This week Sabine’s battlefield guide Saturday is going to focus on the Recapture of Zonnebeke October 1914 by French troops
RI 77 on its way to Zonnebeke
On the morning of the 24th of october, they stroll through the streets of Dikkebus. In the numerous estaminets, drinking coffee and the traditional Flanders lager for a few cents. The people, very kind, welcome them with grateful sympathy. Some tired dragoons, who had arrived the day before, recounted the events: “The enemy is not far away, we fought like hell, firing our muskets. For six days we have not stopped; it is time for you infantrymen to arrive! In the distance, the cannon rumbles without interruption. But the people of the village say that last night the detonations were more distinct, that the Germans had retreated ten kilometres.
Suddenly, a column of three hundred German prisoners marches through the street. There is a great silence. People watch it pass with a certain pride. At noon, the order (in the morning, the 3rd Battalion had already taken the road to Frezenberg where it was to be stationed), arrived for the 1st and 2nd Battalions to leave for Ypres.
On the road, there is a lot of traffic. We are in junction with the British troops. And there are nothing but convoys of supplies, artillery and infantry. We admire the English horses, fat, dashing, of a superb breed; they are singularly different from ours, since ours are tired and sick. One notices the long lines of new cars, the armoured machine-guns, even cars carrying tea, filtered water… And one says to oneself, full of hope: “What can the Boche do against these troops, this equipment?
Further on, we came across some Indians (these are the Indian divisions of Lahore, Bengal and Bhopal, some of which were stationed in Voormezeele) whose tiny cars are pulled by mules. They look proud in their colourful turbans, coats blowing in the wind, cutlasses in their belts. The story of their exploits immediately circulates: “These superb soldiers profess the most absolute contempt for death, nothing makes them back down , the other day, a battalion of Sikhs refused to be relieved…, they wanted to finish off the Germans with their huge knives…”.
We slowly approach Ypres, the traffic is so heavy.
On the outskirts of Ypres, the two battalions gather in a field and make a halt. Only at dusk do they enter the town. The population crowds the pavements, cheering the troops. The children called out to each other in their rough Flemish language, ran to put their handcuffs in the hands of the soldiers and, proud of this handshake, sang joyfully. Early morning 25th of October, the regiment leaves Ieper, stopped at Frezenberg Ridge. The battle rages on everywhere. In the very pure light, one can see the infantrymen advancing , through the green fields of beetroot and the red-brick houses. Over Zonnebeke, shells fall . The most intense action is taking place in this village where the 114th Infantry Regiment has been fighting since yesterday. The 77th, was to move to the right, north-east of Zonnebeke, . The objective is Moorslede. The manoeuvre continued, without too many casualties, under heavy shelling. Colonel Lestoquoi, cane in hand, walks stoically with the leading sections, he encourages the men with his good fatherly voice. The men are moving quickly and in superb order, just like at the Ruchard camp where they were manoeuvring only a few months ago.
The country is dotted with farms and houses. Surrounded by gardens enclosed by hedges, they constituted small fortresses from which the enemy had to be dislodged more often with rifle fire than with percussion.
The 3rd Battalion moved up to the front line and reinforced the advancing British.
It was during this advance, , that Captain Dupont de Dinechin took prisoners. In a house that his company had surrounded, Dinechin resolutely entered. A dozen Germans were inside. shouting: “Comrades! “This, gentlemen, is how prisoners are taken”, waving his musket, while Lieutenant Bignon and his men rushed to capture them.
In the evening, Dinechin requested a patrol for a reconnaissance in Molenorelsthoek. Sergeant Letord, a brave man, immediately presented himself with his section. A few streets had barely been covered when Private Leton, engaged alone in front, heard a suspicious noise in a pub. Without hesitation, he suddenly pushed open the door and found himself in front of an officer and a group of Germans. Not losing his head, he points a gun at them. They surrendered without resistance. It was a good capture: 13 men and a lieutenant who were taken to safety. During this reconnaissance, Letord and Private Hilaire picked up four more Germans.
At the end of the day, the Beselare Passchendaele road was reached. And the final position of the regiment was established, facing north-east in the following order: 1st, 2nd, 3rd battalion, the 1st in front and 300 metres from the road, formation of articulated battalions, covered by forward fighting posts. The junction with the British was established. But because of incomplete orders, the covered ground, difficult to recognise (very few officers had a map) and the movement of the English reserves towards Beselare, the units found themselves entangled with the English front line troops. They fraternised in the most pleasant way, exchanging tins of food and tobacco.
The night was spent in great excitement. At every moment, at the outposts, the sentries were shooting at marauding cows and pigs that were mistaken for Germans. The rain began to fall, penetrating the tents with which some soldiers had wrapped themselves and quickly turning the ground into a swamp.
Source : Elie Chamard le 77 a Zonnebeke
images : French soldiers at the bascule cross road before heading of towards Zonnebeke, Memorial for the French troops at Broodseinde