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Florent-en-Argonne French national war cemetery

La nécropole nationale de Florent-en-Argonne. © ECPAD

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Located north-east of Sainte-Menehould, the French national war cemetery of Florent-en-Argonne contains the bodies of soldiers gathered from temporary cemeteries or isolated graves in the region of Claon and Hauts Bâtis. Created in 1914, this national war cemetery brings together the remains of 2,061 soldiers killed during fighting in Argonne.

A monument was erected in 1916 in honour of the commitment and sacrifice of these men.

In August 1915, after having lost contact with his unit, the soldier Victor Schmitt was picked up by the 147th Infantry Regiment (RI). Tried and convicted for abandonment of his post in the face of the enemy, he was executed by firing squad as an example, in Florent-en-Argonne at the age of 34.

Within the national war cemetery rest the remains of Louis-François Lepenant. A native of La Mancha, he served with the 25th Infantry Regiment, with whom he fought at the Battle of the Marne, then in Artois. In July 2015, during a violent bombardment, he lost his nerve and left the front line. Considered a deserter, he rejoined his regiment where he had to stand trial. Following a special council of war, he was executed by firing squad at Moiremont. His body lies in grave 1758.

In the communal cemetery of Florent-en-Argonne are the bodies of three men shot as an example, the soldiers Séverin Maurice who died on 24 October 1914, Benoît Louis who died on 4 October 1915 and whose name is inscribed on the Salviac (46) memorial, and Marcel Painsant who died on 21 December 1915.

La nécropole nationale de Florent-en-Argonne. © ECPAD

ligne de front en Argonne, 1915. © MINARM/SGA/DMCA/Joëlle Rosello

Ravitaillement en gare de Sainte-Ménehould destiné aux troupes d’Argonne, 17 juillet 1915. © Collections BDIC

Cuisiniers français portant la soupe en 1re ligne, secteur de Saint-Hubert (La Harazée), 31 juillet 1916. © Collections BDIC

Triple exécution de soldats condamnés à mort pour refus d'obéissance, 1916. © Collections BDIC

Petit poste avancé situé dans le secteur de la Harazée, juillet 1917. © Collections BDIC

Cantonnement français situé dans le secteur de La Harazée. © ECPAD

Tranchée de seconde ligne située en forêt d'Argonne. On aperçoit à l'intérieur de cette tranchée un opérateur du service photographique de l'armée créé au début de 1915. © ECPAD