The monument was erected in 1928, following a subscription campaign launched by the départements of south-west France. It commemorates the battles fought by the regiments of the 36th Infantry Division (notably the 18th RI from Pau, 34th RI from Mont-de-Marsan and 14th Artillery Regiment from Tarbes). The statue depicts a South-Western peasant in traditional costume, wearing a Basque beret. Turning his back on the former battlefield, the figure gazes eternally towards his homeland. Note that sculptor Claude Grange chose to depart from the military heroism in vogue at the time… Since September 2017, the international memorial to the rugby players who died in the First World War has stood next to this monument (in the form of a sculpture by former XV de France captain Jean-Pierre Rives).
Monument aux Basques et Mémorial aux Rugbymen 14-18
