Part 7

_Having crossed the village, we have before us the buildings and high chimney of Proffit Farm, situated at =Neufmontiers=. Take the road which leads to it._ On reaching the level of the farm, some +French and German graves+ (_of which a view is given on p. 81_) will be seen to the right of the road.

The German grave is on the left, isolated. It is marked by a black cross on which is painted the letter A. In the background can be distinguished the wooded heights of Penchard, in the conquest of which fell the French and Moroccan soldiers here buried.

* * * * *

In front of the graves is one of the entrances of +Proffit Farm+. The view opposite shows a part of the courtyard. This fine farmstead had been marked down and condemned in advance.

The Germans had themselves specially guided there from Chauconin. They looted the farmer's house: near the safe was found one of the skeleton keys with which they tried to force it.

They then fired the stables and barns, where nearly 20,000 bundles of straw made a gigantic blaze.

_Skirting the walls of the farm, the road leads to_ the +Church+, where the Germans installed an ambulance during their short occupation of September 5. The inhabitants who remained in the village were commandeered and had to carry in the German wounded, on ladders, from the surrounding neighbourhood.

On the morning of the 6th the French re-occupied Neufmontiers and captured the ambulance (_view below_).

_Running between Proffit Farm and the church, the road slopes down to the brook le Rutel, which it crosses. At the fork of the road, turn to the right. A hundred yards further on is the spot from which the +Panorama A+ seen below_ (6½ km.) was taken, embracing the field of action of September 5.

The advance guard of the Fourth German reserve corps had placed its artillery in the declivities of the heights of Monthyon and Penchard; the infantry troops and machine-guns had advanced into the plain, utilising le Rutel and the Neufmontiers to Iverny road as entrenchments. The first cannon shot of the battle of the Marne was fired on the 5th of September, at noon, from Monthyon at a French battery which was coming out of Iverny, and killed the captain. The fight was sanguinary all that day. The troops of the 55th division tried their hardest to push the Germans back beyond Monthyon but were stopped on the plain by the terrible fire of the machine-guns. At the same time the Moroccan brigade attacked the heights of Penchard and carried them with the bayonet, but it could not maintain its position there and was forced back behind Neufmontiers and Chauconin, which the Germans occupied. This occupation only lasted a few hours for, during the night, the German troops, threatened with being outflanked by the Seventh Corps further north, abandoned their formidable positions at Monthyon--Penchard and the outposts at Neufmontiers--Chauconin. The next morning the French took possession.

_Continuing along the road to Villeroy_ we come, after about 2 km. to the +GREAT GRAVE+ of which a view is given opposite. It contains the bodies of numerous officers and men who fell in the surrounding fields. At the extreme end of the grave on the right is buried the well-known writer, Charles Péguy, whose death seems to have been the one he desired when writing the following lines, now famous:

Heureux ceux qui sont morts dans les grandes batailles Couchés dessus le sol à la face de Dieu.... Heureux ceux qui sont morts pour leur âtre et leur feu Et les pauvres honneurs des maisons paternelles.... Heureux ceux qui sont morts, car ils sont retournés Dans la première argile et la première terre. Heureux ceux qui sont morts dans une juste guerre, Heureux les épis mûrs et les blés moissonnés.

_At the fork of the road beyond the grave, go to the right towards Iverny._ It is within 200 yards of these cross-roads, in the field on the left of the road, that Lieutenant Péguy was killed, shot through the head while standing amidst his soldiers of the 276th, whom he had ordered to lie down. _On arriving at Iverny, turn to the right towards Monthyon._ At the entrance to this village, near the farm de l'Hôpital, there is a little pond where the cases of shells abandoned by the Germans were emptied (_view on following page_).

These cases belonged to the three batteries of 77's which were established on the right of the road behind the farm buildings, in a depression of the ground. We have seen above that these batteries started the cannonade which began the battle of the Marne. Marked down by the French batteries they hastily abandoned the position.

_Leaving the pond on the right we follow the road to the left which brings us to the picturesque village of =Monthyon= (15 km.)._

Despite the difference in spelling, it was the patrimonial fief of the celebrated philanthropist Baron de Montyon (1733-1820), founder of several prizes for good conduct and literature awarded yearly in solemn session by the "Institut de France."

We have seen that Monthyon, attacked without success on the 5th by the French, was on the 6th abandoned by the Germans. General de Lamaze established his headquarters there.

_On arriving at the church turn to the right and descend towards the highway from Saint-Soupplets to Penchard._

Half-way down the slope will be seen on the left a villa which overlooks all the countryside, and where the French staff had a first-rate observatory during those hard days of September.

