Memorial Stone French-German War Cemetery Maissin

This memorial at the French-German war cemetery of Maissin commemorates the soldiers of the French XIth Army who fell at the Battle of Maissin on 22 and 23 August 1914.

Two plaques hang on the memorial stone.

At the top a poem in Breton by Jos Le Bras.
He was born in 1889 into a family of poor farmers. After his studies he became a teacher, first in Catholic education and in 1913 in a public school.
Mobilized in 1914, he was a corporal on the 48th line. He died on September 8, 1915 in Vienne-le-Château near Bar-le-Duc in the Marne.
Le Bras wrote, under the pseudonyms Yann Brezal or Dirlem, in several newspapers and magazines defending the Breton language and the independence of Brittany. He campaigned for the Breton Nationalist Party.
He also wrote poems and a novel in Breton.
The plaque on the memorial stone shows one of his poems in Breton:
"Ar prezeger gwella, hep mar, eo er Maro / Rak e vouez a zo don! Selaou, den kalonek, / Laret a ra bezan Bretoned Karantek. / Keneil, mute alies da welet ar bezio.
Jos-Per ar Braz (Dirlem) 1889-1915 „

Translated: "The best orator is death, because his voice is deep! Listen, charitable folks: she's asking us to be loyal Breton. Friends will often visit our graves. "


Below is a second plaque:
"This 16th-century Breton calvary of the commune of Tréhou Finistère was erected in this cemetery in the year 1932 to watch over the last rest of the Breton soldiers and Vendees of the XIth Army Corps that fell on 22 and 23 August 1914 in the Battle of Maissin."
Below is a list of all the units of the 21st and 22nd divisions of the XIth Corps d'Armée Nantes - France.

Source: Wikipedia

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Source

• Text: Luc Van Waeyenberge + Marie-Christine Vinck
• Photos: Luc van Waeyenberge (1, 2, 3), Marie-Christine Vinck (4)