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THE MONUMENT FOR THE COMBATANTS FROM THE 18th INFANTRY REGIMENT
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This monument dedicated to the 18th Infantry Regiment is located on California plateau at the extreme eastern edge. It was built in 1927 on the summit of a former German shelter in concrete.
We can read on it :
“To the glory of the 18th Regiment (Béarn – Basque Country – Gascony), crack regiment in charge of the capture the plateau of Craonne, a position that had been judged impregnable, took it in a magnificent surge. Mentioned in the army - 4th -5th May 1917”.
The « Monument for the Basques » also pays tribute to the 18th Infantry Regiment as well as a commemorative stone tablet does in Cerny-en-Laonnois Memorial. |
From 14th September 1914 to 24th April 1916 (Craonnelle, plateau of Vauclair, Hurtebise farm, the Creute farm), from 22nd April to 8th May 1917 (Craonne, California plateau), from 30th May to 15th June 1917 (plateau of the casemates and Craonne) and eventually from 15th September to 12th October 1918 (plateau and forest of Pinon, Chavignon, in the west) the 18th regiment was in the Chemin des Dames.
Placed in reserve at the time of Nivelle’s offensive, on 16th April 1917, the 18th I.R was taken a heavy toll from 4th May, at the capture of Craonne and the plateau of California: 40% of losses. Later, on 27th May 1917, whereas the Regiment had just been put at rest in Villers-sur-Frère, the men learnt that they had to get on 1st line, fires broke out and the men refused to enter the lorries.
Mutinies broke up within the French Army. In the 18th I.R, twelve men were handed over to the Court-martial, on 7th June, 5 were sentenced to death with the charge “rebellion with arms”. One of them was pardoned, the other one managed to escape (He actually had to go into exile in Spain until the 1930’s) and other three were shoot in the small hours of the 12th June in Maizy.
Documents associated to this Collective Monument