The view below, taken from the upper balcony, shows a corner of the vast panorama seen from there.

_At the foot of the slope turn to the right towards Penchard and follow the railway lines on the road._

Two kilometres further, on the left, an avenue planted with trees leads to the +Villa Automne+, belonging to M. Charles Benoist, member of the "Institut" and deputy of Paris.

There the Germans installed an ambulance which received the wounded of the first battles with the Moroccans at Penchard.

Those who succumbed, among them several officers, were buried in the garden of the estate.

The Moroccans captured the ambulance when they re-took possession of Penchard.

The villa had been ransacked; the most highly appreciated trophy being the owner's peaceful academician's sword.

_At the entrance to =Penchard= (19 km.), keep to the right as far as the town-hall square, where the motor can be left_.

_By the road which borders the town-hall on the right (about 150 yards from there and going past the church)_ we reach the edge of the Penchard woods where the view on the following page was taken. The tourist who enters these woods for a walk, or a rest, will find graves here and there, the last traces of the furious battles that were fought around.

Penchard was attacked the first time on September 5 by the Moroccan brigade, which came from the Chauconin-Neufmontiersline, over which the tourist has already travelled. The struggle was a desperate and particularly bloody one on the edge of the wood now before us, as also in the gardens of the neighbouring houses. The Moroccans had the advantage in this hand-to-hand fight and towards noon succeeded in taking the village, which they held for several hours under a violent bombardment.

But we know that during this time the 55th division's attack on Monthyon had failed, and the Moroccans, unsupported on their left, had to withdraw beyond Chauconin-Neufmontiers.

On the 6th the brigade, renewing its efforts, found Penchard evacuated and went on to the village of Chambry, towards which we will now direct our steps.

When leaving Penchard the Germans posted several spies in the woods, their mission being to signal the positions of the French troops and artillery to the aviators.

One of them was caught and shot at the entrance to the wood in the evening of the 8th. He wore the red-cross armlet and on him were found pennons and rockets which he used for signalling.

_We must retrace our steps as far as the fork of the road at the entrance to the village and take the road that runs to the right._

_Immediately after this we come to the crossways of three roads; we follow the middle one which goes towards Chambry._

We arrive at the +Monument des Quatre-routes+, so called because it is placed at the crossing of the Barcy to Meaux road with that from Penchard to Chambry.

This monument was raised by the engineers, by order of General Gallieni, to the memory of the Army of Paris.

Every year, commemorative ceremonies take place at Meaux and on the neighbouring battlefields, particularly at the monument of the Quatre-Routes. The view opposite was taken in September 1916. The bishop of Arras Mgr. Lobbedey, who some hours earlier preached a touching sermon from Bossuet's pulpit in the Cathedral of Meaux, is here seen placing the tricolour flag at the foot of the monument.

_At the crossing of the Quatre-Routes, the tourist coming from Penchard continues straight on to Chambry_, which is seen a little further on in a hollow (_see photograph below_).

=Chambry= (22 km.) is one of the points of the French right where the fighting was fiercest. It was taken and retaken during the days of September 6, 7 and 8. Alternately bombarded by the French 75's (which at Penchard and Monthyon had taken the place of the German 77's, driven from their first line), and by the light and heavy artillery that the Germans had established on the heights of Vareddes and Gué-à-Tresmes, Chambry, as shown by the great number of new roofs, suffered heavily.

The Germans were thrown back from the western ridge of the hollow into the village, which they were forced to abandon after violent hand-to-hand fighting in the streets. They then entrenched themselves on the east flank and particularly in the cemetery, which is seen in the view below.

Driven from the cemetery they fell back on their chief position, visible on the panorama B (pp. 90-91), whence they made obstinate counter-attacks. The soldiers of the 45th and 55th divisions fought for the ground foot by foot, and finally remained masters of it at the cost of heavy losses. Zouaves, Algerian sharp-shooters, and foot-soldiers of the line vied with each other in heroism during these terrible days.

_Having entered Chambry we cross the square, leaving the main street on the left, and go straight on._ We thus turn round the village by the east--that is to say, on the front that had to withstand all the German onslaught.

The gardens which border the road contain several graves of soldiers who were killed in battle and buried where they fell. The upper photograph shows one of these graves. Some Algerian sharp-shooters fell there, as is indicated by the crescent drawn on the tombstone placed at the head of the grave. The tricolour cockade pinned below is that of "l'Œuvre du Souvenir."

On the slope of the road, to the right, the French troops had established a trench and some precarious shelters (_see photograph below_).

