La Royère farm
La Royère is located on the western section of the Chemin des Dames, at the intersection of the D18 and D15 roads.
Once a vast farm, La Royère and the surrounding villages and hamlets were destroyed during the First World War, but was rebuilt as a model farm in the 1920s few hundred metres east of its original location, along the Chemin des Dames.
La Royère now offers exceptional panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and the Ailette Valley.
It is thus hard to imagine that at the end of the war, this picturesque valley resembled a lunar landscape, scarred by shell craters and trenches.
La Royère – Commemorative Site for La Malmaison offensive
La Royère has become a memorial site, honouring the memory of the French colonial troops and commemorating the tragic events of the La Malmaison offensive.
This disastrous offensive, also known as the Second battle of the Aisne, was launched by General Nivelle on April 17, 1917, and remains one of the deadliest engagements of the Western Front.
The offensive indeed resulted in astronomical casualties and caused a profound crisis of morale among the French troops, leading to a series of mutinies.
Marshal Pétain resumed command on April 25.
La Royère and its surroundings were the scene of intense fighting from the beginning of July 1917 until the triumph at La Malmaison on October 23.
The French forces pushed the Germans back to the north bank of the Aisne River and captured the Chemin des Dames ridge.
La Royère Memorial Site is a symbolic concrete trench adorned with five information panels that detail the fighting, the role of colonial troops, the events at La Malmaison, the situation in France and the preparations for the October 1917 offensive, as well as the situation on the Aisne front.
In addition, three orientation tables are installed on an earthen mound about fifty metres from the trench, providing an overview of the positions of French, British, and German forces during the battles in the Ailette Valley, near Lake Monampteuil, the village of Pargny-Filain, and Bois de Grove.
Ste Berthe Chapel
La Royère viewpoint offers a good view of the modest Sainte-Berthe Chapel, nestled in the heart of the fields below.
Once a popular pilgrimage site, this chapel stood beside a small spring renowned for its curative properties.
However, it was first razed by the Russian Cossacks during the BBattle of Craonne of 181, rebuilt, and then destroyed again during the Battle of the Chemin des Dames a century later!
In 1932, the Leduc family, who owned La Royère farm in 1914, rebuilt it exactly as it had been.
The Memorial Site is accessed by road via a small, convenient parking area.
Aisne department – Filain – Chemin des Dames-Crossroads D18 and D15 – Picardie region
Coordinates: Lat 49.449184 – Long 3.547747
