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Le Fort des Dunes French national war cemetery at Leffrinckoucke

Le fort des dunes

La nécropole nationale de Leffrinckoucke. © ECPAD

 

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The national war cemetery of Leffrinckoucke contains the remains of soldiers who died during the "Dynamo" operation which enabled the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force and part of the French forces entrenched in the Dunkirk pocket. Established between 1957 and 1959, next to Fort des Dunes, this war cemetery contains the bodies of soldiers who covered this operation. Today, it holds close to 190 bodies, 167 of which are French soldiers buried in individual graves. Located to the right of the war cemetery, an ossuary-monument holds the remains of 19 French and six unknown Czech soldiers.

Among these soldiers are buried General Janssen, commander of the 12th Motorized Infantry Division (DIM), killed on 2nd June 1940 during the aerial bombardments of the fort. There is a plaque at the entrance to Fort des Dunes, in remembrance of him and his men who fell alongside him during those first days of June 1940. A second plaque is dedicated “A la mémoire du Lieutenant Colonel Le Notre commandant les forces terrestres et aériennes de la première Armée des Officiers, Sous-officiers et soldats des F.T.A. tombés à leur poste de combat en ces lieux le 03 juin 1940 [To the memory of Our Lieutenant Colonel commanding the land and air forces of the first army of Officers, NCOs and soldiers of the FTA who fell at their battle stations at this place on 3rd June 1940].” In the fort, at the entrance to the Military Police building, a plaque honours the memory of the gendarmes of the Military Police of the 12th Motorized Infantry Division who died for France on 3rd June 1940. In the moat of the fort, there is a final plaque in memory of the eight resistant fighters who were shot dead on that very spot on 6th June 1944.

 

  • La nécropole nationale de Leffrinckoucke. © Guillaume Pichard

  • La nécropole nationale de Leffrinckoucke. © Guillaume Pichard

  • La nécropole nationale de Leffrinckoucke. © ECPAD

  • La nécropole nationale de Leffrinckoucke. © ECPAD

  • La nécropole nationale de Leffrinckoucke. © Guillaume Pichard

  • La nécropole nationale de Leffrinckoucke. © Guillaume Pichard

  • Naufrage du torpilleur le Bourrasque dans la Manche, mai 1940. © ECPAD

  • Matériels et engins motorisés français abandonnés après l'opération Dynamo, mai 1940. © ECPAD

  • Tombes provisoires de soldats français inhumés au terme des combats qui se déroulèrent dans les faubourgs de Dunkerque, mai 1940. © ECPAD

  • Prisonniers français évacués après la chute du camp retranché de Dunkerque, mai 1940. © ECPAD

  • Char français gagnant le front rencontrant une colonne de réfugiés, 1940. © ECPAD

  • Colonne de prisonniers français gagnant les camps en Allemagne, juin 1940. © ECPAD

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    Zuydcoote
    À 15 km à l’ouest de Dunkerque, D 601, D 60, rue des Dunes

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