The plaque on the local war memorial commemorates the participation of the Bataillon Mixte du Pacifique (BMP) in the recapture of the commune of Vesles-et-Caumont from the Germans in October 1918, a battalion which was cited in the Xth Army Order.
It was made up of Kanak (native soldiers from New Caledonia) and Tahitian riflemen, and was formed in Nouméa in June 1916, before moving on to the Champagne, Matz and Ailette theaters of operation.
Another plaque was placed in the chapel at Cerny-en-Laonnois, on the Chemin des Dames, “in memory of the valiant combatants of the Bataillon Mixte du Pacifique who died for France 1914-1918″…
Plaque commémorative du Bataillon Mixte du Pacifique
