined on 23/08/2004
London/Vendée
Posts 902
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Re: History of Seven Valleys
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I don't think there was much World War I activity int he immediate area, though Frevent is only a little way north of Doullens where the document handing over Supreme Command of all Allied forces to France's Marshal Foch was signed on 26 March 1918.
During World War II of course the area was occupied by the Germans after May 1940. Factories were put to work for the German war effort, so were bombed by the Allies (the Wintenberger factory at Frevent for example). Places with important railway junctions or river crossings were also Allied targets, especially around the time of the Normany landings, to slow down the movement of German troops and ammunition.
There are some Commonwealth war graves in a town cemetery to the east of Frevent; can't remember if it was actually Frevent cemetery, or if it was Sericourt (I was heading from Frevent to Sericourt when I found it). Nor can I remember in which world war the dead had served.
The Germans also set up mobile ramps to launch V1 flying bombs in many places in the countryside. I don't have maps to hand to remind me of the names, but the little Emhisarc museum at Crecy (S of Hesdin) has a good model of one that was somewhere to the north of the village - so not very far from Hesdin.
Angela
www.northernfrance-within90minutesofcalais.co.uk
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26/11/2007, 17:00
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Loiseau
Joined on 23/08/2004
London/Vendée
Posts 902
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Re: History of Seven Valleys
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26/11/2007, 17:08
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woolybanana
Joined on 27/08/2007
Posts 1,053
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Re: History of Seven Valleys
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Somewhere out that way, I think round the Baie de Somme is the War Grave of the Chinese who died in the WWI. Seems strange doesn't it?
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26/11/2007, 21:47
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Loiseau
Joined on 23/08/2004
London/Vendée
Posts 902
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Re: History of Seven Valleys
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Indeed, WB...
The Chinese were members of the Labour Corps, recruited in far-flung places (South Africa was another source) not to fight but to do the manual work of loading and unloading stores and ammunition at docks and railheads during WWI. They were on a contract and paid some minute sum of money. And when they got to the end of their contracts and said "Thanks very much, we'd like to go home now", they were not released and had to stay on. They were kept in compounds, which they only left to go out to work. The Chinese did lots of fighting among themselves, and a number of murders. I think of the 700 that are buried at Nolette (it's 9km SE of Le Crotoy, so rather far from the Seven Valleys), many were the victims of a flu epidemic.
Most of the local French at the time had never seen a yellow face, nor a black one, so they must have looked at these incomers as if they were from the moon.
I visited the cemetery one day in April when, by coincidence, a Chinese delegation from Paris had just been on their annual visit to lay vast wreaths - actually not "lay", but stand up on large easels - for the Feast of Qingming (sort of Chinese Day of the Dead).
If you search on www.cwgc.org for the cemetery, there will be a bit of extra information and a photograph. Not sure if you have to type in "Nolette" (the hamlet where the graveyard is) or "Noyelles" which is the larger village nearby. Sorry I can't check for you, but am on s-l-o-w dialup here this evening in rural Vendee; I can only do proper surfing when I am in my friendly local cybercentre!
Angela
www.northernfrance-within90minutesofcalais.co.uk
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26/11/2007, 22:10
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woolybanana
Joined on 27/08/2007
Posts 1,053
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Re: History of Seven Valleys
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Thank you Angela. I found the place after a trip to the 7 Valleys, hence the association.
You never did tell me where you are in the Vendée. I owe you a copy of my book on the Genocide but have never known where to send it.
Dialup is hell.
Regards,
Tim
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09/12/2007, 12:17
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united
Joined on 16/11/2005
Edinburgh/Challans
Posts 93
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Re: History of Seven Valleys
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I have a copy of Rose E B Coombs book Before Endeavours Fade (BEF) . She worked at The Imperial War Museum for 36 years and pretty much devoted her life to documenting WW1 and made hundreds of visits to the battlefields many as a guide to ex-servicemen.
There is not a great deal about Hesdin/Frevent .She says 'Hesdin was a British town from 1916 onwards. Various branches of the Staff were quartered here and there were also hospitals. It was also the RFC headquarters'. She added it was a pleasant leave centre.She also says Frevent was used considerably by the British but not how.
There is also mention of St Etienne-au-Mont Communal Cemetery which has a Commonwealth War Graves Section with 168 graves: 160 men of the Chinese Labour Corps, 3 Chinese merchant seamen from HMT Montilla and 5 men of the South African Native Labour Corps The Chinese Memorial was erected by fellow workers in 1919.
The book was first published in 1976 and has been updated is useful for some WW1 Western Front sites of interest despite having a slightly dated feel.
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France Forum » French Culture » French History » Re: History of Seven Valleys
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