Please see this article in Stand To! No 87 on the background to the Ceremony.
The memorial will be inaugurated on Saturday, 17 September 2011. During the morning in Guise there will be include a visit to the site of the execution of the twelve in the Chateau of Guise where we have installed a small commemorative plaque. There will be a chance to retrace the last journey taken by the twelve from the German HQ (currently Guise Town Hall) to the execution site at the Chateau.
This will be followed by a visit to St. Médard Cemetery to lay wreaths on the collective grave of the eleven British soldiers, and on that of Vincent Chalandre, one of their principal carers, who was shot along with them. His grave was lost for many years. Part of our project has been to find it, and to ensure that his part in this tragedy is both recognized and commemorated. In 2006, we discovered his grave, unmarked and utterly neglected. It now has a headstone and we are fitting a plaque to his grave to tell of his links with the British soldiers buried nearby.
After lunch we go to Iron, about five miles from Guise, for the inauguration of the memorial. We will walk from the site of the Logez mill, where many of the eleven hid during their stay in Iron, to the memorial site in the centre of the village, next to the present Monument aux Morts.
Afterwards there will be refreshments available in the Town Hall.
On 16-17 September there will be an exhibition entitled ‘Resistance in the North during the First World War' in the Salle de Fêtes in Iron, immediately opposite the new memorial.
On the day we hope to be joined by the Jocks' Pipe Band, the 10th Essex Regiment Re-enactors and a detachment of the Light Dragoons before they depart for a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Saturday 17 September 2011 - Samedi 17 Septembre 2011
Programme
10h00
Assemble at the main gate of Guise Castle, Rue de la Citadelle, Guise and process to the execution site.
Rassemblement à la porte principale du Chateau de Guise, Rue de la Citadelle , Guise,et défilé vers le site de l'execution.
11h15
St Médard Cemetery, Guise : wreath-laying on the graves of the eleven British soldiers and of M. Vincent Chalandre.
Le Cimetière de St Médard, Guise : depôt des gerbes sur les tombes des onze soldats britanniques et de M Vincent Chalandre.
12h30
Reception at Guise Town Hall on the occasion of the inauguration of a new headstone for M. Chalandre.
Reception a l'occasion de l'inauguration d'un nouveau stele sur la tombe de M. Vincent Chalandre.
14h30
Assemble at the site of the Logez Mill, Iron, now the Cerena agricultural supplies depot, 28 Rue de Hannappes, 02510, Iron.
Rassemblement à l'emplacement de l'ancien Moulin Logez, aujourd'hui l'entrepôt de Cerena, 28 Rue de Hannappes, 02510, Iron.
14h45
Process to the site of the Iron 12 memorial beside the Iron village war memorial.
Défilé à l'emplacement du monument des Douze d'Iron, à côté du monument aux morts, Iron.
15h00
Inauguration Ceremony.
Cérémonie d'Inauguration.
15h45
Refreshments in the Town Hall.
Cocktail de Clouture à la Marie, Rue du Moulin, Iron.
In addition during the weekend of 17-18 September 2011 there will be an exhibition on ‘Resistance in the Nord department during the Great War' in the Salle de Fêtes, Iron.
En plus le weekend le 17-18 Septembre 2011 il y aura une présentation de l' exposition ‘Resistants dans le Nord pendant la Première Guerre Mondiale' à la Salle de Fêtes, Iron.
Further Background
In May of this year we organised a sponsored bike ride in the steps of the Eleven to raise funds. Our route followed that taken by the RMF from their disembarkation in Le Havre on 13 August 1914 to the place of their deaths in Guise Chateau in February. The pariticipants were: David Arrowsmith, our Secretary and General Manager; his son, James; and my two sons, Tim and Fraser. We were ably supported throughout by Janet Arrowsmith, David's wife and great-neice of Fred Innocent, one of the 12. Janet kept us fed and supplied throughout. The bike ride was very successful and we raised over £5,000.
The first photo shows Team Iron at a rail-head on the outskirts of Le Havre; the second the station at Boué - we know some of the RMF detrained here. In the third we are photographed at the site of the new monument with M. André Gruselle, the Mayor of Iron and great-grandson of Madame Logez, one of the soldiers' carers. The fourth shows us at the execution site in Guise Chateau. The commemorations on 17 September will start there.
The monument will be fixed in position on Monday, 12 September 2011. We have put a lot of thought into the engravings and inscriptions. We don't want to give too much away at this stage, but we hope that this will not only by a memorial to the 12 of Iron, but to all the other allied soldiers who refused to surrender and to the French and Belgian people who helped them.
Our thanks to the all the WFA branches and individual WFA members who supported our appeal - and of course for the articles on this website.
Finally, to add all are welcome to these events, but could anyone planning to come, please let me know as I need to keep an eye on the numbers?
Hedley Malloch
Chairman, Iron Memorial Fund
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