Thame’s Great War memorabilia in French exhibition

WHILE the two opposing sides of the ‘In-Out Europe’ referendum square up to each other nationally, an exhibition honouring the Great War dead of three twinned towns, Montesson, Baisweiler and Thame, demonstrates that fraternity between European countries can be very strong at a more local level.

An exhibition currently taking place in Montesson, Thame’s twin town in France,  includes letters, diaries and photographs contributed by Thame Museum and the Thame History Society.

A montage of soldiers from Thame, Montesson and Baesweiler

The exhibition,  La Grande Guerre, includes three display boards, one showing Montesson material, one showing material depicting the experience of war from Germany’s point of view, supplied by Montesson’s German twin town, Baesweiler, and one showing the material from Thame. The exhibition has been put together by L’association Mémoire et Histoire de Montesson and runs until February 21.

The Thame involvement

Derek Turner from Thame Museum and the Thame Historical Society, explained how the project came about: “During a partner town visit from Montesson to Thame Museum’s WW1 exhibition, I met and talked with Annie Gautier, one of the organising committee of their exhibition, now running. She told me that Montesson’s exhibition would feature both Thame and its German partner town. Since then I have been providing her with copies of various items from Thame’s original exhibition plus, at her request, other information about Thame and photographs of the town a century ago. I have been very glad to cooperate with Annie Gautier on this as it is fully in the spirit of what ‘twinning’ involves.

Part of the ‘Thame’ panel in the Montesson ‘La Grande Guerre’ exhibition

“I am visiting Montesson’s exhibition this coming Sunday with family and friends and look forward very much to meeting some other members of the organising committee and seeing all the material for myself.”

The exhibition

A statement from Montesson explained: “France mobilized eight million men between 1914 and 1918, few families (were not missing) a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, nephew … That’s why we appealed for all the memories and all the attics of all Montessonnais!

“A set of panels on canvas done by the education department of Yvelines Departmental Archives from its documentary collection, entitled ‘The French and the 1914-1918 war’; a simple and comprehensive educational approach to war: its causes, its consequences.

“The other panels were composed from the documents entrusted to us by descendants of Montessonnais 1914 by Montessonnais today, and by the historical associations of our two sister towns, Baesweiler and Thame. Photos, letters, war diaries, etc. of these men or women are the witnesses of an era and a society. These valuable private archives preserved for a century in families today, are historical documents.

“The variety of documents collected guided the choice of the themes of our panels (showing various) aspects of daily life at the front and rear. Several windows gather the objects loaned by families related to weapons and equipment and life in the trenches.

“Also on show is recent work done by elementary school and college students.”

Jacques Fouché, a member of L’association Mémoire et Histoire de Montesson, whose family has long been associated with the twinning between Thame and Montesson, explained how the idea for the exhibition came about: “In France, there is a great movement to celebrate the centenary of the Great War, and so the Montesson history society felt it had to do something to recognise this event.

“We produced an 88-page book, Montesson dans la Grande Guerre, which depicts the lives of ancient Montesson families, both civilians and soldiers. Today after a hundred years, it was interesting to associate Thame and Baesweiler both of which, like Montesson, were hit hard by the war.

“It was interesting to involve all the Montessonais (both ancient and new families) in accumulating documents, objects and so on. It was interesting also, to make use of the work produced by the local schools.”