Memorial Armée Secret, Ile Monsin

This memorial commemorates the 23 members of the Belgian underground army, AS (Armée Secrète) the resistance.

According to the description on the memorial, on this bridge on September 7, 1944 at 2 a.m., 23 people of the Belgian Secret Army, (A.S., Armée Secrèt) the Resistance, survivors of the tragedy near the village of Fôret, were murdered by the occupying forces. They were members of zone C.T. II of the A.S. (The monument indicates the number 11, but this has come out wrong on the monument, it should be the Roman numerals II).

C.T. II means; Corps Territoriaux, sector 2, zone 5. This Corps had their rallying point at the castle of Fôret.

Commander of this zone was Major Van der Capellen.

However, due to a shortage of dropped weapons, they were too poorly equipped to go into battle. On September 3, 1944, orders were given to disperse. But that order did not reach all members. At that point in time, the U.S. Army was advancing toward Liege and Holland. The Germans had been forced onto the defensive and in retreat since D-day, less than 3 months before.

On Sept. 6, the group was attacked by German troops in which 36 resistance members were killed. 23 captured resistance members were taken to the bridge at Ile Monsin in the Meuse River near Liège (15 km away) and executed by order of German SiPo-SD commander Strauch. They were then thrown into the water at the weir. The bodies were recovered in the Meuse River until July 1946.


Sixteen victims were later recovered from the river Meuse. They were;

BORGUET Henry, age 29, from Wandre, his body was not found and identified until June 1946 in the Meuse River. He was buried in the cemetery of Saive. (see photo 4)

CENT Robert, age 20, from Chênée, his body was found in the Meuse River in September 1944.

DE HERVE Julien, age 24, from Trooz, his body was found in the Meuse in September 1944.

DETILLIEUX Désiré, age 24, from Bressoux, his body was found in the Meuse in September 1944.

DOHOGNE Charles, age 21, from Chênée, his body was found in the Meuse in September 1944.

GRANDJEAN Mathias, age 42, from Liège, his body was found and identified in the Meuse only in May 1946.

HUBY Joseph, age 23, from Melen, his body was not found and identified in the Meuse until June 1946.

MAUHIN Alfred, age 37, from Verviers, his body was not found and identified in the Meuse until July 1946.

MEULENBERG Jean, age 50, from Soumagne, his body was found and identified in the Meuse only in June 1946. He is also remembered on the monument of Romsée.

NYS Joseph, age 62, from Chênée, his body was found in the Meuse River in September/October 1944.

PIRARD Ernest, 37, from Chênée, his body was not found and identified in the Meuse until July 1946.

RADEMAECKER Jacques, age 20, from Chênée, his body was found in the Meuse in September 1944.

ROLAND Charles, age 36, from Beyne-Heusay, his body was found in the Meuse in September 1944.

ROMAIN Jean, age 35, from Saive, his body was found in the Meuse River in September 1944. He He was buried in the cemetery of Saive. (see photo 5)

SOLHEID Jean, 64, from Vaux-sous-Chèvremont, his body was found and identified in the Meuse only in June 1946. He is also remembered on the monument of Vaux-sous-Chèvremont.

UNKEL Hubert, age unknown, from Chênée, his body was (probably) found in the Meuse in September 1944.


In addition, 11 resisters whose bodies were never recovered. Possibly some of them were part of the 23 prisoners executed here and thrown into the Meuse.

CAMBRESY Arnold, 20 years old, from Chênée.

CEULEMANS Tony, 28 years old, from Fléron.

CLAES Joseph, 18 years !, from Jupille.

CORTEIL Joseph, age 18 !, from Fléron. He is also remembered on the monument of Romsée.

JACOB Albert, 20 years old, from Liernieux.

LEBOIS Jules, 38, from Ayeneux.

LELIEVRE Marcel, 19 years !, from Chênée.

LETIEXHE Albert, 43 years old, from Nessonvaux.

OUWERX Charles, 21 years old, from Olne.

PATUREAU Jacques, 24 years old, from Fraipont.

WOUTERS Albert, 33 years old, from Seraing.

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Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Ed Lewandowski (1, 3, 4, 5), Ed Lewandowski (2)
• belgiumwwii.be/nl/belgie-in-oorlog/artikels/1944-09-06-slachtpartij-van-foret-trooz.html
• La vérité sur la tragédie de Fôret, MECIN Melchior, juli 1946.
• bel-memorial.org