Memorial Stone Paul Tual War Cemetery Bertrix-Heide

Memorial Stone Paul Tual War Cemetery Bertrix-Heide #3

Memorial Stone Paul Tual War Cemetery Bertrix-Heide #4

To the side, on the edge of the forest, of the Bertrix-Heide cemetery is a tombstone
Paul TUAL and his three cavaliers:

"Died here
for France
on August 11, 1914
Paul TUAL
guardian of the 9th Kurassiers.
Born in Paris
on March 19, 1891
and three cavaliers
of the same regiment
DELAIRE Henri
FOUQUET Marcel
RICARD Elie-François "

Kurassiers were heavily armed cavalry soldiers on horseback who wore a breastplate called a cuirass. That's where the name cuirassier comes from. Kurassiers were the heaviest unit on the battlefield, comparable in task and impact to the current tank divisions.

On 11 August 1914, Lieutenant Wagner of the 3rd squadron was ordered to reconnaissance with his platoon towards Bertrix.
After the reconnaissance, the platoon returned to the bivouac but encountered the enemy along the way at the forest of Assenois. With a few riders, the officer went into the forest but soon ran into barbed wire and the confrontation took place.
The rest of the platoon moved around the forest but was shot at from there.
It was at this spot and at this time that the 9th cuirassiers lost their first riders.
Several riders were shocked by the fighting. Lieutenant Wagner's horse was killed beneath him, but luckily he managed to escape on the horse of a killed German officer.

Source: 1914-1918.be and Wikipedia