Memorial Colonel Henri Detrie

Colonel Henri Detrie (1887-1914) was the youngest colonel in the French Army at the outbreak of the war. He led the French 20th Infantry Regiment, spearhead the 33rd Infantry Division on the 22nd of August 1914.

At 11h15 a German airplane is taken down by infantry fire 100m west of the Luchy forest by the 20th IR, the pilot died and observer wounded was captured by French troops.
Fleeing civilians informed the French that German troops were occupying the village of Ochamps at the exit of the Luchy forest. Colonel Detrie did not want to march forward, thinking it was craziness to engage his regiment through the Luchy forest without any information on the enemy positions. However under pressure from the French headquarter he did engage his regiment through the forest. The German 21st ID was occupying the village of Ochamps and their artillery was in position close to the village.

At 13.30, the 20th RI emerged from the forest it received intense artillery and infantry fire coming from the village. The French attacked the village despite the fact that their artillery was still moving across the forest and could not provide any support.
At 14.30 the German 21st ID moved on the road Recogne - Failly-les-Veneurs and attacked the flank of the French column moving through the Luchy forest and smashing most of its artillery.

At 17.00 the 20th RI survivors were repelled from the village to the outskirts of the forest. With most of its men dead or wounded within a few hours and its retreating route being about to be cut off, the 20th RI was on the verge of total annihilation. In this context colonel Detrie stood up and put his back on a tree, in view of the enemy. One of his officer said later on the he thought that Detrie did not want to survive the destruction of his regiment.
During the Luchy battle the French lost were 4,434 and the German 1,800, almost 50% of the men belonging to the French 20th IR were killed on the 22nd of August, most of the others were injured or prisoners.

From the monument walk about 100m in the forest, on your left a sign indicates the exact location of where Colonel Detrie died. Turn around toward the village and you will have a panorama of the battlefield. Colonel Detrie rest in French-German military cemetery of Anloy-Bruyères a few kilometers away.

22nd of August 1914 is the bloodiest day of WW1 for the French Army

Text on the memorial
" Reminder of
Colonel Henri DETRIE
of the 20th Reg. French Inf.
and the brave
fallen by his side
on August 22, 1914 "

On the plinth:
"Passer-by
Stop and greet
Leave a little bit of your heart for those who died for you "

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Source

• Text: Vincent Cnudde
• Photos: Marie-Christine Vinck (1, 2), Vincent Cnudde (3, 4, 5)