Barcy served as starting point for the assaults on Chambry and on the line of defence of Étrépilly-Varreddes; very often also as a place for defensive withdrawals. The fighting was desperate; on September 6 the 246th had nearly twenty officers, including the colonel, out of action, whilst the 289th found it necessary to attack three times during the day.
BARCY CHURCH
For three days the bombardment was terrific: the batteries of Étrépilly, Varreddes, and Gué-à-Tresmes rained shells on the village and its approaches.
The church suffered heavily, as shown by the photographs on this page. In the upper one is seen the hole made by the heavy projectile which brought down the bell seen in the foreground of the second photograph. Many houses, like those in the church square, still bear traces of the cannonade.
Others, less heavily damaged, have been repaired. Indeed, to look at the farm sleeping in the sunshine (see following page), one would never dream that it had lived through such tragic days.
The new roofing of the building on the left is all there is to remind one that it was not spared by the shells.
FARM AT BARCY