The 11th of November 2003 in Hamel

Armistice Day

© ONAC - The cornflower : Remembrance flower in France - click for more
The "Bleuet de France"


Australian Corps Monument, salute of the flag and minute of silence. Mr Pierre Lecat, Algeria veteran, the village flag-bearer.


Australian Corps Monument, a village kid lays a wreath, helped by the local head of the veterans.

A little reminder. The Armistice ending the First World War was signed on November 11th, 1918 at 11 am in the clearing of Rethondes, in the forest of Compiègne. This historic event and especially the memory of the missing persons are celebrated every November 11th.

Hamel as other villages organizes its remembrance around its War Memorial. On its territory, this municipality has not only this monument. Since 1999, the ceremony of November 11th begins at the Australian Memorial Park. Its monument stand upon the village, 200 m to the East. After paying respect to the Australian deads, then people went to Monument to the Deads, on a trafic island on the main road crossing the village. The persons around the municipal authorities are inhabitants sensitive to the duty of memory, war veterans and children of the primary school with a school teacher. A modest but completely honorable mobilization for a village of approximately 500 inhabitants.


War Memorial of Hamel, wreath laying by a child of the village and a representative of the local veterans.

"The call of the deaths": reading the list of the "deads for France" from the village by a pupil of the school.

Salute of the flag and minute of silence.

Locals in the main street of the village.

Minute of silence and salute of the flag in front of the Monument of Fusilliers Marins
After the War Memorial, a wreath is laid on a small monument honouring the fusilliers marins having fought near Hamel in June, 1940. An other halt to remember how much our region is marked by wars. On the way back, a last stop(ruling) with place in front of the patch Baastian which sends back(dismisses) directly to the battle of July 4th, 1918. Even if this small monument is not really official, except for the Australian commitment, he reminds to people that the village was complétement destroyed(annulled) after 14-18...Après le Monument aux Morts, l'usage est aussi de déposer une gerbe au bas d'un petit monument rendant hommage aux fusilliers marins ayant combattu près de Le Hamel en juin 1940. Une halte qui rappelle à quel point notre région est marquée par les guerres. Au retour, un dernier arrêt à lieu devant la plaque Baastian qui renvoie directement à la bataille du 4 juillet 1918. Même si ce petit monument n'est pas vraiment officiel, à part l'engagement australien, il rappelle aux gens que le village était complétement détruit au lendemain de 14-18...

Salute of the flag and minute of the silence in front of the Bastiaan plaque.
The ceremony ends by the traditional drink. Children are given a brioche and are in charge of the charitable sale of cornflowers (flower of the souvenir in France) in the form of stickers.

"Vin d'honneur" at the townhall.