Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The Pau War Memorial, France (64)

1. War Memorial at Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques Department No 64

2. Place de la Déportation, Pau.
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1 Comments:

Blogger ritsonvaljos said...

The renovated war memorial at Pau in southern France is situated on the Boulevard des Pyrénées behind the church of St. Martin [Photograph no. 1]. It honours those who gave their lives in past wars and conflicts, principally the First World War but also the Second World War, North Africa and Indo-China.

This memorial commemorate more than just those from the Pau region. For example, Portuguese soldiers who fought and died for France in the First World War are remembered on a panel of white marble, with a particularly moving quotation from Marshal Joffre:

"We admire them and we we shed tears for them as for our own children, because they died like them, beside them and with them."

(In French: « Nous les admirons et nous les pleurons comme nos enfants, puisqu'ils sont morts comme eux, à côté d'eux avec eux »).

Remembered also on this memorial are the Spanish Republican fighters who fought and died for France in the Second World War, with the tribute of General Charles de Gaulle given at Toulouse on 7 September 1944:

"In you, I salute your brave countrymen, for your courage, for the blood given for Freedom and for France."

(In French: « En vous, je salue vos braves compatriotes pour votre courage pour le sang verse, pour la liberté et pour la France »).

Near the Château de Pau, birthplace of soldier-king of France, Henri IV (Henri de Navarre), is the Place de la Déportation [Photograph No. 2]. This is in remembrance of those from the region deported to the Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War. This is also the place where one can begin a tour of this beautiful city by taking a touristic train.
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