La Ferté-sous-Jouarre memorial

La Ferté-sous-Jouarre memorial is a rectangular white stone monument that stands on the south bank of the Marne River. The structure displays carved military symbols including flags, bayonets, and helmets on its sarcophagus.

The memorial was inaugurated in 1928 to honor more than 3,700 British and Irish soldiers who died during fighting at the Marne in 1914. It was built to commemorate those who fell in this region but had no identifiable graves.

The memorial bears inscriptions in two languages and displays the names of fallen soldiers on all four sides. This arrangement lets visitors walk past the names and remember those who died in this region.

The monument is located about 66 kilometers east of Paris and remains accessible to visitors throughout the year. Access is straightforward and free, as this is a public space situated beside the river.

This memorial is one of only four independent British World War I monuments for missing soldiers built on French soil. This rarity makes it a significant place for understanding how Britain commemorated its war dead abroad.

Location: La Ferté-sous-Jouarre

Inception: November 4, 1928

Architects: George Hartley Goldsmith

GPS coordinates: 48.94333,3.12361

Latest update: December 12, 2025 09:06