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Memorial Cemetery Graide

The municipal cemetery contains a monument for, among others, the maquisards who fell in the forest during the Battle of Graide on September 1, 1944.
The maquis of Graide, sub-division of the Beauraing-Gedinne Group, commanded by Lieutenant Robert HUSTIN, had their camp on the slope of a wooded hill between Graide, Haut-Fays and Gedinne.
On September 1, 1944, at 8 a.m., one of the guards saw 200 Germans in the meadow, on
50 meters from the guard post. To avoid confrontation, the lieutenant ordered the camp to be broken up immediately.
The maquisards quickly discovered that most escape routes were cut off or impassable. Only 1 escape route remained in the direction of Haut-Fays.
The danger threatened and the grenades were distributed before fleeing, but the enemy had come too close. Everyone hurriedly looked for the most favorable place to take shelter.
The battle soon raged, with shots fired on all sides.
After two hours of relentless fighting, a lull fell. Lieutenant Hustin took the opportunity to gather the survivors and flee through the forest to the commander's camp in the Barbouillon.
The Germans withdrew but shot down several maquisards along the way.

The monument "To our heroes" consists of 3 parts:
Left: "Prisoners and soldiers died for their country"
BASTIN Arthur–GOFFIN Charles–JACQUES Armand
Middle; "Maquisards fallen in the forest of Graide on 1/9/1944"
JACQUES Albert–HALLET Léon–BRION Romain-BERTRUME Paul–BRION Jean
Right: "Prisoners of war and soldiers died in service"
NICHOLAS Eugène–BERTRAND Antoine–MENAGE Emile

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Source

  • Text: TracesOfWar
  • Photos: Marie-Christine Vinck

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