57th Division Memorial, Cambrai

[Gareth Davies]

Anyone know what’s happened to the 57th Div memorial plaque that used to be in Place 9 Octobre in Cambrai? I walked into town to see it this afternoon and there it was, gone.

[DavidOwen]

But where has the British commemorative plaque on the Place du 9-Octobre gone? - The Voice of the North (lavoixdunord.fr) Full article hidden but clearly someone knows the answer!

A similar article is said to appear on Reddit but so far has eluded me until now (my French ain't that good!) But it appears that they have moved / are moving it to Porte de Paris?

 

[Gareth Davies]

Thank you.

[Paul in the Somme]

Here is a translation of the article that I have de-waffled.

 

Where is the British commemorative plaque from Place du 9-Octobre?

 

By Bruno Demeulenaere Cambrai. 

 

"In honour of the men of the 57th British Division who gave their lives for the liberation of Cambrai, October 9, 1918." It is this text, in French preceded by its translation into English, which appeared, until the summer, on a plaque located in Cambrai, Place du 9-Octobre, opposite Rue Sadi-Carnot. It was removed by the city during the renovation of the square along with the two other plaques around the roundabout (the one from 1978 and the one from 1983 dedicated to Canadian fighters). On 9^th October during the unveiling of the new plaque from the Canadian government to commemorate the centenary, only those of our cousins across the Atlantic were replaced either side of the new one; but not the plaque of our neighbours across the Channel...

 

The explanation for this disappearance came from Christian Dhénin, deputy mayor with responsibility for patriotic affairs. He was concerned about the incongruity that there would be, especially for the Canadian authorities, to inaugurate a plaque in homage to the "Canadians (who) helped defeat the Germans here in Cambrai"... alongside another plaque praising the British for the same thing. 

 

"A historical logic"

 

Christian Dhénin explained that the decision was therefore made to move the plaque to the “Porte de Paris". The idea, in addition to sparing the possible sensitivities, responds to "a historical logic". The Canadian troops attacked the German forces to the north of the city (Raillencourt-Sainte-Olle, Haynecourt, Neuville-Saint-Rémy, Naves, Escaudoeuvres, etc.) entered first through the Cantimpré district at around 4 a.m., and advanced to the town hall which they reached very quickly. The British advanced towards Cambrai from the south: having liberated Rumilly-en-Cambrésis, Noyelles-sur-Escaut, Proville, and entered Cambrai through the Porte de Paris in the early afternoon.  Photos show the meeting of the Canadians and British on the main square in Cambrai during the afternoon, said the deputy mayor. Separating the commemorative plaques to the north (Place du 9-octobre) and south (Porte de Paris) of the city is an idea with common sense. The date and precise location of the installation of the plaque at the Porte de Paris has not yet been decided but will probably be in the gardens that were remodelled last year.

[Gareth Davies]

Merci.