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#OTD - 29 December 1870. Continuation of the Siege of Péronne, #Somme:
Attempting to conserve ammunition, the German barrage of Péronne eased in intensity & became more target specific as the French batteries on the ramparts became the main focus. ...
#OTD - 29 December 1870. Continuation of the Siege of Péronne, #Somme:
Attempting to conserve ammunition, the German barrage of Péronne eased in intensity & became more target specific as the French batteries on the ramparts became the main focus. ...
2/ Several guns, including one manned by 5e cie of the fusiliers marins de Brest on the south east rampart near the Damay Mill, were knocked out of action - this particular event (in which 21-year-old marin Jean Delpas, from Lugas, Tarn was killed in action & another 4 were…
3/ …seriously wounded) is marked by a memorial - dedicated to Delpas - sited near to the actual location. By nightfall, when this 1st bombardment ceased completely, over 10,000 shells had hit the town.
4/ The memorial (which was also intended to generically commemorate the siege of Péronne, Delpas symbolically being representative of this) was unveiled on 18 July 1909 & is also a grave – being the final resting place of the remains of Jean Delpas.
5/ Originally buried in the town communal cemetery, Delpas’ remains were exhumed and cremated in 1909 & his ashes placed, along with an old parchment signed by chef d'escadron Armand Garnier, in a copper casket that was sealed into the monument.
6/ During the German occupation of Péronne between 1914 and 1917, the wording on the memorial was erased & the statue (originally a bronze statue of a rifle carrying marin) was removed & melted down for war materiel.
7/ The memorial was repaired, & the statue replaced with the current stone version (of Delpas being hit by a shell fragment whilst in charge of his guns) in August 1933.
8/ It now also commemorates the Péronnaise who have died for France in wars & service during the 19th century (1812 to 1885 to be precise).
9/ Approximately 80 metres behind the wall & buildings directly opposite the memorial the base of the bastion (in the vicinity of ‘ouvrage 33’ that was dismantled in 1906) upon which Delpas was killed whilst serving one of four naval guns can be found.
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