59th and 60th Brigade Monument
Details:
In front of the museum.
Monument
A low obelisk on a pedestal. On one side of the obelisk is the Great Seal of the United States while on the other sides are commemoration messages that are written in English and French.
This monument was erected by the State of Tennessee U.S.A. to celebrate the soldiers of the 59th and 60th Brigades belonging to the 30th Division of the U.S. Army.
Following President Wilson's call in April 1917, Tennessee's congressional delegation voted unanimously in favor of the war. In Tennessee, almost 90,000 men volunteered. The 59th and 60th were infantry brigades. One of the two regiments making up the 59th Brigade came from the one organized for the Mexican War in 1846 and has been in every battle since. They embarked with the 30th Division for France in May 1918, landing at Calais. On June 3, they were attached to the 39th British Division and were the first troops to enter Belgium in July 1918. The two infantry brigades fought together in the Ypres and Lys offensive, then in September and October on the Somme.
On September 23, they were sent to attack positions on the Hindenburg Line near the Saint Quentin canal and the towns of Bellicourt, Nauroy, and Bony. As they rallied to their positions, they came under daily bombardment and lost soldiers.
On September 27, they fell victim to a gas attack.
On September 29, the objective was to move through hundreds of meters of barbed wire and cross the canal. The assault began at 5:50 a.m. with a heavy artillery barrage in thick fog. The Riqueval tunnel was taken and the canal crossed. The Americans were the first to cross the canal, and a memorial was erected on the site to honor the heroism of the 59th and 60th brigades.
The brigades were very active until their last battle on October 20, 1918.
Source of information: monumentsmorts.univ-lille.fr
Source of photos: Google Maps
Monument Text:
Side 1:
ERECTED BY THE STATE
OF TENNESSEE U.S.A.
TO THE TENNESSEE TROOPS
OF THE 59TH
AND 60TH BRIGADES
30TH DIVISION
AMERICAN
EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
WHO BROKE THE
HINDENBURG LINE
ON SEPT. 29TH 1918
Side 2:
CE MONUMENT
A ÉTÉ ÉLEVÉ PAR
L'ÉTAT DE TENNESSEE USA
POUR CÉLÉBRER
LES SOLDATS DE TENNESSEE
DE LA 59E ET 60E BRIGADE
30E DIVISION
DE L'ARMÉE AMÉRICAINE
QUI ONT BRISÉ
LA LIGNE HINDENBOURG
LE 29 SEPTEMBRE 1918