This chance installation at the beginning of the war contrasts oddly with the scientific work that the struggle on fixed positions has now made common. It seems as though it could not have afforded anything more than moral protection against the German artillery, which for three days riddled the position with shells of 77, 105, and even 150 calibre.

_The road followed by the tourist rejoins the main street which lay on his left as he entered the village._

_400 yards from here, on the right, lies the +CEMETERY+ of Chambry._ Near the entrance, on the left, is a little chapel, whose doors were riddled with bullets. It served as a temporary infirmary but was very quickly filled up.

We have seen already the importance of the position held by the Germans in the cemetery.

Through embrasures pierced in the walls, rifles and machine-guns directed a fierce fire on the French troops as they advanced to attack from the direction of Chambry and Barcy. When the latter had taken the cemetery they, in turn, made use of its defences. The bombardment growing too violent, Zouaves and foot-soldiers took shelter in the trench outside the cemetery walls, visible in the photograph on the following page. A goodly number of these brave men remained there and took up the space that would have sufficed for the dead of that small parish for many long years.

The cemetery of Chambry has become a pilgrimage centre. Every year, in the month of September, numerous delegations come to cover the little graves with flowers. The photograph below was taken in 1915. In the middle of the crowd can be distinguished in the foreground, kneeling and leaning against the wire, Mgr. Chesnelong, Archbishop of Sens; behind him Mgr. Marbeau, Bishop of Meaux. The lieutenant seen on the left is the Abbé Dugoux, who had just celebrated mass in the Cathedral of Meaux.

_On leaving the cemetery_ one sees in front, on the slope of the road, the remains of the trenches dug by the French to protect themselves against counter-attacks from the heights of Varreddes.

_Following the road_, one soon sees the harrowing sight of the +Plateau+ of Chambry-Barcy, covered with graves. To the right especially, in the fields which were crossed by the troops rushing to the attack from the hill visible in the photograph below, one can reconstruct the progression of the lines under fire by glancing along the succession of graves.

The principal line of the German defence during the days of September 7, 8 and 9 was established on a position leading from Étrépilly to Varreddes, plainly visible on panorama B (_pp. 90-91_). The height shown in the photograph below formed its southern extremity and its most salient point. Trenches had been made there, supplied with machine-guns and supported by batteries of 77's.

One realises what energy the French troops needed to advance thus, over absolutely uncovered ground, under dropping fire. Several attacks were unavailing; one of them reached the trenches, but the Germans, who had every facility for bringing up their reserves, which were kept sheltered in the declivity on the other side of the hill, thrust the French back on Chambry.

At last, on September 9, the Germans having begun their retreating movement, Zouaves, Moroccans, and foot-soldiers hustled their rearguards and descended in pursuit of them into the hollow of Varreddes.

_Continuing along the same road the tourist comes to a fork. Here he turns to the left towards Barcy and soon comes to a group of poplars, whence the panorama_ B _(below) was taken_.

This +PANORAMA+ shows the objective of the French right during the days of September 7, 8, and 9. This was the little ridge which runs between Étrépilly and Varreddes, followed by a road bordered here and there with poplars. This road was filled with trenches and machine guns which easily swept the uncovered ground that had to be crossed before they could be reached.

The supporting artillery was in the middle distance, on the Trocy Plateau and the sides of the Varreddes hollow.

The 55th (Reserve) Division, the 45th Algerian Division, and the Moroccan Brigade hurled themselves against this redoubtable position for three days, while the 56th (Reserve) Division attacked Étrépilly and the plateau which stretches to the north. The line fell on the 9th, but over the whole surface of this plain (which has been called "the Calvary of the Reserve Divisions") lay numbers of dead who were buried, some where they fell, others in common graves. These graves, with their flags waving in the wind, give a veritable grandeur to this landscape of gentle undulations.

In the view below, taken in front of one of these common graves on the plateau, appears the then English premier, Mr. Asquith, who was anxious to make the Ourcq pilgrimage during one of his visits to Paris. He is seen standing on the right of the road, near the spot from where panorama B was taken.

_Arriving at_ =Barcy= (26 km.) the tourist will see the site of the great commemorative monument which is to be raised by subscription after the war. _At the cross-roads near the entrance to the village, take the middle road which goes through Barcy and leads to the church._

It was in the little square, opening out in front of the belfry and the town-hall, that the second photograph (_reproduced on the following page_) was taken, showing Mr. Asquith interrogating a little village girl come to fetch water from the fountain.

Behind the fountain stands Colonel Hankey, secretary of the Allies' War Council; beside him is the French officer who directed and expounded the visit; Mr. Asquith is in the middle; to the right his son-in-law, and on the extreme right Mr. O'Brien, Sir Edward Grey's colleague.

