Memorial Maquisards Naomé

In the cemetery of Naomé is a memorial to:

DENONCIN Jean – DENONCIN Maurice – DENONCIN Henri
JANSSENS François – BOURGUIGNON Marcel
Fallen in the ranks of the resistance on September 1, 1944"

They were maquisards in the Graide division, subsection of the Beauraing-Gedinne Group.
The Battle of Graide took place on September 1, 1944.
The Graide, commanded by Lieutenant Robert HUSTIN, was encamped on the slope of a wooded hill between Graide, Haut-Fays and Gedinne.
On September 1, 1944, at 8 am, one of the guards saw 200 Germans in the meadow, 50 meters from the sentry. To avoid the confrontation, the lieutenant ordered that the camp be broken up immediately.
The maquisards quickly found that most of the escape routes were cut off or impassable. Only 1 escape route remained in the direction of Haut-Fays.
The danger was imminent and the shells were distributed before fleeing, but the enemy had come too close. Everyone hastily searched for the most favorable place to hide.
Soon the battle raged, firing on all sides.
After two hours of relentless fighting, there was silence. Lieutenant Hustin took the opportunity to gather the survivors and flee through the woods to the commander's camp in the Barbouillon.
The Germans withdrew but shot down a few more maquisards along the way.
A total of 21 maquisards died, 5 of them came from Naomé.

Source : Vlan (regional news)