The plaque on the town’s war memorial commemorates the participation of the Bataillon Mixte du Pacifique (BMP) in the recapture of the town of Vesles-et-Caumont from the Germans in October 1918, a battalion that was cited in the order of the Xth Army
It was composed of Kanak (indigenous 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 operations
It should be noted that another plaque was placed in the chapel of Cerny-en-Laonnois, located on the Chemin des Dames, “in memory of the valiant combatants of the Mixed Battalion of the Pacific who died for France 1914-1918″…
Plaque commémorative du Bataillon Mixte du Pacifique
