Please Note:

Your browser does not support the currently preferred methods of web site design and development. In particular, Microsoft has withdrawn support for Internet Explorer. Consequently, we can no longer justify providing additional resources for browsers that will increasingly become inappropriate.

All information should still be available to you within a basic user experience.

However, although we supported IE right to the end, we recommend that you now look for an alternative browser such as Edge, Firefox, Chrome, etc. All of these are automatically updated to include support for new technologies.

GOT IT
Butte de Warlencourt logoicon showing 3 bars, indicating a link to a menu

History

The Butte & Surrounding Area Before World War One

Below you will find links to a couple of articles which we think that you will find of interest. Firstly there are details regarding the 1870-1871 war in the Bapaume area where maybe worth noting to any visitor to the area that all the memorials mentioned are easily accessible. The second article is a nice summary of the background of the villages of Warlencourt and Eaucourt which together form the commune of Warlencourt-Eaucourt. These are located very close to the Butte as such. Thanks to Butte associate Blanche Crossan for supplying Bob with some fascinating papers regarding the Bapaume area before World War One. For info, Bob visited the local Societe Archeologique et Historique de Bapaume in Rue Jean Baptiste Lequette, Bapaume which is open every Wednesday. The guys there were very welcoming and helpful indeed, many thanks to them. This is well worth a short visit if you are in the area and have the time.

The impressive 1870-1871 war memorial just outside Bapaume on the road to Arras.

The war of 1870 left a profound mark on the French. After the war, many memorials were erected on the battlefields encouraged by the local committees of Souvenir Francais. Successive governments wished to promote to the attentions of passers by the tombs of the soldiers whereby simple stone graves, columns, obelisks and pyramids came to represent the main focus of commemorations. In the area of the Butte,the battle for Bapaume started on 2 January 1871 where General Louise Faidherbe was to lead the Armee du Nord in order to repel the enemy. Depending on the book you read the result of the battle was a French victory, the less biased may call it a draw.

Read More ...