Memorial Haybes

The memorial in memory of four children, indirect victims of the war, is located along the main road between the municipalities of Haybes and Fépin

"The children's monument" commemorates the tragedy that four young Haybois experienced on September 2, 1946.
At that time, the parish of Haybes organized patronages during the school holidays to keep the children busy. On Monday, September 2, 1946, young people were invited to pick blackberries near Providence's old slate quarry where these fruits grew in abundance. Ginette Beaufay and Geneviève Vandeven, 12 years old, Monique Biver, 11 years old and Pierre Biver, 7 years old, take care of the rearguard.

Pierre found an object that looked like a pomegranate. The children looked at it without realizing that it could be an object of war. But Geneviève exclaimed: "Throw that away! My father always forbade me to touch it! »
The explosion was then indescribably heavy. Two of the girls were thrown onto the road, the third was left dazed. Pierre ended up on the railway tracks due to the explosion.
Despite the rapid mobilization of emergency services and local residents, the four children died the same day or the next day.

Later investigation revealed that a road worker had found this grenade. He had left the item on the side of the road to pick up after work. Unfortunately he forgot to take it away.

In 1947, a small monument was erected on this site. The wrought iron cross was made by the father of little Geneviève, one of the victims.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Marie-Christine Vinck