On September 4 Barcy was the headquarters of a German division. A few people, among them the brother of the Bishop of Meaux, had been arrested near Varreddes, in Mgr. Marbeau's car, and taken before the general. The latter, announcing that he meant to keep their car, told them to inform the inhabitants of Meaux that on the morrow, at the same hour, his troops would be before Paris. But on the morrow Maunoury's army had begun its flank attack, and on the morning of the following day Barcy was carried by the French troops arriving from Monthyon.

Barcy served as starting point for the assaults on Chambry and on the line of defence of Étrépilly-Varreddes; very often also as a place for defensive withdrawals. The fighting was desperate; on September 6 the 246th had nearly twenty officers, including the colonel, out of action, whilst the 289th found it necessary to attack three times during the day.

For three days the bombardment was terrific: the batteries of Étrépilly, Varreddes, and Gué-à-Tresmes rained shells on the village and its approaches.

The church suffered heavily, as shown by the photographs on this page. In the upper one is seen the hole made by the heavy projectile which brought down the bell seen in the foreground of the second photograph. Many houses, like those in the church square, still bear traces of the cannonade.

Others, less heavily damaged, have been repaired. Indeed, to look at the farm sleeping in the sunshine (_see following page_), one would never dream that it had lived through such tragic days.

The new roofing of the building on the left is all there is to remind one that it was not spared by the shells.

_Following the road by which we arrived at the church, we go towards Marcilly._

Before leaving Barcy, we pass the cemetery where lie buried many officers and men who fell in the neighbourhood of the village.

The Germans entered =Marcilly= on the evening of September 4, and abandoned it on the 6th, fearing the outflanking movement of the Seventh Corps towards the north.

The village was the centre of operations for the 56th (Reserve) Division. The photograph below shows General de Dartein's temporary headquarters beside a haystack, not far from the village, whose church can be seen in the background.

The tourist will have an opportunity of seeing in detail the objectives of the division when passing through Champfleury, Poligny, and Étrépilly. The struggle was very fierce and the bombardment incessant for three days.

_The road crosses Marcilly but we do not go beyond the church_, which is a very curious one, with its squat tower and rustic porch (_see following page_). Beside it is the school where a light infantry sergeant, mortally wounded, still found strength enough to write on the blackboard: "The 23rd battalion Light Infantry, the 350th Infantry, and the 361st Infantry have beaten the Prussians here. Vive la France!"

The few inhabitants who remained in the village also remember one of the prisoners brought to the Pernet Farm, whose torn tunic gave glimpses of a woman's chemise, trimmed with lace and little blue ribbons.

_From the church square we turn back about 100 yards and take, on the left, the road to Étrépilly._

_At the end of the village_ is a +GRAVE+ where foot-soldiers, light infantry and artillerymen lie buried (_see photograph overleaf_).

_We soon arrive at the top of the ridge which dominates Marcilly._

Turning round, the tourist will have a wide view of Barcy, Monthyon, and Penchard; passing to the other side of the ridge he will see, on the left, the prominent farms of Champfleury and Nongloire.

The view below was taken during the battles of September in a field on the right of the road. We see a whole section, which thought itself in safety behind a haystack, destroyed by the explosion of a shell.

=FROM MARCILLY TO ÉTRÉPILLY= (45 km.)

Via +Puisieux+, +Nogeon+, +Acy+, +Étavigny+, +Betz+, +Acy+, +Vincy+

=Étrépilly= is 4 km. from Marcilly by the direct route, but we take the tourist round a loop of 45 km. before reaching Étrépilly, so that he may visit the front of the French left wing.

_Arriving at a beetroot factory we come to a fork in the road and take the left branch._ Around this factory desperate battles were fought between the troops of the 56th (Reserve) Division (who, having taken Marcilly, were trying to take Étrépilly) and the Germans, who defended this advance guard of their main position foot by foot.

_The road crosses the Thérouanne; 50 yards further on, at the cross-roads, we take the road on the right which rises towards the_ =Farm of Champfleury= (5 km.). From this front, extending from the factory to the Champfleury farm, the 56th Division made many attacks on the strong line formed by Étrépilly and the plateau which spreads out north of the village, being also successful in shattering all the German counter-attacks.

Champfleury, very important by reason of its dominating position (as shown in the above photograph), was vigorously defended, but after two unsuccessful assaults it was finally carried by the French. There they were subjected for two days to a violent bombardment from Étrépilly, Vincy, and Trocy, which made all their attempts to debouch both difficult and costly.

The farm buildings suffered badly and the rooms of the farm-house were reduced to ruins by shell-fire.