Also known as the British Column, this monument was erected not far from the former sugar factory of Cerny-en-Laonnois (“a place that was so hard on the combatants”, according to Nicolas Offenstadt) where the first battle of the Chemin des Dames took place in 1914.
Blocked there in September, the British soldiers had to dig trenches, and bitter fighting followed until the beginning of 1915 when this sector fell to the German side.
Several British soldiers are now buried in the Vendresse-Beaulne cemetery built below, in the direction of Bourg-et-Comin…
Monument du Bataillon Loyal North Lancashire
