A remnant of the Eleventh Corps, which had been driven on the 8th from the woods to the west of Normée (see p. [194]), made a gallant stand on the summit and sides of the plateau in the pine thickets and in improvised trenches which still exist here and there.
One of the most moving incidents was the defence of the standard of the 32nd. Two hundred men belonging to the 66th and the 32nd Regiments were hemmed in a little wood near the Vaure, having with them the standard of the 32nd, whose bearer had been killed. All the officers were dead or missing, only a few adjutants and sergeants remained. These asked Sergeant-major Guerre of the 66th, a man of energy and resource, to take command. The handful of heroes then formed a square and succeeded in repulsing the attacks of the enemy, until the arrival of a field-piece rendered the position in the wood untenable. Guerre divided his remaining troops into small companies, then charged with the bayonet where the enemy was strongest. A machine-gun soon laid the brave fellow low. The other companies took advantage of this diversion to rejoin the French lines. Thirty men in all were able to do so. Private Malvau and his comrade Bourgoin brought back the standard. They lost themselves in the German lines, but were put on the right path by an officer of the guards, suffering from a bad wound which they dressed for him.
After visiting the Rochelle plateau we retrace our steps towards Fère and at the entrance to the village take, on the left, N. 34 in the direction of Sommesous.
Pass straight through Connantray (33½ km.) to arrive, after traversing a level-crossing, at Sommesous (44½ km.).
The station is on the left of the level-crossing. It changed hands several times during the desperate encounters which took place here. Graves were dug in the little station garden on the left to receive the bodies of the soldiers of the 60th (reserve) Division who fell on this spot.
Follow N. 34 for about 200 yards in Sommesous, then turn to the left into N. 77. The combats were particularly violent at the junction of these two roads. Next, take the second street on the left, seen in the photograph below, in order to reach the centre of the village. Sommesous was entirely destroyed by bombardment and by fire, but is slowly rising again from its ashes.
RUINED HOUSE AT SOMMESOUS
