The 75th Infantry Division used Charlesville France as a Command Post as troop headed north to the Netherlands after intense fighting in the Colmar Pocket in France. The Germans had been pushed out of France.
This War Memorial in Charlesville-Menzieres is located in Winston Churchill Square. The memorial commemorated the residents of Charlesville who were killed in the First World War, the Second World War, the wars in Indochina, and Algeria.
The bronze figure is a victorious angel, holding a laurel in one hand and a flag in the other. Translated, the text on the column says, “The City of Charlesville to his children dead for France.”
At the base a seven soldiers rushing forward and looking up towards victory. An injured soldier on his knees, encourages the others to push forward. The large stone base is engraved with the names of the 551 soldiers from Charlesville who died for France.
Gorgeous well tended flowers adorned the base of the memorial. As I sketched school children sat on the benches and ate lunch. A young boy and girl had a long conversation. The girl seemed most interested in devouring her baguette.