Kindly Locals Vignacourt, Northern France, early November 1916

On 3 November Bert arrived in Vignacourt after a ten mile ‘tramp’. Not fancying bread and cheese for tea, he and his friend Alex Gray (23) bought a kilo of beef steak for three francs, then found a kindly local who cooked it for them, and supplied bread, butter and coffee for another franc. They did the same the next day, and discovered her name was Madame Oscarina Ducrotoy. 

“5 November - Up at 7am and went to the baths for a hot bath. ...Went for an hours walk before dinner. Left here at 2pm with Jim Turvey and walked to Berteaucourt which we reached at 3.30pm. ...We next went to St Ouen where we met some very nice people who took us to their house and treated us to coffee & cake. We left them at 8.30pm & have just got our billets... I have had a good time today & expect another tomorrow… Now to bed.“

On 6 November, Bert’s day of leave, he cycled 17km to the south east of Vignacourt to Amiens. Exploring the city on foot, he found Notre Dame which he described was protected by a pile of sandbags 1.2m thick and 12m high. “A fine pile,” he wrote, ”inside it is magnificent”. 

“10pm - We just stopped at my friend Mde Ducrotoy’s house and had two cups of coffee and a chat for half an hour as our Btn leaves here at 8am tomorrow. ...She would only let me pay for one. ...She has a bonny little daughter, just like dear little Ethel, named Clotilde. She was in bed so I promised to return and see her in the morning if possible to say “Goodbye”. Madame speaks no English and so I had to try my French & found I have really learned a little of it. I have had to use my French a good deal in Amiens today. I succeeded well enough. Now to bed.” 

Early in the morning on 7 November Bert paid a last visit to his friends Madame Ducrotoy and Clotilde, presenting Clotilde a small Ypres brooch in farewell.

By Shannon Lovelady
Story from A Signaller’s Story Exhibit