Text : Philippe Vincent-Chaissac 5 Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians... From Africa to the Artois,

OR the vast majority of the inhabitants directly on the attack, and against all the of the Pas-de-, the name is odds it broke through four successive lines of Findelibly linked with Canada because German trenches to reach the ridge an hour of the battle that took place there in April and a half later. Even though its losses were 1917. The Canadian memorial appears in heavy, its success was undeniable, incredible every history book and travel guide and is even. So incredible, in fact, that the reinfor- one of the main monuments in the region. cements which should have been following to In fact, Vimy is technically not even part of clean up the sector, were not there...or even , as the monument officially stands ready, and were too far away to react quickly. on Canadian soil. As a result, it was a question of holding the position to the death. Pierre Miquel wrote in La

The Moroccan monument was in fact res- Butte Sanglante (The Bloody Hill): “The troops Photo: Alain Jacques documentary collection tored a few years ago (paid for by the King of of the Moroccan Division made a mistake ), yet passes (almost) unnoticed. So in winning the battle, as it then became a why is it here? The reason for its presence is question of minimising their achievement quite easy to identify: fortified and held by the […] given that the resources to back up Germans since 1914, Vimy Ridge had long what had been achieved were not in place”. The “café” in a Moroccan camp near Aix-Noulette been coveted by France because of its stra- tegic position, in the same way as the hill of A sacrificed division had returned from Morocco in August 1914. is particularly difficult trying to find detailed Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. The Moroccan Division was then considered Subsequently reorganised, it comprised units information as there are no Moroccan, Algerian In 1915, the French and German armies a target for enemy fire… which is another of varying origin. In the case of the assault or Tunisian cemeteries – only the Muslim confronted each other in the sector, way of saying that it was sacrificed, hence on Vimy Ridge, its troops were made up of cemeteries in Lorette, and in La Targette, each embedded in successive lines of trenches. the reason for the Moroccan Division’s com- Algerian soldiers, recruited in or where Muslim tombs from 1939-45 are more Despite its weak artillery, France’s continued memoration at the memorial. However, in the , as well as legionnaires, and forei- numerous than those from 1914-18. Hence aim was to retake Lorette and to break through eyes of the sociologist Abdelmoula Souidia gners of every description ranging from the question: what happened to the Moroccans the front. On this occasion it set Vimy Ridge (Memoria Nord association): “this is not true”, American, Polish and Czechs to Swedish and who died? The answer can be found in various as its objective, even though this seemed in the sense that it gives the impression that Swiss volunteers, including the writer Blaise cemeteries of the region, and is directly somewhat unrealistic at the time. it honours the memory of Moroccan soldiers Cendrars. linked to the composition of the different army whereas, in fact, there were no Moroccans in . It’s worth noting that more than 30,000 On Vimy Ridge the Moroccan Division. Where are the Moroccans? Moroccan soldiers (37,000 according to Pierre On 9 May, the Moroccan Division went The Division was given its name because it Given the circumstances it’s not easy to Miquel) left their home country to fight along- work this out. What is clear, however, is side French troops. that Moroccan soldiers were engaged on the Artois front. The presence of the 1st Moroccan Infantry is highlighted in May-June 1915 around and Aix-Noulette. We also know that infantry of Moroccan Spahis were in action in and . Abdelmoula Souidia himself talks of the caïdmia (lieutenant) Brick Ben Kaddour, one of the few Moroccan officers who took part

Photo: Alain Jacvques documentary collection in the defence of Béthune and was killed at -en-Weppes, and of one of his friends, Abbas Ben M’Hamed, killed at Richebourg in 1914. However, without an Photo: Philippe Vincent-Chaissac Algerian infantrymen, in in-depth knowledge of regimental history, it The memorial to the Moroccan Division

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orking with the Memoria Today, a significant number of Moroccans have morate sacrifices made. Mr Souidia, who is Nord association, sociologist ancestors who fought in France. This is a part looking for financial backing for a book on the WAbdelmoula Souidia regularly of their history. Abdelmoula Souidia explains subject, reminds us that “Moroccans helped to brings school pupils to the region’s military that he is often questioned by Moroccans build the French Empire”. In other words, they cemeteries and memorials. “These places who want to know where a particular tomb is contributed to the country’s greatness. After are full of meaning” he says. The history situated. Not an easy question to answer, as the end of the war, these men returned to their which these pupils learn in class is also there are so many unknown soldiers in the own country with a completely different image their history. “They are a part of the tombs. And even once they’ve located the of France.

history of France”. Photo Memoria Nord tomb, they are not always likely to obtain a visa As far as the Algerians are concerned, the For French citizens of Moroccan origin, considerable work to visit France. Much remains to be done for historian Carl Pépin explains that the First These visits take them away from the world of still needs to be done to commemorate sacrifices made. attitudes to change in this respect. World War helped to build their awareness of the working class, which has been their only A ceremony in the Muslim section of Lorette cemetery. Formalities can also take a long time to be themselves as a people who aspired to inde- reference point until now. “Their parents came France because their king asked them to do completed. This was certainly true in the case pendence. here to work, and now all of a sudden they are so. There was a huge response to his appeal. of Brick Ben Kaddour, a Muslim who had These feelings were reinforced by the Second heroes”, continues Abdelmoula Souidia, whose Moroccans came to France with their horses; been erroneously buried under a Latin cross. World War. For the Moroccans, who had a father was a miner at Évin-Malmaison, a job they had long hair and their traditional djel- Captain Josse, a former Spahi, discovered the much older history as a nation, such reinfor- which commands a huge amount of respect. laba robes flapped in the wind as they galloped mistake and became involved in lengthy nego- cement was not needed. Nonetheless, this war The sociologist explains that Morocco was across the fields. They were disliked by the tiations in order for the soldier to be laid to rest undoubtedly strengthened their desire to reject a protectorate (unlike Algeria, which was a Germans, who nicknamed them the Swallows under a Muslim stele. It’s clear that conside- their status of a protectorate, which was dis- colony) and that Moroccans came to fight in of Death. rable work still needs to be done to comme- liked by many.