France's last casualty

Following the initial approach by the Germans on 7 November 1918 Marshal Foch felt that the Germans were dragging their heels and ordered General Pétain to continue his advance across the Meuse. On 10 November the 163rd Infantry Division under the command of General Boichet fought a bloody battle with the Germans at Vrigny-Meuse.

The following day the order was given to advance again, for although the Germans had already signed the Armistice documents it was taking time for the news to filter down through the system. In fact front line units only heard about the cease fire at 10:00 hours.

A liaison officer in the Division, Auguste Trébuchon was on his way with a dispatch concerning the assembly of the troops for ration supply at 11:00 hours. A veteran of such missions, this time he was struck by a bullet and died.

Ten minutes later Divisional Bugler Delaluque sounded the end of hostilities.

France's final fatality is buried in the cemetery at Vrigne-Meuse.

The Road to Armistice

The final casualty

The British had returned to Mons in Belgium where they had started the war, and the day marked the fourth anniversary of the 1st Battle of Ypres, when General Haig had finally stopped the German's in the Race to the Sea.

Crossing the canal between Havre and Ville-sur-Haine to the east of Mons the 28th (Saskatchewan) Battalion of the Canadian Army was still in action at 10:58 hours. As he went into the attack Private George Price was killed - the last Canadian to be killed in the war, and probably the last Commonwealth casualty.

He is buried at St. Symphorien Military Cemetery alongside two other notable soldiers:

• Private John Parr the first British casualty of the war.
• Private George Ellison the last British casualty of the war.

St_Symphorien Cemetery

The Machine Gunner

There is a famous story of a German machine gunner opposite the South African Brigade who having fired off his last belt of ammunition, stood up, took a bow and then walked away towards the rear.

France's Unknown Soldier

The idea of having a single unknown soldier to act as a focal point for all those wishing to pay homage to the sacrifice by so many soldiers morts pour la France was first put forward in 1916.

In 1918 the idea was formalised and at first it was decided in 1919 that the resting place would be in the Pantheon in Paris. A public campaign was mounted and in 1920 legislation was passed unanimously that:

The honours of the Pantheon will be rendered to the remains of one of the unknown soldiers who fell on the field of honour during the 1914-1918 war. The transfer of the remains will be solemnly made on 11 November 1920.

The same day, the remains of the Unknown Soldier will be buried under the Arc de Triomphe.

On 10 November 1920 Soldat Auguste Thien of the 123 RI, made his choice from eight coffins in the Citadel of Verdun. Thien chose coffin number six, as his Regimental number (1+2+3) added up to six as well as it being the number of his Division.

Soldat Thien (Thin is another spelling I have seen) was a native of Normandy and had joined up in January 1918 at the age of 19. For the ceremony Maginot had demanded a young soldier, a simple private who had been one of the valiant. It was harder than expected to find such a soldier still serving and as things turned out the chosen soldier fell ill and a replacement had to be found that morning. Ordered to find a Number 1 Uniform with only a few hours notice the name of Auguste Thien has entered into history. Three months later he finished his service and was discharged.

Verdun

The coffin was taken to Paris and originally lay in a chapel in the first floor of the Arc de Triomphe before finally being placed in its current position on 28 January 1921.

On 22 October 1922 the French Parliament declared 11 November a national holiday and on 11 November 1923 the Minister for War: André Maginot lit the Flame of Remembrance under the Arc.

21 years later found Winston Churchill standing at the side of General Charles de Gaulle on the first Armistice day for France after the occupation. In 1945 General de Gaulle had received 15 coffins from combatants of the second war. They are now buried at the memorial at Mont-Valerien.

Other French unknown soldiers are buried in the ossuary at Notre Dame de Lorette near Arras.

Notre Dame de Lorette

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The last two soldiers of France

The winter of 2008 saw the breaking of the link between the nation and her First World War poilus.

Louis de Cazenave was the final serving Frenchman and passed away in January leaving Lazarre Ponticelli as the last Legionnaire and last of the poilus. He had come to France as a very young boy from Italy and stayed - for a hundred years.

M Ponticelli joined the French Foreign Legion on the outbreak of war and his death in March 2008 brought to a close the most significant event to have befallen France in the Twentieth Century.

Both of these old soldiers had lived to celebrate their 110th birthdays.

Louis de Cazenave
Lazarre Ponticelli