Voices From The Past, Armistice 1918 by Paul Kendall

Author:Paul Kendall [Kendall, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781848324619
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2017-06-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Morning of 11 November 1918

Canadian Sector

Canadian forces advanced upon Mons during the evening of 10 November. Georges Licope, who lived in La Bascule, recalled the cheers of delighted Belgian citizens welcoming the Canadian troops as they entered the villages close to Mons:

From midnight onwards everything was calm, as calm as in peace time. We were in No Man’s Land. Everything was obscure. There was a frost during the night and it was cold and misty. Suddenly from the courtyard at about 5.00 a.m., we heard a far off and indistinct noise. It was rather like a humming which increased, grew louder and then stopped altogether, only to break out immediately afterwards.

It was the cheer of the people at Hyon floating across the country. It sounded rather like the distant murmur of the sea. There was no longer any doubt. The English were arriving.

Then with a peal of joy rang out the bells of the Belfry of Mons, our dear old bells which for centuries had sung or cried our joys and our sorrows. Our carillonneur, M. Fernand Redouté, had climbed the tower and at his keyboard played in succession the Brabançonne, the Marseillaise, God Save the King, and Le Doudon, the famous Mons anthem.1

Lieutenant Stuart’s patrol from the Canadian 19th Battalion had confirmed that German forces had vacated Hyon, on the outskirts of Mons during the previous night. During the following morning the 19th Battalion entered Hyon. The battalion war diary reported:

At 07.00 hours the battalion entered the town of HYON and established themselves in the eastern outskirts with battalion H.Q. in the CHATEAU. At 08.00 hours a message was received that hostilities would cease at 11.00 hours and at 08.30 hours the 28th Battalion of the 6th C.I.B. [Canadian Infantry Brigade] passes through us, the 19th Battalion occupying the reserve position to the 6th Brigade. The remainder of the day was spent rejoicing. The civil population according the Battalion many impromptu celebrations. The 19th Battalion will ever be acclaimed as liberators of HYON on the dawn of armistice morning.2

Licope had lived under German occupation for four years and he decided to meet the liberators. Describing the moment and emotions felt during that morning, he recalled:

Daylight was breaking. A solitary horseman climbed cautiously the slope of La Bascule, coming from the direction of Mons. He was wearing the Khaki uniform and steel helmet of the British troops. Whilst we cheered him and our neighbours decorated the horse’s harness with chrysanthemums, he asked: ‘A quelle heure boches partis? Quelle direction? Plus de boches ici?’ I tried to give him the necessary information in English, but I was too overcome. I fear my information was not very useful. This scout, I learned later, belonged to the 5th Royal Irish Lancers, attached to the Canadian Corps in November, 1918, as part of the Divisional Cavalry. This was the same regiment which in 1914 formed part of Allenby’s famous Cavalry Division which covered itself with glory at the 1st Battle of Mons. A

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